Welcome to the Black Canyon Audubon Society
Black Canyon Audubon Society was formed in 1990 and is one of 11 National Audubon Society chapters in Colorado. The BCAS is committed to the conservation of natural resources through our birding, conservation, and educational activities. The region covered by the Black Canyon Audubon society encompasses nearly 8,300 square miles and includes Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, San Miguel and Ouray counties. Within this region, elevations vary from 4,695 to 14,309 feet above sea level. Rainfall ranges from less than 8 inches per year in the lower valleys to more than 50 on the higher peaks. Vegetation varies from desert scrub to boreal forest and alpine tundra.
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Don't Forget to Renew Your Membership!
All Memberships Expire at the end of the Year.
The easiest way is to go to the Join BCAS page and renew (or join as a new member) using the PayPal buttons: $20 for an Individual and $30 for a family. If you prefer to renew by mail, a link to the renewal form will be found there, too.
Black Canyon Audubon Society
Annual Dinner
Thursday, June 15, 6:00 p.m.
We will be gathering at the lovely Grove Restaurant in Delta. The annual dinner will be a collection of delicious appetizers, served starting at 6:00 PM. The 7:00 PM. program will be by Dr. Bruce Bauerle, retired CMU professor. Dr Bauerle is always an entertaining presenter and will give a slide talk about his side career as a naturalist to Alaskan ports on cruise ships. Lots of wildlife!
This year, we will be exploring a new restaurant in our area. The Grove Restaurant in Delta is a lovely restaurant with delicious food, within a beautiful garden and plant nursery. The annual dinner fee covers the small bites smorgasbord. Soft drinks will be provided, and an open bar will be available. The location is situated for ease of travel for our members in Delta and Montrose counties. The restaurant specializes in local Farm-toTable dishes. Directions: The Grove Restaurant is at 1970 S. Main Street in Delta, 2 miles south of the center of Delta on the eastern side of U.S. Highway 50. It is just north of the Value Lodge Inn and the US Forest Service office. Check The Grove Restaurant web site https://grovedelta.com/.
Please join us for a fun and relaxing evening! It is not necessary to be a BCAS member to participate. Please invite anyone you think would enjoy the evening to join us!
Dinner Reservations:
_____Total number of reservations, at $35 each.
Guest name(s)_____________________________________________________________
Phone#__________________ Email address_____________________________
Please mail your check to arrive by June 1 to: BCAS, P.O. Box 387, Delta, CO 81416 OR you can pay online by credit card using the Donate button to the right.
www.blackcanyonaudubon.org/homepage
If you have any questions, please contact:
Kristal Stidham (580) 919-5987 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bruce Ackerman (727) 858-5857 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Click Here for a downloadable reservation form.
Field Trips are Back!
**If you are vaccinated and feel comfortable traveling with others that are vaccinated, carpooling can take place.
If you are not vaccinated, you should drive yourself and wear a mask when around others.**
**See the Field Trips page for participation guidelines**
First Tuesday Field Trips
First Tuesday Field Trips will be on July 11, August 1, and September 5 at 8:00 a.m. (The June trip is being pre-empted by the 100 Bird Challenge - See below.) Meet at the public parking lot at the intersection of N. 2nd St. and N. Cascade Ave. in Montrose. A leader will accompany the group to a nearby birding hotspot. Return about noon. Independent driving and social distancing, including wearing masks and not sharing equipment, will be the protocol in use. Return should be by about noon. Bring a snack, water, binoculars, and field guides. Contact Bruce Ackerman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (727) 858-5857 or Don Marsh at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 209-256-5744 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please let us know if you are coming, so we don’t leave you behind. This is especially in case of sudden weather changes.
Black Canyon National Park
Thursday, June 1, 8 a.m. Early summer is a great time to visit the Black Canyon National Park east of Montrose. The field trip will leave from Montrose and be led by Missy Siders. We’ll look for falcons, flycatchers and a variety of warblers while taking in majestic views of the canyon. A park entrance fee of $30 per vehicle is charged, but we’ll try to minimize the costs by arranging carpools to ensure each vehicle includes someone with an annual park pass. We should be back to Montrose in early afternoon. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing and shoes and abundant water, snacks, and a lunch. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
100 Bird Challenge
June 5-10, 2023 (You pick the day that works for you). Save the date/Clear your calendar. This year BCAS is trying something a little different. Instead of the First Tuesday field trip, BCAS is throwing down the gauntlet by challenging interested members in spotting 100 bird species in a single day. The rules are simple: Go look for as many species as possible from dawn (or earlier) until dusk on any day that works for you from June 5-10. Use of birding apps to ID birds is allowed. Sighting or hearing a bird species by at least one member of a team is allowed, but you must bird as a team. Several of our members have done this in past years with good success. Members are encouraged to form teams of 3-4 people, then plan out a route. Teams will meet afterwards on Sunday, June 11 at 4 PM to compare sightings for pizza and beverages at the Pomona Brew Pub on N. Townsend. To sign up your team and for more information, contact Bill Harris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 970-901-4022.
