TRIP #1
CALL OF THE CRANES
SANDHILL CRANE MIGRATION IN KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
NASEEM MUNSHI
Leader: Naseem Munshi
Date: Friday-Monday, April 3-6, 2020
Location: Based in Kearney, NE
Fees: $425, 3 nights (double occupancy, +$135 single premium)
Limited to 8 people.
Join Rowe Sanctuary volunteer, Naseem Munshi, for a long weekend in America's Crane Capital, Kearney, NE. Thrill to the primeval cacophony of tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes as they fly in and out of their nighttime roosts along the Platte River or graze in the surrounding fields.
This trip, scheduled for early April, provides us with the best chance of sighting some of the 300+ Whooping Cranes that also migrate through this corridor. Other birds to be expected are many species of geese and ducks, raptors, turkey, Woodcock, early shorebirds and several kinds of owls, whose calls can often be heard mixed with those of the Cranes.
We will have early Saturday morning reservations in one of the newly remodeled viewing blind complexes, which now include a warming hut too! On Saturday and Sunday we will car tour and hike local hot spots, including a trail in the habitat rich Fort Kearney State Park. Another highlight will be a visit to the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at the Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, where we will listen to a fascinating talk entitled, "Crane Behavior Basics". On Sunday evening, we will enter a two-story blind with panoramic views of the Cranes and the prairie landscape. There, we will enjoy socializing and a picnic dinner with libations.
Naseem is a long-time resident of Boulder County and a member of BCAS and BCNA. She enjoys watching birds and learning their behavior and has a special love for Sandhill Cranes. Since she retired in 2018, Naseem volunteers for two weeks at Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary during crane migration season.
Included in the $425 fees are 3 nights in a hotel with breakfasts, all blind fees, taxes, one class, entrance costs, a picnic dinner on Sunday night, and your share of gasoline charges for the drivers. Not included are all other meals.
TRIP #2
UPPER TEXAS COAST:
BIRDING WITH THE BEST
BILL KAEMPFER AND JOHN VANDERPOEL
Leaders: Bill Kaempfer and John Vanderpoel
Dates: Saturday, April 18, 2020 to Saturday, April 25, 2020
Location: Based in Winnie, Texas
Fees: $1150 per person, double occupancy, +$350 single premium
Limited to 8 people
Join elite birders, John Vanderpoel and Bill Kaempfer, for one full week of birding during spring migration on the Upper Texas Coast. We will go to all of the famous hot-spots including High Island, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Sabine Woods, Bolivar Peninsula, Boykin Springs (Big Thicket National Preserve), and more.
Expect to see up to 200 species including 25-30 warblers; shorebirds, waders, and rails; Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman's, Nelson's and Seaside Sparrows and much, much more.
The fee of $1150 (double occupancy, single premium, +$350) includes all transportation to and from Bush or Hobby Airports, admission fees, lodging, and 2 stellar leaders. We will be based at one hotel, the Comfort Inn at Winnie, TX. All rooms have a refrigerator. Excluded are meals (other than breakfasts which are included at the hotel) and airfare to Texas.
Trip # 3
OWL PROWL: WHO'S THAT HOOTING?
Scott Rashid
Leader: Scott Rashid
Date: Sunday, late afternoon/evening, April 26, 2019
Location: TBD
Donation: $50
Limited to 8, willing and able to walk up to two miles in the dark
Scott Rashid has spent a lifetime studying, banding, recording, rehabilitating and writing about the different owl species to be found in Colorado. He has incredible depth of knowledge concerning all aspects of courtship, vocalizations, breeding, feeding and the distribution of species to be found in our varied habitats. Scott has a great set of ears too, which can hear and assess which kind of owl is calling and what they are most likely doing.
You will set off in the early evening to begin your search for these "denizens of the dark". Possible species include Northern Pygmy, Northern Saw Whet, Great Horned, Long-eared, Barn and Boreal Owls. Bring warm clothing, good footwear, flashlights and a sense of awe. BCAS will provide drinks and snacks.
Scott, Director of the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute, is an artist/illustrator, licensed bander, a rehabilitator of injured birds, and an author whose books include, Small Mountain Owls, The Great Horned Owl, an In-Depth Study and Northern Goshawk, The Gray Ghost, and his most recent, Exploring the World of the Barn Owl.
TRIP #4
COMANCHE NATIONAL GRASSLANDS
BIRDS, BUGS AND BOTANY
DAVE LEATHERMAN & PAM SMITH
Leaders: Entomologist & naturalist Dave Leatherman, Botanist, Pam Smith
Date: Friday-Sunday, May 15-17
Location: Based in Lamar
Fees: $150 per person
Limited to 10 people.
Join Dave and Pam for this field trip to Comanche National Grasslands and surrounding hotspots in southeastern Colorado. This lightly visited area contains amazingly diverse and biologically rich habitats. You will be surprised to discover bird species usually expected much further south, wooded hillsides that host Colorado's only known nesting sites for Painted Buntings and shaded pools with rare amphibians and dragonflies.
