the “chicken run” - bird treks 10 – castle rock to denver b/l/d birding en route: towards...
TRANSCRIPT
Colorado
Birds are wonderfully diverse here! For total number of
species, Colorado ranks about sixth among all 50 states,
give or take a place or two depending on whose list you
are considering. Our tour is designed to allow us to
spend time birding the Great Plains, the Rocky Moun-
tains, and the Colorado Plateau, each day emphasizing
the western birds you seldom or never see on the east
coast. We plan the tour to allow at least two opportuni-
ties for each of the many target bird species. Some days
will be “birdier” than others, and some days will afford
more new birds than others. But every day will be a
complete natural history experience!
Greater Prairie-Chicken Lesser Prairie-Chicken Sharp-tailed Grouse
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Greater Sage-Grouse
Dusky Grouse White-tailed Ptarmigan Three-toed Woodpecker Williamson’s Sapsucker Red-naped Sapsucker
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Black Rosy-Finch McCown’s Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur “White-winged” Junco
Sage Thrasher Brewer’s Sparrow Mountain Plover
Day 1 – Flights to Denver D
Fly: into Denver , ar r ive midday or ear lier .
Birding En Route: Dr ive from Denver towards the west,
including searches for Williamson’s Sapsucker, White-tailed
Ptarmigan, and rosy-finches. Welcome Dinner.
Night: Buena Vista.
Day 2 – Buena Vista to Gunnison B/L
Birding: Loose schedule to search for area target species
between Buena Vista, Black Canyon, and Gunnision National
Park areas. Target Dusky Grouse.
Night: Gunnison.
Day 3 – Gunnision Lek to Grand Junction B/L
Visit to Lek: Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
Birding En Route: Crested Butte, Colorado National Monu-
ment, rosy-finches, and Pinyon Jays.
Night: Grand Junction.
Day 4 – Grand Junction to Craig B/L Grand Mesa. Target Red-naped Sapsucker and Sagebrush Spar-
row to the north. Scout the Sharp-tailed and Dusky Grouse leks.
Night: Craig.
Day 5 – Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek B/L
Visit to Lek: Sharp-tailed Grouse near Hayden followed by a
Dusky Grouse try.
Birding En Route: Scout the Greater Sage-Grouse leks head-
ing east past Steamboat.
Night: Walden.
Day 6 – Greater Sage-Grouse Lek B/L
Visit to Lek: Greater Sage-Grouse in Coalmont or Delaney
Butte depending on scouting reports.
Birding: Drive east to Poudre River , Cameron Pass, Moose
Visitor Center. Evening Grosbeak and American Dipper.
Night: For t Collins.
Day 7 – Birding in the Grasslands B/L Birding En Route: Through Pawnee National Grassland’s
west section. McCown’s Longspur and Mountain Plover.
Night: Wray.
Day 8 – Greater Prairie Chicken Lek B/L
Visit to Lek: Greater Prair ie-Chicken.
Birding En Route: Through grasslands. Frequent stops for
target birds.
Night: Lamar .
Day 9 – Lesser Prairie Lek B/L
Visit to Lek: Lesser Prair ie-Chicken.
Birding: Lamar to south of Denver . Target “deser t birds.”
Night: Castle Rock (hotel location may change to accom-
modate targeted birds).
~ Continued ~
Day 10 – Castle Rock to Denver B/L/D Birding En Route: Towards Denver including chances again
for Williamson’s Sapsucker, White-tailed Ptarmigan, American
Three-toed Woodpecker, Ducky Grouse, and the rosy-finches.
Loose schedule to search for missed species.
Night: Denver and a Farewell Dinner.
Day 11 – Departures B Fly: Out from Denver in the
morning.
DISCLAIMER: This tr ip
spends a great deal of time
driving. Colorado is a big state
and has a lot to offer, and the
drives are usually quite scenic,
but it requires a lot of time in
the vehicle.
James Restivo has been leading tours for Connecti-
cut Audubon for a number of years and is now a veteran
guide. His resume of tours includes Nebraska's Platte
River, New Hampshire's Connecticut Lakes, Pennsylva-
nia's Hawk Mountain, and Massachusetts' North Shore.
Before his introduction to CAS EcoTravel, he spent
time working with The Nature Conservancy in central
Texas on various projects including banding and nest
monitoring of Black-capped Vireos, habitat control for
Golden-cheeked Warbler, and a management program
for prescribed fires. Also, his experience includes bird
banding and mist-netting work in Alaska and California.
James has traveled throughout North America in search
of birds, and touts a world-wide life list of approximate-
ly 1,500 species.
Phil Rusch grew up in Mystic, Connecticut and spent
his teenage years working at the Pequotsepos Nature
Center, where he caught the birding bug. He graduated
from the University of Connecticut in 1985 with a de-
gree in Biology. While a student at UConn, he spent 3 ½
years working in the vertebrate research collection. An
avid hiker, as well as birder, Phil has climbed the New
England 4000 footers and the New England 100 Highest
peaks. He has traveled extensively in the lower 48
states including Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizo-
na, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and the six New
England States. Phil is employed at the University of
Connecticut as a renovations project manager and lives
in nearby Chaplin with his wife and daughter.
Other qualified leader/drivers will be added as needed.
