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 April 4 at 9:00 a.m.and May 2 at 8:00 a.m. 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. Please let us know if you are coming, so we don’t leave you behind. This is especially in case of sudden weather changes.
Ridgway Area (Ouray County)
Saturday, March 25, 2023. This trip will visit various locations around Ridgway, including Ridgway State Park. We’ll meet at the Ridgway Town Visitor Center at the southwest corner of Highway 550 and Highway 62 at 9 a.m. Dress in layers, and bring a lunch, snacks, water, and a spotting scope if you have one. We’ll wrap up around 1 pm. Please contact the trip leader, Don Marsh at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (209)256-5744 to RSVP.
Marine Road Park (Montrose County)
Saturday, April 15, 2023. This trip will explore this undeveloped park land along the Uncompahgre River in Montrose and look for wintering waterfowl and early spring migrants. Since weather can be unpredictable dress in layers. Bring drinks, snacks. We will meet at the public parking lot at the corner of N. 2nd Street and N. Cascade Ave. in Montrose at 8:30 a.m. and return by noon. For questions and to sign up, contact Don Marsh at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 209-256-5744.
Birding the Colorado River (Colorado Canyons Association)
Friday-Saturday, May 5-7, 2023. The Colorado Canyons Association (CCA) has a fully supported raft trip focused on birding the Ruby/Horsethief section of the Colorado River. Visit CCA’s website for more information. This is not a BCAS trip.
West End of Montrose County Field Trip
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9-10, 2023. Black Canyon Audubon will sponsor a field trip to Paradox Valley and other West End venues for a spring birding adventure on May 9-10, 2023. The opportunity to see over 70 species is very high. Expect several short walks to access bird habitat. The Paradox Valley and West End areas have a great mix of habitats ranging from desert scrub to classic alpine to riparian, allowing for a rich mix of birds during the spring migration. Expect to see a variety of waterfowl, black-throated sparrow, vireos, yellow-breasted chat, Grace’s warbler, black phoebe and a host of migrants.
The group will meet at the Rimrock Hotel in Naturita Colo. at 9:00 a.m. on May 9. Day 1 will wrap up near Naturita, so participants can access either hotel accommodations or camp for the night. The Uravan Ball Park campground is open; it is 13 miles from Naturita along Highway 141, and the Rimrock Hotel (970-865-2500) in Naturita has nice rooms at reasonable prices. The hotel has a bistro that has a nice breakfast menu.
There will be a potluck dinner the evening of May 9 at the hotel.
Day 2, we will visit locations not visited the day before. After lunch or so, you will be free to explore more on your own or head home.
The field trip is limited to 12 participants. For questions and to sign up contact Bill Harris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 970-901-4022.
Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival
Wednesday- Sunday, May 17-21, 2023. Although not BCAS related, this southwest Colorado birding festival in Cortez offers many field trips that might be of interest to our members. See their website https://birdingfestival.cortezculturalcenter.org/ for more information.
100 Bird Challenge
Wednesday, June 7-10, 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 7-10. 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. A wrap-up is planned for Sunday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. 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.
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.). 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..
Bears Ears National Monument
Thursday, March 9. Our guest speaker will be Sylvia Taylor, manager of the Bears Ears Education Center. In 2016, Bears Ears National Monument was established to protect over 1.3 million acres of stunning landscapes in southeastern Utah. In a historic agreement, the monument is managed by the BLM and USFS with input from the five tribes and pueblos who requested that the monument be created. Taylor will be telling us all about this new monument and its recreational opportunities including – of course – the birding scene.
Movie Night: The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention
Thursday, April 13. Join us for a screening of the PBS documentary “The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention.” Step by step as the egg hatches, David Attenborough reveals the wonder behind these incredible miracles of nature. We guarantee you will learn and be amazed! Running time: 53 minutes. FREE Popcorn, soda, and candy.
Nesting Biology and Migration of a Small Forest Owl
Tuesday, May 16 **NOTE Tuesday DATE** Dr. Markus Mika of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse will present: Nesting Biology and Migration of a Small Forest Owl: Lessons from 20 Years of Field Work and Community Science.” Dr. Mika studied Flammulated Owl populations in northern Utah for his doctoral dissertation. He has since returned to the area every summer in search of patterns in evolution, breeding and foraging ecology, and conservation. He has graciously agreed to stop and talk to us while traveling to his study areas in Utah and Arizona this year.
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.
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:
