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Boulder County Audubon Society
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In this Issue: good news on local and national conservation fronts, volunteers joining us and new opportunities for you, and plenty of trips to let you enjoy spring migration.
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There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds…something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring comes after the winter…
- Rachel Carson
It is definitely time to get out the binoculars and introduce a friend to the joys of birdwatching!
(Perhaps on our
Basics of Birding field trip
in late April). Spring migration, thousands of years old, yet still an exciting event, especially in Colorado where we are fortunate to see over 400 species of birds.
You may have found much of the environmental news Washington, D.C. depressing in the last few years, note that there was a massive victory for birds on February 26th, when both the Senate and the House passed the
Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47)
. One of the most significant parts of the legislation is the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, widely seen as one of the country’s most effective programs that protects wildlife habitat and creates opportunities for outdoor recreation. The legislation also reauthorizes the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, important protection for many migrants.
Locally, BCAS continues to be a voice for birds and their habitats when issues arise with the city or county that affect our wildlife ecosystems. Fundamental to public awareness, however, is education through field trips and programs, as you will see in this issue of our newsletter. We also will be reaching out to our members in April with volunteer opportunities that will really help us continue to achieve our mission!
Happy Birding!
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Call for Nominations for Officers and Board of Directors
As an all-volunteer organization, it is essential to our ongoing operations that members step into leadership roles within Boulder County Audubon. Pursuant to our by-laws, the Boulder County Audubon Society is soliciting nominations for positions on the Board of Directors and for the roles of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Voting will occur during the May 28, 2019 meeting. You can find out more about the Board and the current committees on the
About Us webpage
.
Please send your nominations (including self-nominations), by May 15th, to BCAS President Pat Billig or use the
Contact Us form
.
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BCAS 4th Tuesday Program Series
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Ecological and Evolutionary Insights from Common Backyard Birds
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Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 7:15p.m.
Birds are widespread and familiar creatures. They are, perhaps, the vertebrates we are most familiar with in our day-to-day lives, aside from other humans and our pets. Pigeons and house sparrows join us in cites, while chickadees and other forest species make their homes in our backyards. Dr. Taylor’s lab at CU-Boulder studies birds to gain insights into the impacts that anthropogenic changes are having on where animals live and how they interact. From their work on a number of common backyard species they are gaining a better understanding of the pace at which birds can respond to warmer winters, and are just beginning to investigate how cites alter the way closely related species of birds interact.
Dr. Scott A. Taylor joined the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder in August 2016. He was previously a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology from 2012–2016 and obtained his Ph.D. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 2011. Dr. Taylor’s passion for natural history extends as far back as he can remember. He has worked extensively as a naturalist, leading groups of all ages on excursions exploring the diversity of the globe from Antarctica to Ascension Island and the high Arctic. Dr. Taylor is an enthusiastic and dedicated scientist and educator and a passionate natural historian at heart.
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Magical, Mysterious Milkweed
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Tuesday, May 28, 2019, 7:15p.m.
Milkweed species not only host more than 100 million breeding monarch butterflies but also support a dizzying array of insect life, from dayglo aphids and lime-green mantids to milkweed beetles, jumping spiders, and 30 or more dragonfly species. Yet milkweeds are among the most toxic plants growing in our area. How did these plants evolve to ward off excessive consumption and at the same time to become a keystone species for maintaining populations of prairie insects? Close-up photos by Steve Jones highlight the beauty of these relationships, with special emphasis on the status and fate of monarch butterflies.
Steve Jones is author of
The Last Prairie, a Sandhills Journal
and co-author of
The Shortgrass Prairie
, the
Peterson Field Guide to the North American Prairie
,
Colorado Nature Almanac
,
Wild Boulder County
, and
Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range
. He taught in the Boulder Valley Public Schools for 33 years, and he is a past president of both the Boulder County Audubon Society and Boulder County Nature Association.
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All program meetings are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder,
5001 Pennsylvania Ave (west off 55th St. between Arapahoe and Baseline).
Programs are from 7:15–9:00p.m. Socializing starts at 7:00.
