January 2 - The day after

I decided to sleep in as I had to help my parents with work around the house. Until I got a post, Bullock's Oriole in Fort Collins seen by Skyler Bol and his family. I eventually found out the address to this location and I heard the bird is still there. I rushed up to the location and pulled up, the bird was there 15 minutes ago, sweet. Then I met Skyler who had just looked for the bird. It is gone. Very disappointing. I walked around the area for over an hour without any luck, although it was a very birdy neighborhood, so I got to see lots of birds, but not the oriole.

                                                      Northern Flicker

I left being fairly disappointed, but I know this bird is common in Larimer County in the spring and summer, so I won't be missing it. A few hours later I got a call that the bird had just shown back up, but then flew off again less than a minute later.
Just before dark I met up with Cheri Orwig at Dry Creek Reservoir after I made a quick stop at Cattail Pond where I saw the Trumpeter Swan yet again. At Dry Creek most of the exciting birds were still around from 1/1. Western Grebe, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, and Hooded Merganser.
I had to go to work on a late shift, 7:30 to midnight. On my way back home I decided to drive by Cattail Pond looking for Short-eared Owl. No luck on the owl, but a stop at Cattail Pond and some hoaxing I was able to get a Virginia Rail to start calling back, not on the CBC, but at least we got it for count week. As I turned my car around I thought to myself. I wonder if I can see the Trumpeter Swan. So, I turned my brights on and started looking through my binoculars, yes, there it is standing sleeping on the ice with a bunch of Canada Geese. I got the bird at 12:25 at night, amazing.