After hotel check-in Friday afternoon, we will meet at 6 p. m. at Willow Creek Park for a picnic dinner provided by BCAS, followed by a walk into Lamar Community College woods for migrants. Later that evening, perhaps a Black Rail hunt if one has been seen or heard close to Lamar? At 6:30 on Saturday, we head off to the grasslands and canyons to the south and west. The schedule and destinations will be fluid, depending on what is being reported in the area.
Target birds for Friday evening in Lamar would be Mississippi Kite, possible eastern warblers, White-winged Dove, Northern Cardinal. Targets for Saturday south of Lamar would be Chihuahuan Raven, Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, Canyon Towhee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Mississippi Kite, Painted and other buntings, Eastern Phoebe, Greater Roadrunner, Curve-billed Thrasher, Pinyon Jay, maybe a "red" tanager like Summer or Hepatic. Targets for Sunday morning north of Lamar would be eastern warblers at Tempel's, Grove, good shorebirds at one of the Great Plains Reservoirs. Other things: Texas Horned Lizard, Ring-necked Snake, Collared Lizard, Coachwhip, early odonates.
Dave, an entomologist by profession, is also a superb all-round naturalist and observer. Pam is an outstanding botanist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and an enthusiastic field teacher. Included in the fees are two leaders, gasoline charges and the Friday evening picnic. You are responsible for the hotel and all other meals. Participants must be comfortable walking up to two miles on and off trail.
TRIP #5
MIGRATION BIG DAY AND BIG SIT
LUKE PHENEGER
Leader: Luke Pheneger
Date: May 16, all day
Location: Sawhill/Walden complex
Fee: $50
Limited to 15
Mid-May is a sweet spot for witnessing the widest variety of migratory birds in Boulder County. Join one of this area's most accomplished young birders, Luke Pheneger, for a big day adventure in this rich and varied habitat. About 100 species should be attained with the expected mix of ducks, geese, shorebirds, herons, egrets, hummers, woodpeckers and songbirds, including warblers and sparrows. The Sawhill and Walden conservation areas are surrounded by Boulder Creek and include marshes, ponds, meadows and woods. Many rarities have been reported over the years and with Luke's exceptional eyes and ears, you might well expect some pleasant surprises.
After a full morning of birding, bring a folding chair, take your picnic lunch break and do a Big Sit for a while, while all scan the skies and marshes for more species. Then, it's back for another loop around the complex to see what has arrived. BCAS will provide soft drinks and treats. Be prepared to walk 2-3 miles and bring a picnic lunch, binoculars, scopes, cameras and the usual outdoor gear.
TRIP #6
JE CANYON RANCH REDUX
TWO NIGHTS AT THE GORGEOUS NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC) PROPERTY IN SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO
Leaders: Mammologist, Carron Meaney and Biologist, Scott Severs
Date: Friday-Monday, May 22-24
Fees: $150 per person, you will be camping.
Limited to 10 people.
The nearly 50,000 acre JE Canyon ranch was purchased by TNC and the Terra Foundation in 2015. It has since been sold, but it still co-managed by TNC until the end of 2020. This is our last chance to visit this astounding property. It is bordered on three sides by 700 foot deep canyons of the Purgatoire River and remote Chacuaco Creek. The ranch includes important short grass prairie habitat, mile high upland mesas, red rock canyons, juniper and pinons forests, remnant ponderosa patches, and numerous springs and pools.
More than 850 species of flora & fauna have been identified, making it one of the most biodiverse ranches in the state which has been well documented by TNC, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Denver Botanic Gardens. JE is considered one of the most iconic ranches in Colorado, featured in John Fielder's "Ranches of Colorado" and in "Colorado: Lost Places and Forgotten Words." 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 of Long-billed Curlews.
Carron received her PhD on pika scent-marking behavior. She served as Curator of Mammals at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for 10 years, then ran her own wildlife consulting business for 11 years. Her expertise on Preble's meadow jumping , helped to draft the plan that would remove it from the Endangered Species list. She is currently semi-retired, and continues her work on various projects locally and abroad. Scott is a biologist for the City of Longmont, a great birder and insect aficionado, who previously worked for Carron.
We will have a pot-luck the first evening and you will be responsible for all other meals. BCAS will provide drinks and snacks. The ranch is a 4.5 hour drive via I-25, then 1 hour on dirt and gravel roads.
TRIP #7
BANDING BABY KESTRELS
SCOTT RASHID
Leader: Scott Rashid
Date: Early Evening, 1st half of June, 2020, depending on the birds
Location: TBD
Limited to 12 people
Donation: $50.00
American Kestrels stand out as not only our smallest falcon, but by any measure, the most attractive. Although not a species of concern, in many areas population trends are indicating troubling to downright frightening declines. With that in mind, Scott Rashid, Director of the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute, has installed many Kestrel nest boxes to help maintain sustainable local numbers and provide a source of birds for expansion into abandoned or underused ranges.