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All articles in this section by Raymond Bridge, Conservation Committee
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Proposed Expansion to Gross Reservoir
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Denver Water has proposed a major expansion of Gross Reservoir on South Boulder Creek in southwest Boulder County in order to divert more water from the upper Colorado River to the eastern plains. An action that, in Boulder County Audubon's opinion, is environmentally unsound, since the Colorado is already under major stress from overuse and increased aridity due to climate change.This would be the largest construction project ever in Boulder County. Aside from the effects on the Colorado River, it would have major environmental effects in Boulder County, as well as ruining the lives of residents in Coal Creek Canyon and for miles around the reservoir.
(For a more complete analysis see the
February/March 2019 Issue of On The Wing
.)
In several meetings and actions the Boulder County Commissioners have ruled that they have 1041 authority under state law to require Denver Water to apply for a permit from the county and to comply with county land use regulations. This authority allows the county to review the entire record for the project and to hold public hearings on all previous decisions. It may also require Denver Water to re-examine all the assumptions it has used to justify the project. Several other legal challenges are also going ahead against the project.
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Proposed Eldorado Spring-Walker Ranch Trail
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This proposed trail connection, as documented in the joint “feasibility study” by Boulder City Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) has been opposed by Boulder County Audubon Society as poorly planned and environmentally disastrous. The proposed route would seriously damage an important Habitat Conservation Area and State Natural Area. The “feasibility study” was sloppy and inaccurate. (For a more complete analysis see the
February/March 2019 Issue of On The Wing
.)
Further consideration on this action has been postponed for at least a year by CPW until a management plan for Eldorado Canyon State Park is completed. Hopefully, this will give the other two agencies time to do a better job of considering their own issues. The Eldorado Canyon State Park Management Plan is intended to involve an extensive public process. BCAS will participate and encourages members and supporters to do so.
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Open Space and Mountain Parks Master Plan
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OSMP is moving forward to complete its master planning process in 2019. This Master Plan sets the department goals and priorities for the next 50 years. You can read more about the Plan and provide input on
their website.
Input on spending priorities are being accepted until April 7th and the draft plan is expected later this spring.
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Before and after a Habitat Hero inspired garden to increase native species and increasing pollinator friendly plantings. Not to mention a dramatic increase in curb appeal. Photo By Sharie Chickering.
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Pam Piombino, BCAS Vice President
Boulder County Audubon is embarking on a sustained effort to encourage the use of native, low water plants in Boulder County gardens. Information about the
BCAS Habitat Hero program
can now be found in a special, prominent section on our website and new content will be added regularly.
Plant it and They will Come
Seminar
Saturday, August 3rd, 1-5 pm
To launch these renewed Habitat Hero efforts, we are starting with the
Plant it and They Will Come
seminar. The seminar, limited to 100 people, will feature presentations by three native gardening experts. Author, plant biologist, and master gardener, Susan Tweit, will provide an overview of how to create a wildlife native habitat. Scott Severs, biologist and insect lover, will show us the incredible variety of insects that are attracted to natives. Deryn Davidson’s
Plant This, Not That
program, makes it easy to know what natives to substitute for mundane nursery selections.
Our goal is to educate thoughtful gardeners to create appropriate habitat that enhances regional natural systems. Not only will you be saving precious water in your landscapes, you will also help prevent the collapse of the food web.
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A seldom stressed, yet critically important point is that native insects cannot use many of the chemical compounds in non-native plants with which they didn’t co-evolve. Almost all of the globally sourced green stock at local nurseries are, with few exceptions, useless to Colorado insects and their larvae.
Why? It’s all about photosynthesis and chemicals. Plants harness solar energy, combining
carbon dioxide, nutrients and water to produce sugars creating all they need to grow. This is the beginning of the food chains in your yard. Very few other living entities can produce their own energy from the sun, so all other organisms have to rely on plants for their food and energy.
The Phylum Arthropods (insects, spiders and crustaceans) are found across the planet and in many specialized niche spaces by utilizing the energy produced by plants. If the chemicals in the plants available to them don’t match what they evolved with, they cannot exploit them. Period!! Their importance to the food web cannot be overstated as they are the sole source of nutrition for many amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals.
The wormy, squirmy larvae, which we refer to as caterpillars, are an essential food source for many organisms, but especially birds. Research on Carolina Chickadees documented the parents feeding between 390 to 570 larval insects per day for 16 days – that totals 6300 to 9100 individual caterpillars! And chickadees are tiny birds. Northern Flickers weigh over 5 times as much as chickadees but eat a lot of ants and ground beetles. How many ants would be required to raise a nest of Northern Flickers? A key here is that caterpillars and other insects cannot digest, assimilate or thrive on chemical compounds found in plants with which they did not co-evolve. Therefore, to nurture our native wildlife, we need to plant and nurture the native plants they depend on!!!
