Aiken Canyon Preserve with Bruce Dunbar
2025-12-06 07:30 - 23:30 (America/Denver) | Aiken Canyon, 3350 Turkey Canon Ranch Rd, Colorado Springs, CO, 80926
Join Bruce Dunbar for a walk around Aiken Canyon Preserve, a quiet retreat down Hwy 115. We’ll hike about 4 miles through oak meadows and evergreen woodlands that wind through the rocky outcrops. This is a moderately difficult hike, but we’ll be going at a slow birder’s pace. Along the way we should see and hear a number of winter residents, and hopefully discover some special mountain species that have come down in elevation for the winter.

*WAITLIST ONLY* Birds & Brews: Fox Run Regional Park & Goat Patch Brewing - Northgate
2025-12-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Fox Run Regional Park, 2110 Stella Dr, Colorado Springs, CO, 80921, United States
This intrepid bird outing will have us searching the Palmer Divide for winter birds in the Black Forest. Fox Run Regional Park has only 5 species reported on eBird during December – will this be the worst Birds & Brews? Enjoy the scenery and camaraderie while contributing to winter bird records for the park!
– This hike will be moderate, going up to 3 miles in 2 hours over uneven terrain with some incline.
– Bring binoculars and dress for the Monument, CO forecast.
– Space is limited. Join the waitlist by emailing trip leader Jessica Miller at jessicaisbirding@gmail.com

2025 Colorado Springs Christmas Bird Count
2025-12-20
Please join us for this year’s Colorado Springs Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
Everyone is welcome to participate. Plan to spend at least the entire morning finding birds, though times will vary. Come prepared for cold temperatures and possibly snow and ice. Feeder watchers are also encouraged to sign up and participate.
We will gather for a potluck dinner, species compilation, and sharing of the day’s adventures at Bear Creek Nature Center from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on count night.
For more information or to sign up for the count, please contact Tyler Stuart at colospringscbc@gmail.com.

Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon. Volunteers survey birds for the Boulder Christmas Bird Count at Teller Farm in Boulder, Colorado, on December 18, 2022. The Christmas Bird Count is a long-running, annual community science project.

Birding By Book | "We Should All Be Birds"
2025-12-29 17:30 - 19:00
Aiken Audubon’s Birding by Book is a book club for those who love birds AND books! The club meets to discuss selected book titles and create community among birders in the Pikes Peak area.
Read “We Should All Be Birds” by Brian Buckbee with Carol Ann Fitzgerald at your leisure, then join us on Monday, December 29th for book club discussion.

On a spring evening in Montana, Brian Buckbee encounters an injured baby pigeon. Heartbroken after the loss of the love of his life and increasingly isolated by a mysterious illness that overtook him while trekking through Asia, Brian is unaware that this bird—who he names Two-Step—will change his life. Brian takes in Two-Step, and more injured birds, eventually transforming his home into a madcap bird rehabilitation and rescue center. As Brian and Two-Step grow closer, an unexpected kinship forms. But their paths won’t converge forever: as Two-Step heals and finds love, Brian’s condition worsens, and with his friend’s release back into the world looming closer, Brian must decide where this story leaves him.
We Should All Be Birds follows Brian, unable to read or write due to a never-ending headache, as he dictates the end of his old life—as an adventurer, an iconoclastic university instructor, and endurance athlete—through his relationship with a pigeon that comes to define his present. Limited to dictation, Brian teams up with Carol Ann Fitzgerald, an editor who channels the details of his personal history to the pages. Raw and perceptive, delirious and devastating, We Should All Be Birds is an unflinching exploration of chronic illness, grief, connection, and the spectacular beauty of the natural world—and the humble pigeon. The surprising, heartwarming relationship between man and bird provides insight into what it means to love, to suffer, and to “never forget, even for a second, how big it all is.”

Seating is LIMITED, and a reservation is required.
RSVP by emailing BirdingByBook@gmail.com.
Roadrunner Bookshop is offering new copies of We Should All Be Birds at a 15% discount to book club members. Please email your request to place an order along with your RSVP.
photo credit: tinhouse.com

