CALL OF THE CRANES
LEADER: ALISON HOLLORAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUDUBON ROCKIES
MARCH 24-MARCH 26. LIMITED TO 20
7 SPOTS LEFT: Join us to witness and be awed by the mass migration of over 600,000 magnificent Sandhill Cranes. We have reserved a private blind for our group at the Lillian Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Kearney, NE for Friday morning, at the very height of this iconic bird's passage through their primary staging grounds. With some luck, we will also find one or more of the 300 Whooping Cranes that also migrate through Nebraska.
On Friday morning, we will make our way in the dark to the blind for an intimate early morning viewing of thousands of Cranes as they leave the Platte River to forage for the day. Afterwards, we will retreat to our hotel for a hot gourmet breakfast provided by BCAS, a quick rest and then a tour of the Kearney area where as many as 10,000,000 waterfowl of different species, resplendent in their breeding plumages blanket the surrounding ponds and lakes. Huge flocks of Snow Geese are regularly flushed into a panic by the abundant Bald Eagles. Wild Turkey are common as are several owl species and we will almost certainly hear the "peenting" call of the American Woodcock.
BANDING BARN OWLS
Date to be announced in second half of June.
SOLD OUT!! WILL TAKE TWO MORE ON WAIT LIST: Two years ago, Scott Rashid of the Center for Avian Research and Rehabilitation in Estes Park (CARRIE), embarked on an experiment. Would there be more Barn Owls in Boulder County if there were more breeding cavities? With a grant from Boulder County Audubon, Scott began installing 10 boxes on private properties in northern Boulder County. The first year, one box was occupied and many folks were enchanted when he installed a web cam to document the owls raising a large brood. This year, 6 out of the 10 boxes were inhabited and Scott was able to band 24 chicks and one adult female.
Join us next year at Lone Hawk Farm during the second or third week of June to watch Scott and his crew band the brood from their nest box. Scott will talk about the biology of this enigmatic bird and you will have charming photo ops. Scott is also the author of Small Mountain Owls and The Great Horned Owl, and In-Depth Study. Stay for dinner and drinks. $50 per person, limited to 12.
Ovenbirds, Golden Eagles, and Banded Hairstreaks: Breeding Birds and Butterflies of Roxborough State Park
Monday, June 20 6:15 a.m-2 p.m.
Leader: STEVE JONES
4 SPOTS LEFT: Roxborough State Park, one of the most spectacular protected areas in the Front Range foothills, supports more than 80 breeding bird species and an equal number of butterflies. Listen for the rhythmic chants of ovenbirds while we have a gourmet picnic brunch up among old-growth Douglas-fir/Gambel oak woodlands. We will keep an eye on the sky for golden eagles soaring or to find them nesting on vermillion cliffs. You will have the opportunity to photograph hairstreaks and fritillaries nectaring on summer wildflowers. Carpenter Peak is our destination which will require a strenuous 4 mile round trip hike, with an elevation gain of about 800 feet.
Steve has completed a comprehensive breeding bird survey of the park for Colorado State Parks and Wildlife in 2009 and is co-author, with Jan Chu, of Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range. Limited to 10 participants. $50 per person. A $7 per vehicle state parks pass is required for those who do not hold annual State Parks passes. Meet to carpool at the Eldorado Springs park-and-ride, at the northeast corner of SH 93 and Eldorado Springs Drive, at 6:15 AM. Return around 2 PM.
THE EARLY BIRDERS LEARN THE SONGS!
Sunday, June 5 6 a.m.-11
Leader: SCOTT SEVERS
SOLD OUT!!, WAIT LIST CLOSED. Scott is an exceptional all-round naturalist and gifted with some of the best ears in the State of Colorado. He knows all aspects of bird vocalizations (as well as insect songs!). Join him for 5 hour workshop in early June when both the summer migrants and our resident birds are in full song as they define their territories.
This class is based on the classic Peterson guides by Dick Walton. Scott will teach tricks to remember songs and calls, and you will learn to use the habitat approach to help with tricky ID's. Location to be announced. $35 per person, limited to 8.
ANCIENT NATURAL HISTORY
Fossil Hunting in the Green River Formation in Western Colorado
Friday-Saturday, June 3-4
Leader: PAM PIOMBINO
6 SPOTS LEFT: Here is a chance to explore a very different aspect of the natural sciences. This particular outcrop of the Green River Formation, located atop Douglas Pass in western Colorado, is internationally renown for delicately preserved specimens of insects, leaves, branches, seeds and the occasional feather imprint.