Learn about their courtship displays, breeding, brooding, when the eggs hatch and how and what the young are fed. Scott will talk about what scientists are positing as the primary threats to their long term success. Learn if your property might be suitable for a nest box and a video cam.
The banding will take place in the northern part of Boulder County. Boulder County Audubon will provide drinks and treats for the participants. Bring your camera for great photo opportunities. Date and place to be determined; it's up to the Kestrels!
Scott is an artist as well as a licensed bander and rehabilitator. He has authored and illustrated the following books, all of which are available through him: Small Mountain Owls, The Great Horned Owl, an In-Depth Study and Northern Goshawk, The Gray Ghost. His newest, published in October of 2019: Exploring The World Of The Barn Owl.
TRIP #8
BANDING BABY BARN OWLS
Scott Rashid
Leader: Scott Rashid
Date: Early evening, last third of June, 2020, depending on the birds
Location: TBD
Limited to 12 people
Fee: $50.00
Back by popular demand: In 2014, Scott Rashid, of the Center for Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute, (CARRI), embarked on an experiment. Would there be more Barn Owls in Boulder County if there were more breeding cavities? With grants from Boulder County Audubon and others, Scott began installing nest boxes on private properties in northern Boulder County. Since then, dozens of baby Barn Owls have fledged and been banded. Thousands of people have addictively watched one of his live web cams to follow the fascinating processes of courtship, breeding, brooding, hatching and the feeding of these enigmatic birds.
Join us early one evening to watch Scott band the nestlings from one of these sites on private property. Scott will talk about the biology of this very special species and the amazing places in which some of his bands have been recovered. You will have charming photo ops and perhaps the opportunity to even hold one of the young.
Scott is an artist as well as a licensed bander and rehabilitator. He has authored and illustrated the following books, all of which are available through him: Small Mountain Owls, The Great Horned Owl, an In-Depth Study and Northern Goshawk, The Gray Ghost. His newest, published in October of 2019: Exploring The World Of The Barn Owl.
TRIP #9
Emeralds? In The Woods?
HIGH ELEVATION DRAGONFLIES
AND BUTTERFLIES
John Barr
Leader: John Barr
Date: Sunday, June 21, meet at 9:30 a. m.
Location: Cal-Wood Education Center
Fee: $35
Limited to 8 for ½ day
Boulder County Audubon has received permission to offer this very special outing at the private, 1000 acre Cal-Wood Outdoor Education Center, located in the foothills above Jamestown. This pristine land with varied habitats will provide us with two ponds and vast meadows to explore. Emeralds? refers to very special and rare dragonflies which are only found at higher elevations. With glowing green eyes, they are a find that anyone interested in Odonata will be thrilled to see.
You can expect to find another dozen species of dragon and damselflies as well as flowering meadows aflit with many types of butterflies. John is a consummate outdoorsman, a great macro photographer and intimately familiar with all of the local butterflies and dragonflies.
Pack a lunch to enjoy at Cal-Wood after the mornings explorations. Expect to walk a mile or two along trails. Bring your cameras and the usual outdoor gear.
TRIP #10
EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC With BUGS!!
SCOTT SEVERS
Leader: Scott Severs
Date: August 15, 2020
Time: 6-9 p. m.
Location: TBD
Fee: $35, limited to 8
Join Scott Severs for a late afternoon and early evening musical experience with the singing Orthoptera: crickets, katydids, and cicadas. This Order of insects provides the musical undertones to the nights. We'll learn how to find them, their adaptions to produce their songs, and simple ways to record their voices. You will be surprised by the variety of songs and and the beauty of the singers.
Bring a camera with a flash and macro lens for close up photos. Scott is one of Boulder County's best all round naturalists, with a passion for teaching.
TRIP #11
SOME BIRDS, MOSTLY HERPS
LINCOLN COUNTY, COLORADO
JOHN VANDERPOEL
Leader, John Vanderpoel
Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, 2020
Location: Based in Limon, CO
Fee: $125
Limited to 8
Lincoln County is incredibly rich in reptiles with 11 species of snakes, including 2 kinds of rattlers, 2 species of skink, Painted Turtles and 4 types of lizards, most notably the Short-horned, a species of special concern. October is the month when snakes heading to their winter hibernacula become easier to spot along dirt roads in eastern Colorado.
We will leave from Boulder on Saturday morning, and in early afternoon, visit a private ranch north of Limon to look for reptiles and birds. During this late migration period, we are likely to find raptors, sapsuckers, lingering warblers and wintering sparrows. After breakfast on Sunday morning, we head east to work the gravel roads for migrating snakes and reptiles. We will drive home later in the afternoon..
Although John is best known as an elite birder, he is passionate about herpetology and makes several trips a year searching out various species in their preferred Colorado habitats.
You are responsible for the cost of your night in the hotel as well as all meals. Most of Limon's hotels serve breakfast to enjoy as it won't be necessary to start early on Sunday. BCAS will provide snacks and soft drinks. We expect all participants to listen carefully and obey all directions from John concerning approaching any snakes. You will risk a, "time out" if we feel that you are endangering yourself or others!
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