Upcoming Field Trips and Events

All field trips are free (unless otherwise noted) and currently open to the public. All experience levels are welcome. Bring snacks or lunch, water, binoculars, and spotting scopes. Please understand that changes to dates, meeting times, locations, and trip leaders occasionally are unavoidable. One week before a scheduled trip, please visit the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FortCollinsAudubonSociety/), or fortcollinsaudubon.org for a link to register. Registration will be posted one week before the scheduled trip. Attendance is limited to 12 individuals.

Summer 2024

Saturday, June 1

LGBTQIA+ and Allies at Running Deer and Cottonwood Hollow

Leader: Kit Gray, kit@kitgrayillustration.com. Come join us for a relaxed bird walk with good company! Beginners are welcome, but bring binoculars if you have them. The walk will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Registration is already open for this trip: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CADAE2CA1FEC70-48142535-june#/

Sunday, June 2

Pawnee National Grasslands

Leader: Sirena Brownlee, sirena.brownlee@hdrinc.com, 970-980-6184. Carpool from Fort Collins at 6 a.m. and return by 2 or 3 p.m. Contact Sirena for details. The grasslands, 35 miles east of Fort Collins, are a world-class birding area known for Burrowing Owls, Mountain Plovers, longspurs, and hawks. Carpooling is necessary and the trip is limited to 12 people (three cars).

Sunday, June 9

Well Gulch Nature Trail Lory State Park

Leader: Sirena Brownlee, sirena.brownlee@hdrinc.com, 970-980-6184. A hidden gem for birding in Lory State Park—the abundant wild plum thickets and other native shrubs provide habitat for a variety of migrant and resident foothills birds. This walk will focus on nesting birds along the trail mixed in with a little botany – in previous years we have had nesting Cedar waxwings, Cordilleran flycatcher, Blue grosbeak, and many more. Meet at the Eltuck Group Picnic Area at 7:30 AM for a 1 mile moderate hike up the Well Gulch trail. Day passes are available if you don’t have a state park pass.

Sunday, June 9

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 6:30 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

Saturday, June 28

Gateway Natural Area

Leader: Nolan Bunting, 9072994625, nolanbunting@hotmail.com. Join at 8am in the parking lot of Gateway Natural Area near the old water treatment building. Permits must be purchased at the gate. We will be hiking up toward Sherman Reservoir. The trails are currently in good condition (early June), but that can change with weather. We will be aiming to see Steller's Jays, American Dippers, and other low mountain birds. The goal is to be done with the trip around 11am.

July 2024

Saturday, July 13th

Exploration of the Pawnee

Leader: Nolan Bunting, 9072994625, nolanbunting@hotmail.com. Carpool from Fort Collins at 6 AM and return by 2 or 3 PM. Contact Nolan for details and carpool planning. The grasslands, 35 miles east of Fort Collins, are a world-class birding area known for Burrowing Owls, Mountain Plovers, Longspurs, and Hawks. Carpooling is necessary and trip limited to 12 people (3 cars).

Sunday, July 14

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 6:30 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

August 2024

Sunday, August 11

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 6:30 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

TENTATIVE Sunday, August 18

Dragonfly Walk

Dr. Thomas Shultz will lead this walk. Look for emails and check Facebook page for more info as the date approaches.

TENTATIVE Date TBD

Photography Walk

Joseph Webber will lead this walk. Look for emails and check Facebook page for more info as the date approaches.

Past Events

The past three months of events are listed here. For information on earlier events, please consult that month's Ptarmingan.

May 2024

Sunday, May 12

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 7:00 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

Thursday, May 16

May Member Program

Join us for an interactive talk by Kate Boyd of the Reptile & Amphibian Center of the Rockies about local reptiles and amphibians throughout Colorado.

Thursday, May 23

CSU Environmental Learning Center

Leader: Leader: Sirena Brownlee, sirena.brownlee@hdrinc.com 970-980-6184. The ELC offers a variety of habitats along the Poudre River. Most migrants arrive by mid-to-end of May and the evening is a great time to bird. Plan for 1.5-2 mile walks on the trails. We will be out until dark to look for Great Horned Owls nesting in the area and other nocturnal species. Meet at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot.