Colorado can be inhospitable in mid-April. You should
expect anything from glorious to cantankerous; tee shirts
one day and winter coats the next. Our trip can even
have summer (90 degrees plus) and winter (below freez-
ing) on the same day. Some years we never wear any-
thing heavier than a light jacket; other years we have
blizzard conditions and impassable mountain roads. But
inclement weather in April is always ephemeral! As
general advice, expect daily temperatures from the low
50s to mid 70s. Wind can be completely absent or a
dominating nuisance. You will be anywhere from 4,000
to 12,000 feet above sea level, at which elevations sun-
burn and dehydration occur very quickly. One should
wear long pants and light-weight, long-sleeved shirts as
a basic defense against biting flies and mosquitoes,
prickly plants, wind chill, and sunburn. Wear light-
weight walking boots as daily footwear and a wide-
brimmed hat as a primary defense against a sunburned
face. Use sunscreen and sip water throughout the day.
All lodgings will be in high quality hotels, in many cas-
es the best non-chain hotels with local flavor. When
such is not available, Holiday Inn, Marriott, Best West-
ern, Days Inn, or similar will be used. All rooms have
private bathrooms and have been reviewed for cleanli-
ness and comfort. In some areas, lodgings have been
chosen because of their interesting design and/or loca-
tion on an interesting landscape. A complete list of the
hotels will be given to you with your final information
package and can be left with a family member or friend.
Transportation in Colorado will be in a four-wheel-drive
vehicle to assure access to mountain roads.
$5,485.
$4,885.
The above costs is based upon a minimum of four pay-
ing participants traveling together. If there are fewer, a
surcharge will apply. This group is intentionally kept
small (four participants/two driver-guides/one large four
-wheel-drive vehicle) to allow for maximum flexibility
while birding and sightseeing, and safety.
CAS Membership: $50 Single or Family.
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: $625. ESTIMATED AIRFARE: $335 from Hartford.
Rates are estimated at the time of publication and can
change. All passengers will be notified should any change
occur.
Land Transportation: All ground transpor tation
with the group in Colorado. Two driver-guides will escort
each vehicle for safety with long drives.
Accommodations and Meals: All hotel and lodge ac-
commodations based on two people sharing a room. Single
rooms may be available at a supplementary cost, but are not
guaranteed. Meals as indicated in the detailed itinerary
(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner). Note: Some of the
lunches may be picnic style and bottled water is included.
Miscellaneous Fees: Hotel taxes and park entrance
fees are included.
Should you decide to deviate from the set itinerary, you
could incur additional costs (i.e., transfers, accommoda-
tions ,etc.).
Passport and visa fees, airfare, airfare taxes, airport taxes,
baggage charges, medical insurance, travel and baggage in-
surance, porter’s tips, any activities not specified in the tour
itinerary, those activities listed as optional, meals not listed
in itinerary or while in transit, gratuities, and all items of a
personal nature such as laundry, medical expenses, alcoholic
beverages, and room service.
The trip is not strenuous, and anyone who is reasonably fit
and in good health should be able to participate. You will,
however, have long flights and will be spending many hours
in a vehicle. Land travel will sometimes be over very bumpy
and dusty roads. The maximum altitude you will reach is
more than 8,000 feet above sea level. If you have any ques-
tions about your ability to participate in this trip, please con-
tact Connecticut Audubon Society EcoTravel for more in-
formation. You should be aware that medical services or fa-
cilities may not be readily available during all or part of
your trip. This could include emergency medical care, pres-
ence of physicians, or adequate medication.
A deposit of $1,000 is required upon booking your trip,
payable to Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) along
with completed reservation form. The balance is paya-
ble 120 days before the departure date. CAS will pro-
vide an invoice for final payment. Payment in full is
required when bookings are made less than 120 days
before the departure date. Space is subject to cancella-
tion if payment is not received on time.
must be made
to Connecticut Audubon Society in writing and sent to:
Connecticut Audubon Society EcoTravel, PO Box 903,
Essex, CT 06426.
At the time we receive your written notification, the
following per person charges apply:
• 120 days or more before departure: $300 cancellation
fee, plus Connecticut Audubon Society’s costs, as well
as fees that are charged by the suppliers providing the
services included in your tour, and/or the airlines
providing the air transportation.
119 days or less before departure or anytime after
departure: NO REFUND.
Refunds for services that are voluntarily not used
by you cannot be made.
Connecticut Audubon Society EcoTravel
PO Box 903
Essex, CT 06426
Include your name(s), mailing address, email address,
phone, name of the trip for which you are signing up,
and payment.
860-767-0660 or toll free at 800-996-8747 or email us
Each participant must be covered by medical insur-
ance.
We strongly urge you to evaluate your risk and to take
out insurance on your trip. It is vital for you to realize
that if you experience a delay or find it necessary to
cancel or cut short your trip for any reason, you will
lose part or the entire sum you’ve invested in it (see the
section “Deposits, Cancellations and Refunds” in the
trip brochure). Connecticut Audubon Society EcoTrav-
el can supply you with insurance information.
Travel insurance helps to minimize the risk of mone-
tary losses you would incur in the event of a delay of
your departure due to weather, airline strike, missed
connection, etc., your inability to travel for reasons
such as illness, injury, unforeseen financial complica-
tions, and other personal circumstances, or if you were
required to cut your trip short for medical or any other
reasons.
There are restrictions and limitations on any insurance
program. For this reason, please read carefully the in-
formation provided to you by Connecticut Audubon
Society, which outlines their program of trip cancella-
tion, baggage, and medical insurance. Trained agents
are available to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate
to call the toll free number in their brochure. It is to
your advantage to apply for insurance at the earliest
possible time, so don’t delay in making a decision.