Join us for this special spring primer at Difficult Campground to reawaken your birding skills at a time when early migratory birds are returning and easy to spot before leaf-out: Wednesday, April 22, from 7:45am – 11:00am.
It has been an unusual winter; let’s get outside and see how the birds and their habitats are responding. With the campground still closed and snow largely melted, we will walk in on the road where we can enjoy views of birds as they feed, sing, and claim their breeding territories. We will watch herons at their nesting colony and listen for the unique drumming patterns of woodpeckers. In the forest understory we will look for juncos feeding in flocks and learn their sweet, trilled song. In the forest canopy, we will watch for Cassin’s finches and listen for their rapid-paced song. Other possible birds include fox sparrows, song sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches, dippers, jays, waterfowl, and kinglets. Side highlights include impressive beaver activity along the road and views into secluded wetland nooks. Let the new birding season begin! Join us for this excellent opportunity to tune your ear to some key bird songs and enjoy this special place while it’s so quiet (except for the birds, that is)!
**Because the spring season can bring any type of weather, this outing will have a weather back-up date on Thursday April 23rd in the unlikely event of very inclement weather. ACES will communicate any such change to you by the day before.
About the Instructor:
Rebecca Weiss is a birding guide and naturalist with thirty years of experience in the Aspen area and Colorado’s mountain regions. She is author of the local guidebook, Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley and the primary guide for ACES’ Birding Program. She is a certified interpretive guide and holds a BS in Biology and a MA in Education. Rebecca’s professional background includes bird banding, field research, and conservation writing as well as outdoor education, program administration, and guide training. Past employers and affiliations include the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Outward Bound, and the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab.
Rebecca illuminates the natural world and gives participants tools and inspiration to keep the joy of learning alive. Her knowledge of birds and their habitats is complemented by a foundation in ecology and regional history, giving her the big-picture context she loves to share. Participants appreciate her welcoming style, infectious enthusiasm, and her ability to make complex scientific concepts both accessible and fascinating. First arriving at ACES as a Summer Intern in 1993, Rebecca has held various roles with the organization, most recently helping to build and expand ACES’ birding program while also working as a writer and for the Aspen Institute.
After an international upbringing and work in some of the world’s biggest cities, Rebecca’s has made her home in Colorado since the early ‘90s. When not guiding, Rebecca can be found happily distracted by birds while gardening, playing classical piano, and pursuing all kinds of mountain adventures with her family and friends.