We will use the BCAS Habitat Hero webpage, regular articles, and seminars to explore the many facets of the relationships between native plants, local insects, birds and other animals.
Tickets ($20) for the August 3
rd
, Habitat Hero seminar,
Plant It And They Will Come
, are available now. Purchase your ticket and find out more on the
event page on the BCAS website.
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King Soopers & City Market Donations to Boulder County Audubon
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Once upon a time, Boulder County Audubon sold King Soopers certificates whereby you had to purchase paper coupons in $20 denominations to spend at King Soopers While they were a total pain to keep track of and we had unhappy members when people lost them, they were an important way that we were able to fund conservation and education activities.
Luckily King Soopers, along with City Market, have now refined this program to support community organizations. Now you can link your King Soopers Rewards Card to the BCAS ID number (SJ427), and,
voila
, 5% of all your purchases will automatically be donated back to BCAS.
We sincerely hope that you will enroll in this program and help enhance our budget that supports our many programs. You will be helping to fund the Teen Naturalist program, Habitat Hero, Prairie Puppet Show, Birds and Brews, Christmas Bird Count, our 4th Tuesday monthly programs, our website & Newsletter, and mundane expenses like the costs of the space rentals and our ever increasing insurance premiums.
Many thanks, the BCAS Board of Directors
To Register:
1. Log into the appropriate website for your rewards program:
2. Once logged into your King Soopers or City Market account, search for Boulder County Audubon Society either by name or ID SJ427. Once selected, click Enroll. You are done!
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Interludes with Nature – Spaces Remain
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Spaces remain for a few Interludes with Nature trips. Explore local (and not so local) areas with experts and your fellow BCAS members while supporting our Teen Naturalists.
April 26-28, 2019
- Kansas Odyssey: Cheyenne Bottoms and Quevira National Wildlife Refuges
July 23, 2019
- Close-Up Butterfly Photography
July 27, 2019
- Journey to the Dark Side: Moths and Night Flying Insects
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2019 Teen Birding Camp Scholarship Recipients
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Carol Kampert, Education Committee
The BCAS Education Committee is delighted to announce that we have awarded full scholarships to three Colorado teenagers for National Audubon’s Coastal Maine Bird Studies camp on Hog Island, Maine in June 2019.
The three recipients are Jack Bushong and Ryan Bushong of Boulder County, and Santiago Tabares Erices of Jefferson County. These 15-year-old high school students are all avid birders and active participants in various birding activities in Colorado, such as the Christmas Bird Count, the Big Year, bird banding, and raptor surveys. The recommendations we received for them from prominent members of the birding community were overwhelmingly positive about their birding expertise, leadership abilities, and desire to share their birding passion with others.
As stated on the Hog Island camp website, attending birding camps allows young birders a fantastic opportunity to advance their birding interest while exploring a new area, learning more about birds, and developing lasting connections with peers. The camp combines speaker series, banding workshops, expert-led birding, and career exploration. One of the highlights of the camp is an all-day field trip to nearby Egg Island to observe the famous resident Atlantic Puffin colony.
Our
BCAS scholarships
cover the full cost of the camp as well as transportation to and from the camp from the Portland, Maine airport. Funds for the scholarships come from the proceeds of the annual BCAS Holiday Sale held each November and the Interludes for Nature series. Thanks to all of you who participated in these activities for providing young Colorado birders a unique opportunity to attend Hog Island camps this year! We hope to continue this tradition of sending teens to birding camps for many years in the future.
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City Nature Challenge: Learn about & identify what is around you.
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The
City Nature Challenge (CNC)
is an ongoing project to document urban biodiversity and engage city residents in the nature around them. The 2019 City Nature Challenge will take place from April 26–May 5, 2019. The first four days, April 26–29, are the days that observations will be collected (aka, the Bioblitz), and the last six days, April 30–May 5, are when those observations will be identified and verified. The
Boulder-Denver Metropolitan Area City Nature Challenge
encompasses Adams, Arapahoe,
Boulder
, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert,
Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park Counties.
How Do I Contribute Observations?
Participants will use the free
iNaturalist app
to record the plants, animals, bugs, and fungi they observe. With this app, you can quickly and easily take a picture of your observation and upload it to the Boulder-Denver Metro Area CNC project.
To learn about opportunities and events in Boulder County, contact
Melanie Hill
at the
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Boulder County Audubon recognizes outstanding contributions to conservation, education, and leadership through annual awards given during the May program. In 2018, BCAS recognized the enduring contributions of two women who have helped Boulder County remain a fantastic place to live – no matter if you are human, bird, mammal, insect, plant, or another creature.
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Lifetime Achievement Award:
Ruth Wright
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Raymond
Bridge, Conservation Committee
Boulder County Audubon presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ruth Wright. Nearly every facet of Boulder that makes the town so livable, and that preserves our native species and ecosystems, we owe to the efforts of Ruth Wright.
Ruth was one of the initiators of Boulder’s open-space tax—the first municipality in the country that taxed itself to preserve the natural environment.
Ruth wrote Boulder’s building height charter amendment and helped to persuade the citizens to vote for it. She campaigned for the dedication of lottery funds to Great Outdoors Colorado (GoCo) which supports open space and trails projects throughout Colorado.
Ruth was one of the founders of PLAN-Boulder County and served as minority leader on the state assembly. Most recently, she has worked tirelessly on the knotty issues of flood mitigation on South Boulder Creek. This work, to overcome past city leaders’ shortsightedly allowed development in the floodplain, means reducing residents risk of flooding and protecting the wetlands preserved in adjoining open space. Thank you, Ruth.
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Community Conservation Award: Ann Cooper
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Pam Piombino, BCAS Vice President
Boulder County Audubon presented the Community Conservation Award to Ann Cooper during the May 2018 meeting. Ann is a long time Audubon supporter, a previous member of our Board of Directors, a field trip leader, an author, a researcher and, foremost, an educator.
Ann graduated from the all-girls London University and was pursuing a post graduate degree in medical physiology, when in 1965, husband Jinx was offered a two year stint at CU Boulder. Fortunately for the Boulder community, his work there turned into a permanent job. In 1972, Ann and Jinx bought their home on 3
rd
Street, against the flank of Mt. Sanitas, where they nurtured their yard for biodiversity, earning the 2000
th
Certified Wildlife Habitat recognition from the National Wildlife Federation.
Ann is an avid volunteer for the County Open Space program, which she has been doing for 40 years! She has taught a huge variety of nature education programs to literally thousands of individual adults, children and shut ins, both in classrooms and on the trail.
Besides raising three very successful children, Ann has served on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Bat Society. She has published 12 natural history books, of which many were written for youth, in conjunction with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Both of the last two were on the Family Odonata, the dragonflies. She is totally enamored with this magical group of insects and has traveled recently to Costa Rica, Belize, Trinidad, Panama, Tobago and England in pursuit of encounters and knowledge. In fact, she now refers to herself as an “Odo-nut-a”.
Although Ann, ever modest, insists that her knowledge of the natural world is, like the Platte River once was, “a mile wide and an inch deep”, those of the community who know her well would heartily disagree.
Boulder County thanks Ann for her commitment to environmental education, research and her amazing ability to passionately share her time and knowledge.
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Welcome to Our 2019 Education Intern, Sarah Newman!
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Pat Billig, BCAS President
We’re very excited to welcome
Sarah Newman
to the BCAS community as our new Education Intern. Actually, our first Education Intern! Sarah is a graduate of Cornell University in Natural Resources and is currently pursuing an MBA at CU’s Leeds School of Business. The Texas native has a long and rich history of environmental science education and outreach with a focus on birds. Her work ranges from working with the Cornell Raptor Program and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to working as a Science Educator at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, NY. She is definitely in her element when teaching field science to kids!
Sarah will be working with BCAS for all of 2019 and will be helping us update and increase our educational materials and programming, especially for elementary kids. We plan to initiate educational programs in conjunction with OSMP and the Boulder County EMovement, as well as Sarah helping Maureen Lowry with Maureen’s amazing Prairie Ecosystem Puppet Show. She also hopes to get some of our teen naturalists more involved with educating kids. You can reach Sarah at
sarah.newman@colorado.edu.