The Green River Formation is Eocene in age and represents a series of three inter-mountain lakes that once covered portions of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah approximately 50 million years ago. Fine sediments were laid down over six million years, thus preserving multitudes of fossils that were slowly entombed in exquisite detail.
You will need some special tools: a "hard"-rock hammer, a rock chisel, eye protection, leather gloves, a foam gardening pad, and definitely a hand lens. You would also want to bring some cardboard or plastic boxes in which to secure your specimens along with something to wrap them in. Splitting these rocks is dirty work and for those with strong hands and wrists. Appropriate clothing should be worn, especially long sturdy pants.
We will camp for free very close to the fossil area, where there is a large flat space that can accommodate the group. You will have to provide your own food and water for the weekend.The top of Douglas Pass is an hour north of Loma, CO and a 6-6.5 hour drive from Boulder. $35 per person, limited to 12
Check out this collection of insects that were donated to the Smithsonian from this formation: http://paleobiology.si.edu/greenRiver/insectPhotos.html
THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDPARENT'S ZOO ANYMORE
Thursday, June 23
Leaders: Docents, CAROL MCCASLAND AND BRINDA HENLEY
7 SPOTS LEFT: If you think zoos are just places to house animals, think again! Zoos today are focusing on helping endangered animals by breeding selectively and by helping to conserve habitat in the field. Exhibits are designed to give the visitor an 'immersive' experience as well as to better meet the animals' needs.
We'll explore some award-winning exhibits as well as take a look back at some historic exhibit spaces dating from the early 1900's, seeing how those 'old' spaces can still be used today. We'll take a stroll through the zoo highlighting some critically endangered animals, and talk about how YOU can help them in the wild. A gourmet catered picnic lunch will be included. $50 per person. Limited to 12, with the participants splitting into two groups of 6 each.
TWO NIGHTS AT THE NEWEST NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC) PROPERTY IN SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO
Friday- Sunday, May 13-15, 2016
LEADERS, DAVE LEATHERMAN AND TED FLOYD
SOLD OUT!!, WAIT LIST CLOSED: The stunning 50,000 acre JE Canyon ranch was recently purchased by TNC and the Terra Foundation. It is bordered on three sides by more than 55 miles of 700 foot deep canyons, including 9 miles of the Purgatoire River and 6 miles of the remote Chacuaco Creek. The ranch includes important short grass prairie habitat, upland mesas (5,400 feet), red rock canyons, as well as numerous springs and pools. The ranch includes juniper and pinon forests, with ancient patches of aspen and ponderosa pine.
More than 850 species of flora & fauna have been identified, making it one of the most biodiverse ranches in the state, as documented by the Conservancy, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Denver Botanic Gardens. JE Ranch has been featured in John Fielder's "Ranches of Colorado" and in "Colorado: Lost Places and Forgotten Worlds." It is critical habitat for the state's largest population of bighorn sheep as well as elk, mule deer, mountain lion and numerous bird species including a highly important population s of Long billed Curlew, Loggerhead Shrike, Gray Vireo, Juniper Titmouse, Cassin's Sparrows, Lark Bunting and Hepatic Tanager.
Boulder County Audubon would like to give a shout out to Board member, Connie Holsinger of the Terra Foundation, whose generosity made this trip possible.
$160 per person. Limited to 18 people, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ONLY OR $260 SINGLE PREMIUM. The fees include two nights lodging and we will provide a gourmet dinner on Saturday night and two gourmet breakfasts. We will have a pot-luck the first evening (Friday) and you will be responsible for lunches on Saturday and Sunday. The ranch is a 4.5 hour drive via I-25, then 1 hour on dirt and gravel roads. Please plan on carpooling!
HUMMERS AND HUMMUS:
AN INTIMATE BIRD WATCHERS DINNER
Saturday, August 3, 5 p.m.
Hosts: NINA AND, "DAVIS"
SOLD OUT!! WILL TAKE 3 ON WAIT LIST: Join us for a convivial evening of fine dining, wine and bird viewing at their well- known and superb feeding stations. Davis's multiple (and clever) hummingbird feeders will attract 4 species during this week: Broad-tailed, Black-chinned, Calliope and Rufous. His seed stations and water sources bring in a variety of finches including Cassin's , nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, grosbeaks, crossbills and the elusive Pinyon Jays. They have nest boxes which host both Mountain and Western Bluebirds. Eagles and accipiters are often sighted soaring by. Nina is a great chef and will treat you to a smorgasbord of tastes. Bring your binoculars and an appetite!
Limited to 8, $60 a person.
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