Exploring the Birdlife of Knapp Ranch with ACES

Join us for this full-day field trip to Knapp Ranch in the subalpine valley of Lake Creek at 9,000 ft. elevation beneath the Sawatch Range in Edwards, Colorado. We will explore the birdlife of this 320-acre property bordered by National Forest, where wildflower meadows, stands of aspen, hillsides of mountain shrubland, spruce-fir forest, and lush streamside ecosystems are home to a number of bird species. The high quality of these habitats supports an abundance of birds, some of which will have recently fledged their young. Birds we may see include dusky grouse, yellow-rumped warbler, pine grosbeak, Clark’s nutcracker, mountain bluebird, broad-tailed hummingbird, Wilson’s warbler, red-naped sapsucker, olive-sided flycatcher, western tanager, sharp-shinned hawk, and more. We will make forays on the ranch’s trail system, returning to the Gathering Lodge for lunch mid-day. This special property owned by Bud Knapp is dedicated to the history, conservation, and appreciation of the Rocky Mountain landscape, and current projects include sustainability, forestry, organic produce and orchard operations, bee-keeping, design, and land conservation. This class requires advance registration to ensure appropriate planning for the field experience. This class meets at Hallam Lake at 5am. We will carpool to Knapp Ranch in Edwards, CO. We will then bird from around 7:45am-2pm, and will return to Aspen around 5pm.