Welcome to the team, Sarah!
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Become a BCAS Volunteer & Find An Opportunity for You to Connect
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Pat Billig, BCAS President
As most of you know, Boulder County Audubon Society is a completely volunteer organization. All our volunteers are a tremendous resource for BCAS achieving our mission to be a voice for migratory bird and wildlife conservation through habitat protection, advocacy and education.
Without volunteers, we would not be able to conduct our monthly programs, organize field trips, support events such as World Migratory Bird Day (with our local event being May 18th this year) and the Christmas Bird Count, respond to the numerous requests we get to represent Audubon at various events, or raise funds to support all of these activities.
We are truly humbled and appreciative of the support we have received from our group of consistent volunteers, but we know that other folks (like you!) would also like to volunteer and we want to make that easier! Whether you are interested in one-time events or a longer-term role, know that your help and support is needed and that you will meet great people, have fun, and further our mission for birds!
To help us connect to all members interested in volunteering with BCAS, we have a specific mailing list for Volunteer Alerts. To opt-in (or out) of this list, simple scroll to the bottom of this email and select “Update Profile” in the fine print. You can then select which mailing lists you are on. In April, we will also be sending out a list of specific of volunteer opportunities. If you see an opportunity that fits with your interests and schedule, please complete the form when it is sent and we will be in touch!
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Boulder Audubon Teen Naturalists
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Boulder County Audubon Teen Naturalists Highlight Another Successful Year
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Steve Jones, Education Committee
The Teen Naturalists program offers middle and high school students the opportunity to explore many facets of the natural world and their interactions. This group participates in wildlife surveys (birds, bats, butterflies, etc.), bioblitzes, nature photography workshops, and other outdoor activities. All the events are open to middle school students, high school students, and recent graduates and are always free. For more information, please contact Steve Jones
curlewsj@comcast.net
or 303-494-2468.
In May, 2018, eight of Teen Naturalists and accompanying adults camped out at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in the Nebraska Sandhills, and observed dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chickens from two remote photographic blinds. For some of us, it was a life-changing experience. You can also read a personal account of the trip on Teen Naturalist Eva Getman’s
Nature Notes with Eva
blog.
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Photo by Owen Robertson; Greater Prairie-Chicken, Photo by Eva Getman
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In August, we photographed recently emerged monarch butterflies and other colorful insects in Boulder's South Boulder Creek State Natural Area.
Note the piece of chrysalis on this monarch's abdomen. Photo by Anyll Markevich
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In October, 13 participants searched for Wild Turkeys and Red Crossbills at Meyers Gulch. We found the crossbills and some Clark's Nutcrackers, along with a large moose carcass, but no turkeys.
Turkey and crossbill quest at Meyers Gulch, Photo by Steve Jones
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In November and February, we completed wintering raptor surveys on the Boulder County Nature Association South Rabbit Mountain route, setting a "modern" record in February, when we counted 42 raptors, including 10 bald eagles.
Juvenile Bald Eagle, Photo by Ian Giles
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One of our most popular annual trips takes us to Wheat Ridge Greenbelt in January, when wild ducks in Clear Creek are particularly approachable. We photographed Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, Green-winged Teal, dippers, and kingfishers.
Hooded Merganser, Photo by Holden Maxfield; Common Goldeneye, Photo by Owen Robertson, American Dipper, Photo by Aidan Coohill
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Future outings to start the 2019 season include a stargazing and pizza party; a morning session at Golden Ponds learning "what birds eat" from ornithologist David Leatherman in early May; a short backpack into North St. Vrain Canyon to listen for nesting Flammulated Owls; and an overnight survey for owls and other breeding birds near Twin Sisters in mid-June.
Several members of our group have adopted wild areas for the Boulder County Ecosystem Stewardship Initiative and will be leading breeding bird surveys within their special areas in May and June. Some of our participants have gone on to work as wildlife technicians before entering college, and one of our founding members is currently leading bilingual birding trips at Colombia's largest and most remote national park while completing his first year at Prescott College.
Several teen naturalists also have helped out with bird banding, pika population monitoring, and other research while still in high school. Some have given public PowerPoint presentations on topics in wildlife conservation.