Uncompahgre Plateau
Tuesday, June 20, 8 a.m. Vast amounts of federal lands on the Uncompahgre Plateau offer a variety of habitats that house a wide array of birds including red crossbills, woodpeckers, and warblers. We’ll explore the wetland area around the Silesca Ranger Station before heading farther into the forest. We’ll wrap up and head for home in the early afternoon. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing and shoes and abundant water, snacks, and a lunch. The trip will leave from Montrose and be led by Bill Harris. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
Little Cimarron Valley
Saturday, July 1, 8 a.m. Join us as we explore this under-birded watershed east of Cerro Summit. The resident high-elevation breeders (evening grosbeak, Canada jays, Wilson's warblers, fox sparrows, etc.) should be in full song as we explore this remote valley. Temperatures may be cool in the morning so dress in layers, brings drinks, snacks and a lunch. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
Grand Mesa
Tuesday, July 11, 8 a.m. The Grand Mesa has a wonderful array of birds during the summer that include Lincoln’s sparrow, Swainson’s hawk, American three-toed woodpecker, hermit thrush, pine grosbeak, and red crossbill. Leader Bill Harris will stop along Highway 65 at several points to lead short hikes to view birds. Hiking distance will be around 3-4 miles total. This will be an all-day trip, so bring lunch, snacks, water, and clothing to deal with inclement weather. Group limited to 10 people. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
Ouray and the Box Canyon Falls
Saturday, July 15, 8 a.m. Black Swifts that nest at Box Canyon are one of the target birds for this trip. Box Canyon also hosts grosbeaks, finches, and a variety of hummingbirds. Don Marsh will also lead the trip to “the Amphitheatre” area to look for Peregrine Falcons. Plan to head home in the early afternoon. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
Ridgway State Park
Tuesday, August 29, 8 a.m. Join leader Don Marsh at Ridgway State Park which can host a variety of migrating shorebirds and post-breeding songbirds. The state park charges a $10.00 day use fee, but we will meet at the Visitor Center near the Dutch Charlie entrance at 8 a.m. to carpool with annual pass holders. We will wrap up around noon. Dress in layers, bring water and lunch or snacks, and a spotting scope if you have one. Please RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days before the trip.
Bird Banding at Ridgway State Park
Saturday, September 9, 7 a.m. to noon. Stop by and watch a professional bird bander at work anytime between 7:00 a.m. and noon. This is a drop-in opportunity, and there will be no leader, but volunteers will be present to answer your questions. More details will be in the fall newsletter.
Upcoming Programs
Except where noted, all meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Montrose Field House at the corner of Rio Grande Avene and Colorado Avenue (South 9th St.), except as noted. For additional information or to let us know that you would like to do a presentation, please contact Kristal Stridham at (580) 919-5987 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Special Program: Scott Weidensaul at The Pavilion in Montrose
Wednesday, July 5, Montrose Pavillion, time to be announced. We will have a special presentation by Scott Weidensaul in the evening at The Pavilion in Montrose. Scott is a famous bird author, has written many books about birds, and has done research on bird migration. His most recent book is the very popular and informative A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds (2022). More details on the program are to come.
Gunnison Sage Grouse
Thursday, August 10, 7:00 p.m. Whit Blair, Gunnison Sage Grouse expert from the US Fish and Wildlife Service will speak about the recovery status of the threatened birds. He will also talk about sagebrush habitat conservation and will update us about the exciting new projects he has started with funding secured from last year’s federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
Roubideau Rim Wildlife Rescue
Brenda Miller is in need of lumber - scrap or new - posts, plywood, rails, boards - for construction of rehabilitation cages.
Any condition.
Please contact Brenda Miller at her This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call her at (970) 209-5946. She has a truck and trailer and will pick it up.
This is a very worthy cause, as Brenda has been the only wildlife rehabilitator in the Montrose/Delta area and is trying to reestablish her service and maintain her license.
Roubideau Rim Wildlife Rescue is a 501c3 charitable organization. If you do not have lumber for her, perhaps you would consider donating to her cause.
Brenda Miller, Executive Director
Roubideau Rim Wildlife Rescue, 501c3
PO Box 712, Montrose, CO. 81402-0712
Phone 970-209-5946
Click here for her Facebook page
Volunteers Needed
We are looking for some volunteers who can drive injured raptors to rehab centers. Usually the bird is in a pet kennel, and just needs a ride. Nothing hard about it. Please contact Bruce Ackerman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call him at (727) 858-5857 to be on the list for future needs.
Chapter Goals
- To promote the conservation of natural resources through informative public programs, our newsletter and this web site.
- To provide the opportunity for the observation and study of birds and other wildlife, through our field trips.
- To offer early education programs including bird banding stations and classroom bird skin programs.
- To empower our members and the public with the knowledge to be effective environmental advocates.
- To contribute to the recovery of the Gunnison Sage Grouse (GUSG) through joint efforts with GUSG working groups and federal and state agencies.
Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk near Solar Road south of Montrose. Photo taken by Robin Lewis on March 26, 2019.
BCAS Donations Through AmazonSmile.com
Although we encourage everyone to shop locally, in the event that you choose to make a purchase through Amazon, please do so by way of AmazonSmile.com and select the Black Canyon Audubon Society as the organization that a percentage of your eligible Amazon purchases will be sent automatically as a charitable contribution. Purchases must be made by going to AmazonSmile for this to take place. Anyone can support the Black Canyon Audubon Society by choosing us as your designated AmazonSmile.com non-profit organization by clicking the link below:
