Denver Field Ornithologists April 2011 Field Trips
Saturday, April 9 Star K Ranch Leader: Mary Ann Bonnell, 303-739-2428. Meet at 0830 at Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, off East Smith Road between Chambers and Airport Blvd. Please register in advance and get specific directions from Mary Ann. Short 1⁄2 day trip. Those who wish to prolong the experience can stay and enjoy the Nature Center and the many feeders. Please register in advance so you can be notified in the unlikely event of cancellation. Enjoy the Sand Creek corridor while looking for early migrant songbirds and raptors. Sunday, April 10 McCabe Meadows (Formerly Parker Regional) Leader: Mary Cay Burger, 303.771.3431. Enjoy a spring walk along Cherry Creek bike path and around the meadow and pond. Meet Mary Cay at 0800 in the McCabe Meadows parking lot. It is located 1.3 miles south of Parker Road and Main Street intersection in Parker. The parking lot is on the west side of Parker Road. Turn onto Indian Pipe Lane, then immediately turn right into parking lot. Bring water. We will be away from the cars. Time and weather permitting we will also check the pond at Main Street and Cherry Creek. Plan on half to three-quarters of a day. Bring lunch if you can stay the full time. Saturday, April 16 South Mesa Trail Leader: Paula Hansley, 720-890-2628 or (cell) 303-263-1714. Meet at 0800 at RTD parking lot at southeast corner of intersection of State Highways 93 and 170 (Marshall Road) for carpooling. 1⁄2 day trip. Expect to see foothills species on an easy walk through shrubby, deciduous, and pine woodland. Bring snack and water. Wednesday, April 20 Chatfield Reservoir Leader: Bob Shade, 303-975-2476. Meet at 0700 at Swim Beach just after the west entrance to Chatfield State Park. Park pass required (can pay for the day at the entrance kiosk). 1⁄ 2 day. Bring water, but lunch, snacks optional. Short drives and easy walking about the park. See the first passerines or waders, maybe even an Osprey. Saturday, April 23 Longmont Area Leader: Chris Owens, 303 422-3728. Meet at 0730 and bird until mid-afternoon. Meet at Jim Hamm Nature Center. From I-25 take Exit 240, go west 4 miles on CO 119 to Boulder-Weld County Line Road, then 2 miles north to park on the left at E 17th Avenue. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen. We’ll be looking for early migrants as well as area residents. Call Chris or e-mail her at kri...@mindspring.com if you need further information. Sunday, April 24 Fountain Creek Regional Park Leader: Paul Slingsby, (303) 422-3728 pasling...@comcast.net . Please register with the leader beforehand. Meet the leader at 0630 at the southeast corner of the Great Indoors parking lot. We will carpool from there. This is just north of C470 on Yosemite. From Denver by I-25 use exit 195, and go West on County Line Road to Yosemite. Take Yosemite south to the Great Indoors store, which will be on the right (west). Fountain Creek Regional Park has good trails for easy walking near ponds, wetlands, grassland, and creek. Spring migration should be underway, so expect surprises. Bring lunch. Telescope and 2-way radios will be useful if you wish to bring them. Plan to be back at the carpool meeting place by 1700 at the latest. Thursday, April 28 Birding Castle Rock and other South Metro Areas Leader: Chuck Thornton-Kolbe. Meet ten minutes before 7:30 AM at northeast corner of the K-Mart parking lot just about 1⁄2 mile south of I-25 and Broadway (near corner of Alameda and Broadway). We will form carpools at the K-Mart parking lot. Please get there by 7:20 AM. If you want to meet us at the Castle Rock Museum, please be there at 8:00 AM. This trip is part of a celebration of Castle Rock, sponsored by the local historical society and Denver Field Ornithologists. Direction to their location can be found on their website at http://castlerockmuseum.org/ We will be looking for early migrants and other birds in the area all day long. This is a bit of a first time adventure, but we will have guidance from some other area birders (including John Drummond though he will be in Florida). We will likely start in Castle Rock and bird a few sites there and nearby. After lunch, we will wander into El Paso or Douglas County to find a few more goodies. Some participants may want to go to the Castle Rock Museum and enjoy their bird exhibit. This will be an all day long trip or a half-day, as is your choice. Bring: The day will likely be nice, but please bring layers of clothing and coats (including rain gear), binoculars, scope (if you have one), lunch, snacks, and beverages. Bring breakfast if you have not eaten before leaving. Also two way radios and cell phones can be helpful to support car-to-car communication. Bring about $10 to $15 for your gas share if leaving from Denver or otherwise $5 to $10 if leaving from Castle Rock. If bad weather, come to parking lot, and we will go for it (and maybe consider an alternative plan). No need to RSVP, but do show up on a timely basis to one of these two starting locations. Saturday, April 30 Rocky Mountain Arsenal Leader: David Rhoades, 303 424-8633. We’ll bird from 0800-1300, expecting to see grassland birds, ducks, raptors, possible early migrants, likely swallows, and possible burrowing owls. Space is limited by the size of the passenger van that we’ll use. Meet at the parking lot of the Visitor Center. Call David to reserve a space and to get directions. Lunch optional (BYO). Scheduled by Carol Blackard Submitted by Chris A. Blakeslee - DFO Board Member Centennial, Colorado corvidc...@aol.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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