We meet about 10 times a year, alternating between Saturday and Sunday mornings, and new participants are always welcome. While the program is targeted at middle and high school students, we also welcome fourth and fifth graders accompanied by a parent. To learn how to join or to see more Teen Naturalist photos, blogs, and stories, visit our webpage. We will offer a short presentation featuring some of our best photos of the year at the Boulder County Audubon annual meeting, Tuesday, May 28.
April 2018-March 2019 participants:
Grace Apodaca, Lesly Arellano, Alban Burke, Jasey Chanders, Aidan Coohill, Jasmine Cordova Reyes, Elizabeth Fernandez Salas, Gavin Fisher, Eva Getman, Ian Giles, Ben Guarente, Katie Hartrick, Emma Johnson, Anyll Markevich, Topi Martinez, Holden and Elisa Maxfield, Luke Pheneger, Owen Robertson, Santiago Segura, Annelise Trampedach, Claire and Natalie Vantol, Vienna Walker.
Program coordinators:
Dan and Hope Getman, Steve Jones, Carol Kampert, Elena Klaver, and Erin Robertson.
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Upcoming Events & Field Trips
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Pella Crossing with Carl Starace
Friday, April 19th
7:30 a.m – 11:00 a.m.
No cost, no reservations needed
Leader: Carl Starace; castarace@gmail.com
Enjoy a walk around the ponds and through the trees at Pella Crossing. Possible bird species are Wilson’s Snipe, Black Crowned Night Heron, White Pelican, some or all of the five Grebe species, Osprey, Tree and Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift, Yellowlegs, Say’s Phoebe, Western Meadowlark, Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Cedar Waxwing.
Basics of Birding @ CU-East Campus/Boulder Creek
Sunday, April 28, 2019
8:30 am–10:30pm.
No cost, no reservations needed
Leader: Megan Jones Patterson
With this field trip, we’ll get back to the basics, no matter if you are a birding beginner or just interested in revisiting some basics of identification. While enjoying the birds on the ponds and in stream-side habitat near the CU Boulder–East Campus, we’ll go over important skills for enjoying birding:
- use of binoculars and spotting scopes
- using bird books & bird ID apps
- key characteristics for helping to sort one bird from another — it is not just about colors!
Loaner binoculars will be available. Families are welcome.
Lafayette Birds! First Sunday Bird Watching
Event hosted by Lafayette Open Space
Sunday, May 6, 2019 (and every first Sunday until November)
1:00 pm–3:00 pm.
No cost, no reservations needed
Beginning birders are invited to experience the fun and discovery of bird watching at the Greenlee Wildlife Preserve. Held the first Sunday of each month from May to November, knowledgeable bird watchers will be on hand with binoculars, spotting scopes, and learning tools to assist in the fun activity of identifying birds in their most natural habitat. Boulder County Audubon trip leaders will co-lead in some of these events.
A few loaner binoculars will be available. Families are encouraged to attend.
Birding Old South St. Vrain Road
Friday, May 17th
7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
No cost, no reservations needed
Leader: Carl Starace, castarace@gmail.com
This stretch of South Saint Vrain Creek has long been an important spring migrant trap. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along Old Saint Vrain Road, where the traffic has been limited by the bridge washing out in the 2013 floods. Along with riparian habitat, there are cliffs that attract swifts, swallows and you will almost certainly hear the lovely song of Canyon Wren. The shrubby hillsides host two species of towhees, warblers and Bushtits. Raptors are not uncommon and the creek can host Common Mergansers and other ducks. Stream-side skulkers might include Hermit, Swainson’s and Waterthrushes. Orioles and Lazuli Buntings are common as are woodpeckers. In addition, we could see Violet-Green Swallow, Western Wood Peewee, Yellow-breasted Chat, Bullock’s Oriole, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and many other recent arrivals.
World Migratory Bird Day at St. Vrain State Park
In Partnership with Environment for the Americas
Saturday, May 18, 2019
9:00am-1:00pm
St. Vrain State Park
Free, this is a family event!
Please join us to welcome back our migratory bird populations on this festive day. All ages welcome! Bring you budding birders and young naturalists. This year’s theme is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution”. Find out more about ongoing efforts globally at
www.migratorybirdday.org
. Boulder County Audubon volunteers will host an education station with games for children and guided bird walks on the ½ hour, starting at 8:30.
