The “Chicken Run”

April 13 - 23, 2015

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

at: ecotravel@ctaudubon.org

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.