2021 Interludes Trips - To Be Announced
Note for 2021: This year trips will likely be announced as a group in mid-2021 or individual trips will be announced throughout spring/summer of 2021 as we figure out if and how we can safely offer these trips.
Some Birds, Mostly Herps of Lincoln County, CO – SOLD OUT
Leader, John Vanderpoel
Fee: $125
Limited to 8
Monies raised from Interludes with Nature trips, provide the opportunity for Colorado teens, including our Teen Naturalists, to attend nature camps in Maine or the Colorado Rockies.
Registration: Registration information here.
Lincoln County is incredibly rich in reptiles with 11 species of snakes, including 2 kinds of rattlers, 2 species of skinks, Painted Turtles and 4 types of lizards, most notably the Short-horned, a species of special concern. October is the month when snakes heading to their winter hibernacula become easier to spot along dirt roads in eastern Colorado.
We will leave from Boulder on Saturday morning, and in early afternoon, visit a private ranch north of Limon to look for reptiles and birds. During this late migration period, we are likely to find raptors, sapsuckers, lingering warblers and wintering sparrows. After breakfast on Sunday morning, we head east to work the gravel roads for migrating snakes and reptiles. We will drive home later in the afternoon..
Although John is best known as an elite birder, he is passionate about herpetology and makes several trips a year searching out various species in their preferred Colorado habitats.
You are responsible for the cost of your night in the hotel as well as all meals. Most of Limon’s hotels serve breakfast and it won’t be necessary to start early on Sunday. BCAS will provide snacks and soft drinks. We expect all participants to listen carefully and obey all directions from John concerning approaching any snakes. You will risk a “time out” if we feel that you are endangering yourself or others!
Migration Big Day and Big Sit: Postponed to Fall 2020
Leader: Luke Pheneger
Fee: $50
Limited to 15
Monies raised from Interludes with Nature trips, provide the opportunity for Colorado teens, including our Teen Naturalists, to attend nature camps in Maine or the Colorado Rockies.
Registration: Registration information here.
Mid-May is a sweet spot for witnessing the widest variety of migratory birds in Boulder County. Join one of this area’s most accomplished young birders, Luke Pheneger, for a big day adventure in this rich and varied habitat. About 100 species should be attained with the expected mix of ducks, geese, shorebirds, herons, egrets, hummers, woodpeckers and songbirds, including warblers and sparrows. The Sawhill and Walden conservation areas are surrounded by Boulder Creek and include marshes, ponds, meadows and woods. Many rarities have been reported over the years and with Luke’s exceptional eyes and ears, you might well expect some pleasant surprises.
After a full morning of birding, bring a folding chair, take your picnic lunch break and do a Big Sit for a while, while all scan the skies and marshes for more species. Then, it’s back for another loop around the complex to see what has arrived. BCAS will provide soft drinks and treats. Be prepared to walk 2-3 miles and bring a picnic lunch, binos (please ask if you’d like to loan a pair), scopes, cameras and the usual outdoor gear.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: A Little Night Music With Bugs!! – SOLD OUT
Leader: Scott Severs
Location: TBD
Fee: $35, limited to 8
Join Scott Severs for a late afternoon and early evening musical experience with the singing Orthoptera: crickets, katydids, and cicadas. This Order of insects provides the musical undertones to the nights. We’ll learn how to find them, their adaptions to produce their songs, and simple ways to record their voices. You will be surprised by the variety of songs and and the beauty of the singers.
Bring a camera with a flash and macro lens for close up photos. Scott is one of Boulder County’s best all round naturalists, with a passion for teaching.
Registration Information: here
Emeralds? In The Woods? High Elevation Dragonflies and Butterflies – SOLD OUT
Leader: John Barr
Fee: $35
Participants are expected to comply with current government social distancing requirements and precautions. Participants must wear face masks throughout the event and must maintain 6 feet distance from other participants who are not members of the same household. Participants are discouraged from carpooling to and from this event with other participants who are not members of the same household.
Banding Baby Barn Owls (2 spaces open)
Banding Baby Barn Owls (2 spaces open)
Leader: Scott Rashid
Date: Early evening, last third of June, 2020, depending on the birds
Location: TBD
Limited to 12 people
Fee: $50.00
Monies raised from Interludes with Nature trips, provide the opportunity for Colorado teens, including our Teen Naturalists, to attend nature camps in Maine or the Colorado Rockies.
Registration: Registration information here.
Back by popular demand: In 2014, Scott Rashid, of the Center for Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute, (CARRI), embarked on an experiment. Would there be more Barn Owls in Boulder County if there were more breeding cavities? With grants from Boulder County Audubon and others, Scott began installing nest boxes on private properties in northern Boulder County. Since then, dozens of baby Barn Owls have fledged and been banded. Thousands of people have addictively watched one of his live web cams to follow the fascinating processes of courtship, breeding, brooding, hatching and the feeding of these enigmatic birds.
Join us early one evening to watch Scott band the nestlings from one of these sites on private property. Scott will talk about the biology of this very special species and the amazing places in which some of his bands have been recovered. You will have charming photo ops and perhaps the opportunity to even hold one of the young.
Scott is an artist as well as a licensed bander and rehabilitator. He has authored and illustrated the following books, all of which are available through him: Small Mountain Owls, The Great Horned Owl, an In-Depth Study and Northern Goshawk, The Gray Ghost. His newest, published in October of 2019: Exploring The World Of The Barn Owl.