Black Canyon Field Club - June 9th
Birding Hotchkiss Wetlands with Black Canyon Audubon Society
A Colorado Land Conservation Appreciation Week Event!
Time and place: Sunday June 9th, 2013 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Kevin & Jackie Parks Conservation Easement - 12472 3700 Rd Hotchkiss, CO 81419. Directions and map below.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP or contact Alecia, Field Club Coordinator
June 3-9, 2013 is Colorado Land Conservation Appreciation Week and BCRLT is taking part by partnering with the Black Canyon Audubon Society to host a birding outing on one of our newest conservation easements, which also happens to be a superb wetland. Expert birders Sue Hirschman, Don Radovich and Sheryl Radovich will lead us in spotting and identifying the species we come across. Property owners Kevin and Jackie Parks will tell us about the history of their unique Hotchkiss oasis - which has been in the family for a century - and about the recent restoration efforts they have undertaken to improve habitat in and along the section of the North Fork of the Gunnison which flows through their parcel.
Bring your usual walking supplies, binoculars if you have them, and a bag lunch. We will gather at Kevin and Jackie's house after the birding to have lunch together. Birders of all ages and experience levels welcome!
Parks Conservation Easement
Here are a few paragraphs from the property's conservation assessment that detail the birds we just might encounter on our field trip, courtesy of Rare Earth Science, LLC:
Migratory songbirds find good breeding habitat in the property’s riparian woodlands, shrub wetlands, and emergent wetlands, including red-winged blackbird, a variety of swallows, bullock’s oriole, yellow warbler, northern flicker, Lewis’ woodpecker, house wren, western kingbird, western wood-pewee, song sparrow, broad-tailed hummingbird, warbling vireo, and blue grosbeak.
Several species of waterbirds find ideal nesting and migratory habitat in the property’s wetlands and around the ponds, including mallard, green-winged teal, cinnamon teal, blue-winged teal, common merganser, northern pintail, gadwall, American coot, Canada goose,common snipe, sora, American bittern, and belted kingfisher. A small great blue heron rookery is active on the property.
Raptors such as golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, northern harrier, American kestrel, great-horned owl, northern pygmy owl, long-eared owl, and western screech-owl may find suitable nesting habitat on the property and are expected to be fairly common to uncommon (year-round or seasonally) in the area and across the property as they hunt for abundant small prey.
What is Colorado Land Conservation Appreciation Week?
Colorado Land Conservation Appreciation Week is a statewide program sponsored by Colorado's conservation community to increase awareness of the important conservation work happening across our spectacular state. Over the course of the week, dozens of organizations and landowners will host events, field trips, parties, thank yous, and other activities celebrating privately conserved land. To learn more about Appreciation Week and view the list of this year's events, visit the webpage www.appreciationweek.cclt.org
Directions:
From Hotchkiss:
Take Hwy 133 North, travel 3.3 miles
Turn right on to M50 Rd, travel .6 miles
Turn right on to 3700 Rd
The Parks' driveway will be on the left.
From Paonia:
Take Hwy 133 South 3.8 miles
Turn left on 3700 Rd
Parks' driveway will be on the left, about .7 mile down the road.
You are welcome to park in the driveway.
