Hello, Birders. Yesterday, Thursday, 1/22, at sundown, Hannah and Andrew and I saw 32 *Great-tailed Grackles* where Kenosha Road (=N. 115th St.) crosses Boulder Creek. Despite my enthusiasm for these spectacular birds, Hannah coolly caviled, "They're present in the county every day of the year." That's true, but finding them in the winter can be hard. These big grackle flocks are exceedingly mobile; they make Red Crossbills look positively predictable and sedentary. The US-287 corridor, pretty much straight up and down the eastern part of Boulder County, seems best in the winter months for finding the species.
Say, over at the CFO website, we've updated and cleaned up a bit the list of upcoming activities by CFO and CFO's partners. The full accounting, with links to complete details on all upcoming activities, is available here: http://cobirds.org/CFO/SpecialEvents.aspx The short version appears below. --Ted Floyd, Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado *CFO Quarterly Board Meeting**Boulder* - *Saturday, Jan 24, 2015 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM*Members of Colorado Field Ornithologists are entitled to attend and have limited participation in quarterly meetings of the board of directors of Colorado Field Ornithologists. If you wish to attend this meeting, please notify CFO Secretary Larry Modesitt (LM1crow "at" aol.com) at least two weeks in advance. *More* *DFO monthly meeting–with Dave Leatherman* *Denver* - *Monday, Jan 26, 2015 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM* Dave Leatherman, 2009 recipient of CFO's prestigious Ron Ryder Award, will present at the January 2015 monthly meeting of the Denver Field Ornithologists. Dave is a world-famous entomologist, a brilliant Colorado birder, a marvelous story teller, and a mildly bizarre dude. His presentation promises delight, awe, and probably a bit of puzzlement. *More* *Denver City Park & Denver Zoo–with Ted Floyd* *Denver* - *Saturday, Jan 31, 2015 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM* Despite the urban setting, City Park in Denver is an excellent midwinter birding hotspot. The outing includes a visit to the zoo, so bring your membership card or sufficient funds to enter the facility. Merlins and Prairie Falcons love City Park. Ducks abound, and a winter rarity is always possible. Abyssinian Ground-Hornbills and Jackass Penguins are guaranteed. PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING US FOR A 2PM LECTURE & DISCUSSION AT THE DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY; SEE NEXT ENTRY. *More* *Discussion and book signing–with Ted Floyd* *Denver Public Library—Eugene Field Branch* - *Saturday, Jan 31, 2015 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM* After birding in Denver City Park, grab a bite to eat (on your own), then jaunt over to the Denver Public Library's Eugene Field Branch for a lecture and discussion with CFO director Ted Floyd. Bring your personal copies of one or more of Ted's books, and he'll be happy to sign them for you. PLEASE CONSIDER ARRIVING EARLY FOR THE BIRD WALK; SEE PREVIOUS ENTRY. *More* *High Plains Snow Goose Festival* *Lamar, Prowers County* - *Friday, Feb 20, 2015 7:00 AM - Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 5:00 PM* Representatives of Colorado Field Ornithologists will lead field trips and workshops, and answer your questions about the mission and activities of CFO. Field trips will feature Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Greater Roadrunner, Sandhill Cranes, and of course Snow Geese (and Ross’s Geese). Rare Purple Finches have been seen in the area this winter, and we will look for them. *More* *Duck Music–with Ted Floyd* *Boulder County* - *Saturday, Mar 28, 2015 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM* If it quacks like a duck... The thing is, Most ducks don’t quack. In this birding skills workshop, participants will learn how to ID ducks by their distinctive squeals, squeaks, whistles, trills, and occasional quacks. The workshop will be held at one or more “duck ponds” in eastern Boulder County. *More* *Careers and Opportunities in Field Ornithology–with Christy Carello & Ted Floyd* *Denver* - *Thursday, Apr 2, 2015 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM* This class at Metro State University of Denver will introduce participants to the many birding and field ornithology organizations in Colorado. Learn about internships, summer jobs, and opportunities for publishing—all of which can lead to full-on career possibilities. Limited participation. No fee, but permission required of the instructors. *More* *CFO Birding Weekend–with Bill Kaempfer* *southeastern Colorado* - *Friday, May 8, 2015 8:00 AM - Sunday, May 10, 2015 8:00 PM* Zone-tailed Hawk, Worm-eating Warbler, Painted Bunting...yeah, right. Well, they were all seen in 2014 on the first installment of this two-night trip to Kiowa, Prowers, Baca and Bent counties. Join Bill Kaempfer and other members of the CFO board of directors for a great weekend of birding. *Check back soon for details.* *Big Night–with Ted Floyd* *Boulder County* - *Saturday, May 23, 2015 8:00 PM - Sunday, May 24, 2015 6:00 AM* You’ve probably heard of a Big Day. Well, this is a Big Night, starting at sunset on Saturday and concluding at sunrise the next morning. Expect owls, nightjars, rails, grebes, herons, night-singing passerines, and nocturnal migrants. RSVP required. Mild insanity a prerequisite for participation. CHECK BACK SOON FOR DETAILS. *Check back soon for details.* *CFO ANNUAL CONVENTION* *Salida, Chaffee County* - *Thursday, Jun 4, 2015 5:00 PM - Monday, Jun 8, 2015 12:00 PM* This is it! Join 200 or so of your best birding buds for one of the greatest birding events anywhere. CFO will be convening this year in the upper Arkansas River Valley, in the heart of the Rockies. Enjoy brilliant field trips, educational workshops, a superb science program, the popular barbecue, a banquet and keynote address, the hilarity of Jeop-birdy, and much, much more. *More* *Uncompahgre Plateau, Hard Version–with Mike Henwood* *western Colorado* - *Saturday, Jun 13, 2015 7:00 AM - Sunday, Jun 14, 2015 12:00 PM* This overnight field trip to Delta, Montrose, and Mesa counties will require camping at Columbine Pass Campground, along with long hikes on steep mountain trails. Expect to get a lot of exercise, to experience world-class scenery, and to see great birds, including Dusky Grouse, Flammulated Owl, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Grace’s Warbler, and Slate-colored Fox Sparrow. *More* *Uncompahgre Plateau, (Relatively) Easy Version–with Mike Henwood* *western Colorado* - *Saturday, Jun 20, 2015 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM* Expect the same birds as on the Jun. 13–14 outing, minus Flammulated Owl. This Grand Junction–based day trip will require a fair bit of driving, but will involve only moderate hiking. *More* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/88751dba-4eb6-4613-97e2-655676196fcb%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
