Join Aiken & John Drummond for a bird trip to Chico Basin on Wednesday, May 3rd.  We will meet at Tejon Park & Ride (S Tejon St & Ronald Reagan H, Colorado Springs 80905) at 730a, carpool and then will return to Tejon around 2p.  If you’ll be traveling from Pueblo, we will make arrangements to meet you at the ranch entrance.

Pack a snack, lunch and water; we’ll break for lunch around 1230p.

BCR banding station will be in operation, too!

Attendance will be limited to the first 16 people to register – email mhelton016@gmail.com with your interest.  Entrance to the ranch is $10 per person.  We will be carpooling from Tejon.  If you are interested in driving, please let me know when registering, along with how many people you can include in your vehicle.

Chico Basin Ranch is a family-managed cattle ranch owned by the Colorado Land Board and operating on the high prairie of eastern Colorado. They use age-old ranching practices, progressive grazing management, and innovative business strategies to maintain healthy lands and a profitable, rewarding livelihood.

The ranch is a major flyway for migratory birds, due to abundant springs, lakes, and other bird habitat, and is well known as one of the prime birding locations in the state. Over 330 species of birds—some rarely seen in Colorado—have been sighted on the ranch.

The ranch operates a bird banding station during the spring and fall in partnership with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. In addition, school groups, birding groups, and other educational programs are hosted throughout the year.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate. We will hike 2 miles and drive in-between. Depending on weather conditions leading up to the trip, trails could be snowy or muddy.

– Bring binoculars, camera and/or spotting scope and dress for the Colorado Springs forecast. If you would like to borrow binoculars, please let me know in advance.

– There is a porta-potty by the banding station and another by their headquarters.