If you've ever given any thought to experiencing a birding festival, a great one to start with is just right down the road.
Last month, I attended the Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival, an annual event in Colorado Springs. Over a four-day period, the festival offers over 60 field trips, and more than a dozen nature seminars and workshops. All for an unbelievably fair registration fee. I left on a Wednesday afternoon, driving to the Springs where I met up with my niece. We had dinner together that night, then she was off on a trip of her own, so she graciously invited me to use her house as my home base.
Thursday morning, I was up early and grabbed a sandwich from the fridge that I'd made the night before, my water bottle, some fruit and put it in my backpack, along with binoculars and sunscreen, and grabbed my camera.
My first field trip for the day was an urban walk, meeting up at a shopping center parking lot. From there, we followed a river trail for about four miles. Our group of 15 included locals from the Springs, a couple from Texas, and a woman from Florida. Throughout the weekend, I met a number of other birders from out-of-state and was surprised at how far some had traveled. It's understandable, though, because the area is a big draw for birders.
The Pikes Peak region offers a variety of habitats including short-grass prairie, forested foothills and deep canyons, and riparian forests. And this is peak migration season! During the course of the festival, about half of Colorado's population of over 500 birds will be spotted and identified. There are a lot of options for walks, ranging from sites on the eastern prairie to mountain regions. I opted for activities closer to the home base. On our walk that morning, our group collectively spotted 49 species, which included a couple of new 'lifers' for me.
Northern Waterthrush -- a life bird for me!
Each day, my schedule was much the same, rising early for a bird walk, and then attending a seminar in the afternoon. I went to a workshop on bird photography that was quite helpful. Another was a nature journaling workshop that I really enjoyed. While I still use eBird to keep a record of my birding lists, lately I've been journaling my findings in a notebook, and I find it to be a nice creative outlet.
Spotted Towhee -- always a favorite
Lesser Goldfinch
My favorite day was on Friday, when I attended a walk at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. We birded the grounds for a couple of hours, then afterward went on a tour of one of the ranch houses. It was constructed in 1905, by the founder of Colorado Springs. The family member who lived there was an ornithologist, which was of interest to the group for obvious reasons, but we also enjoyed 'visiting' that time period. The house was just beautiful.
Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site
Indian Paintbrush
The second day was the longest, as I filled it with a couple of walks and a workshop. I was glad for a break on Day 3, and after a morning bird walk I took the afternoon to partake of some of my favorite things. I found a wonderful used bookstore in downtown C.S., and a coffee shop located in a former elementary school that is being repurposed for businesses. The neighborhood probably dates to the 50s, I would say, and it was such a great vibe, I went back the next day for breakfast.
All in all, going to the festival was a great experience. I enjoyed the workshops and getting to know like-minded individuals who are just a little bit crazy about birds. If I were to do one again, I would probably limit the number of activities each day. One walk a day is about as much as I could handle, followed by a workshop or seminar. Colorado Springs is a great town to explore, so it's nice to allow a little more time for that, too.
Northern Flicker
A social gathering was held on Saturday night, with food and drink all included in the festival fee. There were some cool door prizes! Overall, this festival is a steal. Even with lodging added on, which can be found fairly reasonably in the Springs area, it is budget friendly and there are a wide variety of activities with experienced birding leaders.
Post and photos by Karen Clark