Breeding Bird and Butterfly Survey in Upper Gregory Canyon
Sunday, May 26, 2019
7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
No cost. Limit 10 participants. RSVP required.
Leader: Steve Jones, RSVP to Steve at curlewsj@comcast.net.
Steve will lead a breeding bird and butterfly survey in his ecosystem stewardship area on Green Mountain. We will hike slowly about a mile uphill coding breeding behaviors of observed birds, have picnic brunch on a hillside overlooking Green Mountain, then head slowly down counting butterflies.Bring binoculars/camera, water, picnic brunch materials, and a favorite field guide for birds or butterflies.
Birding Caribou Ranch, Nederland
Saturday, June 22, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
No cost, no reservations needed
Leader: Carl Starace, castarace@gmail.com
Let’s head to the mountains to visit the stellar Caribou Ranch with its montane habitats. Here, we will find forests, willow carrs, meadows and streams. The bird life is amazingly abundant with many species simply not present at lower elevations. Willow carrs have some of the highest breeding bird diversity including Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Yellow, McGillivray’s and Wilson’s Warblers. Woodpeckers are well represented with Three-toed, Williamson’s and Red-naped being particularly sought after. These elevations are where you should find Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks, Rosy Finches, Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers.
Heil Valley Ranch, with Carl Starace
Friday, July 19, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m
No cost, no reservations needed
Leader: Carl Starace, castarace@gmail.com
The migrant and resident breeders will be in full breeding for this July outing. Over 100 species of birds have been documented in this lovely foothills area dominated by Ponderosa Pine, cliffs and grasslands. Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons nest and are frequently seen working the thermals. You should easily see Mountain Bluebirds, Solitary Vireos, Pygmy, White and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Western Tanagers, Downy Woodpeckers, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Wild Turkeys and perhaps even Dusky Grouse. Warblers nesting here include Virginia’s, McGillivray’s and the over-sized warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats with their amazing repertoires. This is a mammal and butterfly rich area too!
Bug Safari for Children
Saturday, July 27, 2019
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
No cost, limited to 8 children, ages 8-12, RSVP to Pam Piombino
Leaders: Pam Piombino (piombino.pam@gmail.com) & Ben Guarente
Children and Parents: Come check out the insects at the habitat rich Sawhill and Walden Ponds complex. We are inviting 6-12 year old bug lovers, joined by at least one parent or guardian, to take a leisurely stroll around the ponds and along the paths. Ben Guarente is 11 and has been fascinated by insects since he could walk. Pam met him when he was 6 and he already knew more about bugs than she most likely ever will. With his keen eyes and the help of the other participants, we will find many insect families. We should see dragonflies, damselflies, tiger beetles, butterflies, moths, spiders, stink bugs, native wasps, bees and water bugs too.
Additional Boulder County Audubon field trips are likely to be added throughout the late spring and summer. Check the
BCAS Field Trip
page for updates.
Other Trips?
Are you interested in a trip to another local area? Would you like to lead a field trip for fellow members? Contact BCAS Field Trip coordinator,
Steve Jones
, with your ideas.
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Boulder County Audubon Society
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Officers
President:
Patricia Billig
Vice President:
Pam Piombino
Secretary:
Georgia Briscoe
Treasurer:
Curtis Williams
Additional Members of the Board
Ray Bridge
Tracy Pheneger
Kathleen Sullivan
Nominations for Board Members are open. Consider nominating yourself today!
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Interested in one or more of the standing committees? Want to be more active in your society? Contact
BCAS
.
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Become a Supporting Member of BCAS
We get very little return from National Audubon dues and primarily rely on local funding to support Boulder County Audubon Society activities.
Join your local society today.
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Committees
BCAS Email Coordinator
Bluebird Trail Coordinator
Conservation
- Ray Bridge (303-499-8496), Kathleen Sullivan
Education
- Steve Jones, Pat Billig, Carol Kampert, Maureen Lawry, Carol McCasland
Field Trips & Interludes
- Steve Jones, Pam Piombino
Membership
Nature-Net Moderator
Newsletter
Programs
Social Engagement
- Pat Billig, Mac Kobza, Megan Jones Patterson, Eva Matthews Lark, Cindy Maynard
Special Events
- International Migratory Bird Day – OPEN
- Holiday Sale – OPEN
- Christmas Bird Count – Bill Schmoker
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STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR BCAS
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