- *BOULDER COUNTY AUDUBON’S*
*“INTERLUDES WITH NATURE, 2015”* Proceeds from these popular field trips, now being offered for the 3rd year, benefit out Youth Naturalist Program. This year we are sending 3!! promising young students to National Audubon’s Hog Island Environmental Camp at a cost to BCAS of over $7500. *IT’S A REDTAIL UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE!!* *SOLD OUT!! Wait list closed, Leader, Cathy Sheeter*: Are you confused by the endless color and pattern variations displayed by our wintering raptor populations? If so, plan on joining fine nature artist and birder, Cathy Sheeter, for this January near-plains field trip. She will help you key in on important field marks while studying Red-tails, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks. The planned route should also grace us with Eagles, Accipters and Falcons. Limited to 12, $35 per person, January 24, 9 a.m., back-up date, January 25. You will be notified of the meeting place. *PICNICKING WITH PRAIRIE DOGS* *1 SPOT LEFT: Will take four on the wait list, Leaders: Maureen Lawry & Ghia Zalewa:* This very special outing will be an introduction to the prairie ecosystem and the Prairie Dog’s critical role in this habitat. Join Maureen Lawry (who for 7 years has done educational outreach for children via the Prairie Saga puppet show) and biologist and Prairie Dog specialist, Ghia Zalewa, at the City of Boulder’s Waneka Open Space release site. Enjoy a gourmet picnic with stunning views of the Flatirons and a chance to see the social interaction of these charming animals. There is a good possibility that you will see other prairie natives; Falcons, Eagles, hawks, Badger and Coyotes. $50 per person, including a gourmet picnic. Limited to 12, Saturday, May 16. You will be notified of time and meeting place. *DAZZLING DRAGONFLIES REDUX* *6 SPOTS LEFT, Leader: John Barr:* Photographer and odonata aficianado, John Barr, knows the Walden/Sawhill complex intimately. Last year, he was able to find and identify almost all of the possible species of dragonflies, damselflies and spread-wings to be found in those wetlands during July. He can also give you hints for honing your insect photography skills AND identify the butterflies we see. Meet at the Cottonwood parking lot at Walden Ponds at 8 a.m. Limited to 8 lucky souls, $35 a person. July, 23. *LOVE ON A LEK, AN APRIL AFFAIR* *SOLD OUT!!, Wait list closed, Leader: Alison Holloran:* Alison is currently the Executive Director of the Audubon Rockies office, where one of her priorities is conserving habitat and forming partnerships for the protection of Greater Sage Grouse. We will visit a lek where Alison will explain conservation priorities and strategies, while we view the ritualized male displays as they try and entice the females to, “pick me”, “pick me”! After the morning’s early lek visit, you would be fed a gourmet brunch, and then have a private tour of the wildlife refuge. This will be an overnight trip, leaving on an afternoon weekday in mid-late April. Limited to 10, $50 a person. You will be responsible for one meal and overnight lodging. (We will be visiting a lek in either Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (Walden), or near Laramie, Wyoming. Details are being worked out.) You will be notified of the time and meeting place. * SIX-LEGGED SINGERS* *SOLD OUT!!, Will take 2 on a wait list, Leader, Scott Severs: * Do you ever wonder about the buzzes, trills, rattles and clicks you hear during summer evenings? Join one of Boulder’s best all around naturalists, *Scott Severs*, for a late summer walk at dusk, when these insect songsters emerge to intone their mating choruses. We'll learn about our local species of crickets, katydids, cicadas and listen for each of their unique songs. We might even see a firefly or two. $35 per person. Limited to 10, Saturday, September 12, 6 to 9 pm. You will be notified of meeting place. *HARRIERS, BOBOLINKS & FIREFLIES: EXPLORING EFFORTS TO SAVE BOULDER COUNTY’S ISOLATED & THREATENED GRASSLAND SPECIES* *SOLD OUT!! Will take 2 on a wait list, Leader: Steve Jones:* Explore nesting habitat for some of Boulder County's most interesting and locally threatened birds with prairie naturalist and writer Steve Jones. Enjoy a fully catered picnic supper at a quiet location in northern Boulder County. Finish up with observation of flickering fireflies in our remnant tallgrass prairies. What we see will depend on which species are breeding successfully and can be safely observed, but we promise a delightful early summer evening with lots of cool critter sightings. $50 per person, limited to 12, including a gourmet picnic. Tuesday, June 30, 4-9 p.m. *BUTTERFLY DREAMS: * *THE COLORADO HAIRSTREAK* *4 SPOTS LEFT, Leaders: Jan Chu, Ellen Shannon and Gordon Revey:* Join three of the most accomplished amateur lepidopterists in Colorado, for a unique opportunity to see our Colorado State butterfly. You will be taken to a small, oak covered canyon, where we will find not only the Colorado Hairstreak, but many other species, many of them quite rare and elusive. This hairstreak is nothing short of a religious experience! Limited to 10, *with a gourmet lunch*, $50 per person. This will be a weekday trip, leaving at 8:30 a.m from south Boulder, sometime in late July or early August depending weather (the flight of this target speices varies from year). You will be notified of meeting time, date and place. *HUMMINGBIRD WORKSHOP* *1 SPOT LEFT, Will take 4 on a wait list, Leader, John Vanderpoel, v*ideographer and co-author of *Hummingbirds of North America *DVD This is an exceptional opportunity to join an expert for a workshop that will explore every aspect of hummingbird identification, behavior and natural history. You will start with an indoor class and proceed to the field to hone our i.d. skills for these most magical of all bird species.. *A gourmet lunch will be provided*. Limited to 10. $50.00 Sunday, August 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Meet at John’s home in Niwot, details to follow. *ABOVE THE TREES: A TUNDRA TREK for PTARMIGAN AND GROUSE* *SOLD OUT, Wait list closed, Leader, Bill Kaempfer*: Join one of Colorado’s veteran birders*, *Bill Kaempfer, for this stroll along the tundra of Niwot Ridge to look for two of this state’s most wanted species, White-tailed Ptarmigan and Dusky Grouse. Bill will have special permission to drive three miles above the CU Mountain Research Station and deliver participants to within one-half mile of tundra, where you will enjoy stunning views, the peak of wildflower bloom and with any luck, these two elusive species. *Still, be prepared to hike up to a mile at high elevation in cool and possibly windy weather to find these birds. * In the past, on different trips, Bill has found Grouse with their many chicks and Ptarmigan with chicks. Maybe this will be the year for both! This will be a half-day trip for $35 per person. Bring sturdy boots, warm layers, water, sun protection, and your lunch to enjoy at the end of the hike. Saturday, August 8, 2015. Limited to 10, meeting time and place to be determined. Proceeds of these popular field trips now being offered for the 3rd year, benefit out Youth Naturalist Program. This year we are sending 3!! promising young students to National Audubon’s Hog Island Environmental Camp. -- 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAF2zbdtehoYAqNQGWGYVziGok2Y%2BQzqDiTPgJb%3D9NKrVXoEypg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
