A couple of weeks ago, I finally did it. I twitched. It was almost involuntary, the urgency was so great.
A little after lunch one day, I checked my inbox. There, waiting for me as usual, was my automated eBird sightings email. I skimmed it as usual, ready to confirm nothing of interest and delete, but then my eyes stopped.
This must be a mistake, I muttered to myself as I rapidly clicked the links for more information. A brambling? No way -- they're a bird that usually resides in Asia. I ran to my trusty bird guide book and checked -- an ABA Code 3! Within minutes I'd gathered up the binoculars, shoes, directions, and my Hiking Buddy to see a wayward bird.
For you non-birders out there, a brambling is a finch-sized bird with a dark head and back and bright rust orange streak on its chest. It's at home in parts of Europe and Asia, but a few find their way to the US each year. This particular brambling was only the fourth ever recorded in Colorado. An ABA (American Birding Association) Code 3 means that only a few are found each year in the US.
As I drove up, I quickly spotted the binocular and scope-laden crowd standing quietly, all seeming to gaze intently at some bushes. Birders in a group are a pretty obvious sight. I parked the car and jumped out, walking quickly (but quietly!) to the group. Feeding on seed left by a previous birder, the brambling dropped in every 20 minutes or so for a quick bite. Standing in the hot sun for what seemed like ages, not daring to move, my optically-enhanced companions and I waited. And waited. The finches feeding on the ground slowly swelled in number, and then, all of a sudden, it was there. Ah!
An audible gasp by all watching scared the brambling away before it had barely landed. It quickly returned, as if it were celebrity non-plussed by its strange paparazzi. I watched it come to feed a couple more times. What a cool bird! I had finally twitched to see a special bird, and it was totally worth it.
