Everyone is Welcome!
You need not be a member. For most trips, bring your binoculars, field guides, water, snacks and a lunch. Also be sure to dress for changing weather. Please contact the trip leader (s) at least three days in advance if you would like to participate in an RFAS field trip. Contact the trip leader on bad weather days for cancellations. Please leave your dog at home, birding locations are not suitable for dogs. If you have questions regarding a trip of need additional information, or would like to lead a field trip/hike, please contact one of the field trip committee.
Please be prepared to drive for field trips - we always carpool. This means having your car filled with gas and ready to go!
Upcoming Field Trips
Feb 7 - Tumacanbac is a field trip to the Grand Junction area focusing on raptor identification with eagle, hawks, and owls the prime targets. The annual Tumacanbac is hosted by Grand Valley Audubon. This is always an exceptional trip. For trip info and to reserve space, contact Dave Clark
Mar 13, 14, & 15- Monte Vista Crane Festival - Please join us for a special field trip to the Monte Vista Crane Festival. This will be a week-end trip from Friday thru Sunday March 13, 14 and 15.
“Late in February, sandhill cranes, the San Luis Valley’s oldest visitors, begin their annual trek from south to north, stopping off near the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to load up on fuel. For millions of years, the sandhills have been spending their "Spring Break" in Colorado’s Valley of the Cranes and more recently, wildlife watchers have been drawn to wonder at this phenomenal natural spectacle”.
We’ll stay at the Movie Manor in Monte Vista. Please make your own reservations by calling 800-771-9468. (If you are planning this trip, you’d better make room reservation soon, I have no idea how crowded it may be). We will bird our way back home on Sunday. The leaders will be Tom McConnell 379-7356 and Linda Vidal 704-9950 to make a reservation for the trip. We’ll need to know by the 1st of March if you are going to join us. Please check the website www.montevistacranefestival.com of the festival for an over view of the activities available or call one of the leaders for additional information. (At this time they still have the 2008 schedule but it will give you an idea of the events available). Contact - Tom McConnell or Linda Vidal
Apr 3, 4, & 5- Elkhart, Kansas Lesser Prairie-Chicken Field Trip - These unique shortgrass prairie grouse perform a spectacular mating display each morning in the early spring. The forest service has a public site near Elkhart to view the dancing birds. We will drive to Elkhart on Friday and observe the Prairie-Chickens early Saturday morning. We will then bird our way home though eastern Colorado on Saturday and Sunday . Visit the Cimarron National Grassland Website for information on Lesser Prairie-Chickens, their status and information about the lek. Motels for Friday night, April 3rd are available in Elkhart, about seven miles from the lek. Elkhart Chamber of Commerce Website Also motels are available in Lamar for Saturday night, April 4th. Lamar Chamber of Commerce Reservations for this trip must be made by March 15th. Sorry no exceptions. Contact - Tom McConnell
May 16 - Spring Bird Count - This annual event is done by Audubon to support International Migratory Bird Day. Teams fan out through the Roaring Fork Valley and tally both resident and migrant birds. The data collected gives participants and scientists a snapshot of bird numbers and arrival dates of species in many locations, here and across the country. Teams will depart from Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and other locations. Contact Dave Clark or Tom McConnell
Jun 6 - Prince Creek / Dinkle Lake / Thompson Creek- Join us for a day of birding in the mid-valley. These areas have diverse habitats and will allow us to explore some places that we haven’t birded often but we always see good birds. This will be a trip through mid-afternoon so please bring a lunch, we’ll bird as long as the birding is good, perhaps all day. Some birds species that we’ll try to see would be Townsend Solitaire, Red-napped Sapsucker and Purple Martins. Bring a lunch, water and snacks and be prepared for any kind of weather. Contact Linda Vidal
Jun 27 - Black Canyon / Crawford Reservoir - This is new trip for us. The area includes many varied habitats and spectacular scenery. Crawford State Park (parks pass required) has breeding waterfowl and the surrounding wetlands, shrublands, and pinyon/juniper hills host many bird species. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison (fee) is breathtaking to see and hosts Dusky Grouse, swifts, swallows, and nesting Peregrine Falcons. This will be an all-day trip. Contact Tom McConnell
Jul 18 - Flattops Birds and Flowers - The Flattops or White River Plateau is a vast area of lakes, alpine meadows, aspen and spruce/fir forest. In July breeding birds and alpine wildflowers put on their best show of the year. Dave Clark will help us to recognize many of the flowers and plants found in the alpine meadows. Birds in the area include Gray Jay, Pine Grosbeak, nuthatches, finches, bluebirds, and breeding Northern Goshawks. Contact Dave Clark or Tom McConnell
Aug 8 - Hart's Basin Shorebirds-this trip is an all time favorite, any time of the year, and late summer is one of the best times to see many different bird species. The reservoir has extensive mud flats this time of year and the chance to see water fowl as well as many different shorebirds and waders is at its peak. We’ll also visit several different ponds and habitats in the area. This is an all day trip so pleases bring lunch, snacks and water and be prepared for all kinds of weather. Contact Linda Vidal
Aug 29 - Roaring Fork Valley Lakes and Ponds - We will visit a variety of upvalley and downvalley locations in search of migrant shorebirds, waterfowl, and other wetland birds. We should also find many resident and migrant birds in the hills and lowlands of the valley. The trip route will focus on spots with the most birds for the buck. Contact Tom McConnell