The day didn’t start well. We’d had a hasty breakfast and were well on our way to the first birding location when Jane realised she’d left her coat back at the hotel. We decided to press on in the hope of catching an overnight fall of migrants. Unfortunately Elkhart cemetery was deathly quiet but we did manage to salvage something with a group of distant Wilson’s Phalarope at the poo ponds. Then it was a 65 mile round trip to collect the coat before we could move on to our next group of locations in the Cimarron National Grasslands. By this stage there were more birds about and we added several trip ticks – including another game bird, this time Scaled Quail. We were having a pleasant, if rather protracted, conversation with Game Warden Hudson at Middle Spring (I don’t think he gets to talk to many people in the winter!) when Jane spotted a warbler. Trying not to be rude but wanting to get a closer view I edged nearer the bird, nestling under a bush. I instantly recognised it as Worm-eating – I’ve seen a few in Texas but it was definitely not on my radar for this trip! We moved on to Cottonwood Canyon, Comanche National Grassland for lunch and more birds, including on route a flock of migrating Lark Bunting – State bird of Colorado. We added more ticks in the afternoon including – yes you’ve guessed it – a couple of sparrows!