Wedenesday, May 29

Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

Leader: John Shenot, johnshenot@gmail.com, 802-595-1669. This Fort Collins natural area is the most reliable location in Larimer County to find Bobolinks. Reservoir Ridge also offers good habitat for grassland species such as Western Meadowlarks, Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrows, and Blue Grosbeaks. We'll start at 6 p.m. for an early evening bird walk.

April 2024

Thursday, April 11

April Member Program

Join us as we widen our Northern Colorado birding horizons and take a journey to the United Kingdom for a birding trek from the eastern coast of England to the Inner Hebrides and finishing in the Highlands of Scotland.

Sunday, April 14

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 7:00 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

Friday, April 19

Dixon Reservoir

Leader: Andrew Monson, a.s.monson@gmail.com or 970-795-2790. Meet at the Dixon Reservoir upper parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and we will explore various sections of the area, searching for regulars like Western Meadowlarks and Spotted Towhees, while also keeping hopeful for migrating arrivals like Orange-crowned Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. This outing will involve some hiking of uneven ground and moderate inclines at times (at a relaxed pace).

Sunday, April 28

LGBTQIA+ and allies at Lee Martinez Park

Leader: Kit Gray, kit@kitgrayillustration.com. Come join us for a relaxed bird walk with good company! Beginners are welcome, but bring binoculars if you have them. The group will meet by the parking lot at 8 a.m. and walk along the mostly paved trails near the Poudre River.

March 2024

Saturday, March 2

Sandhill Cranes

Leader: Lori Pivonka, lori.pivonka@gmail.com. Attendees will gather at 7:30 a.m. at the Jax on North College Ave. and car-pool north where they will try to find migrating Sandhill Cranes. The trip will involve driving along ag-ricultural fields to spot the cranes and will take about two to three hours due to travel time. Bring binoculars, a camera, and/or a scope if you have one. Lori will have a scope. Expect to learn about cranes and their behav-ior, and possibly get to watch their mating dance displays!

Friday, March 8

Lee Martinez Park

Leaders: Sheila Webber, 13sheilaw@gmail.com, and Joseph Webber. Join us for a short half-mile to mile-long trip around the Poudre River to look for resident waterfowl, song birds, and maybe spot a few raptors. Meet at the parking lot by the tennis courts at 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 10

Bobcat Ridge Survey

Leader: Denise Bretting, dbretting@swloveland.com or 970-402-1292. The survey looks at bird populations and helps local scientists better understand bird dynamics. The hike is a little more than 4 miles covering moderate to flat terrain. No registration required for this trip and there is no limit in the amount of people who can attend, but please email or text Denise that you plan to attend. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Bobcat Ridge Parking lot.

Thursday, March 14

March Member Program

The sagebrush steppe is North America's largest ecosystem — spanning 14 states and 2 Canadian provinces. This ecologically rich landscape has a long history of being overlooked, but politics and efforts to conserve it have elevated it to national attention. Learn what makes this ecosystem so important and how species like Sage-grouse, Golden Eagles, Ravens, mule deer and pygmy rabbits will play a role in determining its future.

Read more

Saturday, March 23

Running Deer and Cottonwood Hollow Natural Area

Leader: Robert Beau-champ, tyrannusb@gmail.com. Meet at the parking area on Prospect Road at 8 a.m. We will explore a few marshes and ponds during this 1.5 to 2-mile walk through the natural area. All levels are welcome.

Sunday, March 30

Fossil Creek Reservoir

Leader: Sirena Brownlee, sirena.brownlee@hdrinc.com. This reservoir attracts a fantastic variety of water birds in late winter and is a great place for birders of all ages and abilities to practice identifying duck species. Early migrating passerines are also possible. Bring a spotting scope if you have one, but we�ll have at least one to share. We�ll meet in the parking lot at 9 a.m.