Premier Colorado Birding Calendar (March)

[Gary Lefko]

Recurring events:
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High Plains Environmental Center and Fort Collins Audubon Monthly Walk (Every 4th Thursday)
8-9AM Monthly bird walk led by Fort Collins Audubon at the High Plains Environmental Center in Loveland. Call Sarah 970-622-9676 or visit http://www.suburbitat.org/ for info.

Cooley Lake Nature Walks (South Surburban Parks and Recreation)
Adults, children 5 and over. (5-14 must be accompanied by an adult). Explore Cooley Lake wildlife area with a naturalist on a guided walk. This area is closed to general public access in order to protect wildlife and habitat. Meet on the deck of the Nature Center. 9:30–11:00 am, Second Sunday each month. 1.5 miles max (slow pace). Programs intended for families and individuals only. Organized groups, please call for other options. All-weather, come dressed for the weather; hat, sunscreen insect/West Nile precautions, binoculars, water, sturdy walking shoes recommended. This program is FREE! Also available on Saturdays, Oct 13, 2007 and Feb 23, 2008. Preregistration required. Please call 303-730-1022 and let us know how many to expect. Leave name, phone number, and who is attending.For more information please E-mail the program coordinator at [e-mail]. The 57-square-mile District includes Bow Mar, Columbine Valley, Littleton, Lone Tree, Sheridan, the western half of the City of Centennial, portions of unincorporated Douglas County (including Wild Cat Ridge and Acres Green), and Arapahoe County west of I-25 and a small area in Jefferson County.
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Monthly Bird Walk (Morrison Nature Center)
Join us on the 2nd Saturday of each month for a guided bird walk. Grab your binoculars and a book (or borrow them from us) and get to know our feathered folks. FREE, ages 10 and over, all abilities welcome.
BIRD WALKS: 8/11 Bird Walk at Morrison Nature Center/Star K Ranch – 7:30 AM. 9/8 Bird Walk at Quincy Reservoir – 8:30 AM ($5 per adult, $3 ages 10 – 15, under 9 free)
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Monthly Bird Walk (Wild Bird Center-Colorado Springs)
BIRD WALKS: The Wild Bird Center offers FREE bird walks, usually on the second Saturday of each month, April - November, weather permitting. All experience level invited. Reservations are required. Meet at the Wild Bird Center, 1722 E Woodmen Rd. [next to Jared's Jewelry], at 7:00 am to carpool to the birdwalk site. All experience levels welcome. Reservations required. Call 548-9863. We will return by 10:00 am. NOTE: Bird walks and programs are free. Reservations may be required, however, for bird walks and certain programs when indicated. Call [phone]. Please check this site the night before any bird walk or program to see if it may have been canceled because of inclement weather.
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Bluff Lake Birders (Bluff Lake Nature Center)
Calling all bird lovers! Its time to break out those binoculars and join Bluff Lake Naturalist, Carl Wells, as he guides you through the trails at Bluff Lake in search of avian adventures. Through the years over 130 different species of birds have been spotted at Bluff Lake. This program is free and no preregistration is needed. Join Carl Wells the first Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. Don't miss your chance to learn from an expert! No experience is necessary. Bring your binoculars and bird book if you have them. If you don't have the equipment, we have plenty to share.
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Bird Walks (Vail Nature Center)
Birds love the Nature Center, and so do people who love birds! On our morning walks we are likely to see Warblers, Western Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Dippers and a host of others. We walk through the meadows, woods and along the streamside of Gore Creek and find a great variety of birds. We also look at what birds need and how you can attract birds to your own backyard. The Bird Watching window at the Nature Center is an old favorite with our visitors. Tuesdays and Thursdays. 8:00 - 9:00 am. Ages All ages, children with adults. $3/$2 VRD Taxpayer. Beginning June 28, 2006
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"Early Birds" (Wild Birds Unlimited-Denver)
Don't forget to tune in to AM 630 KHOW every Saturday morning at 8:30 for the "Early Birds" to hear David and Scott Menough of Wild Birds Unlimited in the Denver area. They are entertaining and knowledgeable brothers who can answer your birding questions. The number for questions is [phone]. We are helping sponsor the show each week.
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Saturday Walks (Wild Bird Center-Boulder)
From 7:30 am (promptly) to 9:45 am (approximately). Every Saturday year-round. Every last Saturday of the month we travel further afield than normal and return a little later. If you wish to join, send e-mail to us at WBCBoulderCO at AOL dot com

