Birding & Conversation: Seven Castles

Join Rebecca Weiss and local Paul Andersen on this 5-mile, out-and-back hike traverses below the Seven Castles geologic formations through pinyon-juniper woodlands, scrub oak, and sagebrush meadows, and follows the rugged creekbed of Seven Castles Creek to the base of a waterfall. Bird species on this hike are diverse, reflecting the varied native habitats we’ll pass through. Target species include white-throated swift, golden eagle, Virginia’s warbler, white-breasted nuthatch, black-throated gray warbler, canyon wren, black-throated hummingbird, Clark’s nutcracker, mountain bluebird and western tanager. Additional possible species include swallows, towhees, Steller’s jay, Woodhouse’s scrub-jay, Cordilleran and dusky flycatchers, peregrine falcon, wild turkey, and lazuli bunting.

This class requires advance registration to ensure appropriate planning for the field experience.

Meeting location and details will be communicated to registered participants closer to outing date.

 Interested in joining ACES Bird Club? Click here for more information!

About the instructors:

Rebecca Weiss is a Naturalist specializing in birding, botany, and interpretive program development. She first came to ACES as a Summer Naturalist in 1993, later directed the Naturalist Field School and worked with ACES’ Naturalist Programs. She currently guides for ACES’ Birding Program outings and is involved with the center’s interpretive and custom programs. Rebecca is also a professional writer, developing trailside natural history interpretive signs in the Roaring Fork Valley and elsewhere in Colorado, as well as other writing projects. Rebecca is the author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. She holds a BS in Biology and an MA in Environmental Education, and loves exploring the natural world with her husband, Austin, and their children Anders and Elsie.

Birding and Conversation Field Trip Series
In this special series we explore compelling topics pertaining to birds, from local history, to ecology and conservation. These field trips involve a combination of birding and presentations in the field with guests whose deep expertise provide unique insights into birds and the world we share with them. Join us for these opportunities for first-hand experience and discussions that will enhance your birding and broaden your understanding of the feathered wonders and the natural world around us!
2025 guests/locations in this series include Jody Cardamone at Toklat (Toklat/Mace legacy and approach to nature study, birds), Paul Andersen at Seven Castles (history of the Seven Castles area and its special birdlife), Adam McCurdy at Basalt Mountain (fire ecology, climate change and birds), Ted Floyd in the Frying Pan River Valley (a deep dive into field craft, from the author of National Geographic bird guides and editor of Birding magazine), and Bill Schmoker (tune in – birding by ear, learning bird sounds and their meanings)