Scheduled events:

March 27, 2008

Denver Audubon (Beginning Bird Watching Class) - 7 p.m. (Classroom Session) Saturdays, March 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26 and May 3 (Field Trips). LEADERS: Hugh & Urling Kingery (303-814-2723). Pre-registration is required. FEE: $125/Friends members, $150/non-members . MEETING PLACE: Classroom session at the Audubon Center at Chatfield; field trips to birdwatching sites around Denver: Chatfield, Barr Lake and Castlewood Canyon State Parks, Wheat Ridge greenbelt, and Genesee Mountain Park. DESCRIPTION: Voted “Best of Denver!” two decades ago and still going strong. Colorado’s premier (and most entertaining) birding couple teaches the art and science of birding like no one else. Learn bird identification, choosing binoculars and field guides, and much more. Visit a variety of habitats and some of the best birding spots in the Denver metro area. Become observant and develop a practiced eye and ear. Make new friends and change the focus of your time outdoors. You can make up any field trips that you miss during future fall or spring class sessions—you’ll meet people from more than one previous class repeating the fun!

March 29, 2008

Denver Fld. Ornith. (Boulder lakes) - Leader: Paul Slingsby, 303-422-3728. Meet Leader at 0700 at the Ward Road Park 'n Ride off of I-70. Good Boulder County birding including some hiking at Walden Ponds. Bring lunch, water, and a scope if you have one. Please let the Leader know if you plan to attend so he can notify you in case of a cancellation due to weather. [e-mail]


Boulder Bird Club (Bird around East Boulder Rec. Center) - Meet at 7:30 AM in the NW corner of East Boulder Rec. Center, bird until 11 AM. An easy walk, good for beginners. See marsh and riparian early spring migrants and local residents. Leader Jan Chu 303/494-1108.

March 30, 2008

Denver Fld. Ornith. (Wheatridge Green Belt) - Leader: Toni Rautus, 303-422-7322. What treasures will this gem of a location yield?! Meet Leader at 0800 at the Prospect Lake Parking Lot off of 44th Ave. just east of Robb Street. Half-day trip, lunch optional.


Evergreen Naturalists Audubon (Mount Glennon) - Leader: Mike Foster, 303-456-2647. Next in the series of practice trips, to learn about the new BCA project. Mount Glennon is an interesting mix of Plains and Montane habitats. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Morrison Park, in Morrison, just off Highway 8. Call Mike if you need directions. We’ll carpool from there to a private property access. Up to half a day. Call Mike so he’ll know how many to expect.


RVAS Owl Prowl -Join us for one of the best trips of the year, we join Grand Valley Audubon to tour the Grand Valley in search of 7 species of owls. I don’t think you could see this many owls in a day anywhere else in the country. We will meet at 11:00AM at the Glenwood Mall (the old mall on the north side of the highway). You must register with the leader Linda Vidal 704-9950 or [e-mail]. If weather permits we’ll go up on Grand Mesa early in the evening, but this will make for a late night. Please be prepared for very cold weather and bring any snacks and a dinner in GJ.

March 31- April 5 (6 days)

Fort Collins Audubon (Colorado Grouse Field Trip) - Join Fort Collins Audubon member Sue Riffe on her third trip across Colorado in search of grouse species. Our trip will take us to all four corners of the state and cover about 1500 miles in search of our target species: Greater and Gunnison's Sage-Grouse, Sharp tailed and Dusky Grouse, and Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chicken. We also hope to see White-tailed Ptarmigan, Mountain Plover, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspur. We had a fabulous group last year that helped spot 139 species. We even had Northern Goshawk, great looks at Red Crossbills and White-tailed Ptarmigan at 20 feet! The cost is $1,200, and includes a $100 donation to Fort Collins Audubon, four nights lodging, entry fees, transportation, guide and taxes. No meals are included. Trip limited to 7 people, so sign up early! Contact Sue Riffe at www.coloradolektours.com, 970-232-4539 or [e-mail].