Pueblo Area with Denver Field Ornithologists
2026-01-01 06:00 - 17:00 | Pueblo Area
Pueblo Area with DFO: Various locations for an almost-big-day to start your New Year off with a birding bang!
Thursday, January 1, 2026, 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(NOTE: this is the time frame for Denver-area participants. COS-area, expect a later start/meeting time and an earlier arrival home.)
Leader: David Suddjian
Trip Difficulty: Moderate
Let’s kick start our year lists and even see new birds! Start 2026 with a visit to one of Colorado’s best winter birding areas! Lake Pueblo and the Arkansas corridor downstream can be counted on for a great variety of water birds and land birds, like loons, ducks, grebes, warblers and sparrows, and a good chance for rare wintering species. We will look for regional specialties like Scaled Quail, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee, Bewick’s Wren, and White-winged Dove. This will be a full day with several stops, including viewing around Lake Pueblo SP, along the Arkansas River, and at Pueblo City Park. Bring a scope if you have one (we can share), sturdy footwear, and bring plenty of clothing ranging from cold to pleasant. Plan for up to 1.5 miles of walking, mostly on flat terrain. Bring snacks, lunch and drinks. We will carpool from the Castle Rock meeting spot, and we will have a southern rendezvous point for those living south of Denver area.
This trip is limited and registration will open at noon on 12/11/2025. on this webpage: https://dfobirds.org/FieldTrips/Register.aspx?TripID=22255. If you do not already have an account with DFO, visit https://dfobirds.org/, click “LOGIN” then click “Create an account” and follow the prompts.

Owl Prowl with Fountain Creek Nature Center
2026-01-02 18:00 - 19:30 | Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain, 80817
This event is not affiliated with Aiken Audubon, but you may be interested in this local bird activity!
Friday, January 2, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center (Link to Registration & Info)
Winter is an ideal time to observe owls and owl behavior. Learn more about these elusive creatures of the night. We will share stories and folklore, view an owl video, examine owl diets by dissecting an owl pellet, and go for a short night hike in search of owls. Please be on time and dress for the weather. Ages 8+. Prepaid registration online with the Nature Center required. $6 per person/$5 per Nature Centers member.

Winter Bird Count at Fountain Creek Regional Park
2026-01-10 08:30 - 11:00 | Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain, 80817
This event is not affiliated with Aiken Audubon, but you may be interested in this local bird activity!

Saturday, January 10, 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

All levels of birders are invited to help us observe and record the bird species in Fountain Creek Regional Park. Space is limited; please call Fountain Creek Nature Center at 719-520-6754 to sign up. A $5 donation per person recommended.

Birds & Brews - Fountain Creek Regional Park & Peaks N Pines Brewing
2026-01-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain, 80817
The woodlands, meadows, wetlands, creek, and ponds of Fountain Creek Regional Park make this one of the best places to observe a wide variety of birds in the region. Many species are possible on this guided walk, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for Great-horned Owls, Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail, and any rarities hanging out at “the spa”. Afterwards we’ll cheers our birds at Fountain’s Peaks N Pines Brewing!
– Restrooms will be available at the Nature Center
– Difficulty: easy/moderate. This will be a 2.5 mile walk along mostly flat trails at a slow, birder’s pace.
– Bring your binoculars; if you need to borrow some, just request with your RSVP.
– Space is limited to 25 birders. RSVP by emailing Jessica at jessicaisbirding@gmail.com.

Ute Valley Park with Pat Paternostro
2026-01-17 08:00 - 11:00 | Ute Valley Park, 5465 7 Oaks Dr,, Colorado Springs, CO 80919 , CO, 80919, United States
Join Pat Paternostro and Aiken Audubon for a birding trip at Ute Valley Park, Colorado Springs. We will look for Nuthatch and Woodpecker species and hopefully find some wintering species such as Crossbills, Kinglets, and Finches. The walk has some uneven terrain along with slight hills and may be snowy or muddy.
We will meet at 1645 Vindicator Dr, Colorado Springs, the primary Ute Valley parking lot.
You can RSVP to Pat @ broncos30@hotmail.com

JANUARY MONTHLY MEETING:THE EFFECTS OF WILDFIRE SMOKE ON MIGRATING BIRDS
2026-01-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Colorado Parks and Wildlife Office, 4255 Sinton Rd, Colorado Springs, 80907
Join Aiken Audubon with Megan Miller presenting her research on The Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Migrating Birds.
Wildfire smoke is an emerging threat to birds at both the individual and population level. Limited studies associate smoke exposure with slower weight gain in House Wren nestlings, reduced banding capture rates and poorer body condition among those captured birds, and large-scale avoidance behavior from migrating birds. Megan investigated whether exposure to poor air quality could affect the oxidative balance system in passerines migrating through Southern Colorado during spring and fall migration.
Megan Miller has been a part of Colorado’s birding community since her first Christmas Bird Count in 2006. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology in 2017 at Colorado State University and then spent some time doing field work across the country. She has worked on projects studying birds in apple orchards, seabirds, black-throated blue warbler ecology, and migration banding stations. In January 2025 she completed her masters degree at Colorado State University Pueblo on the impact of wildfire smoke on migrating birds. Megan received a grant from Aiken Audubon to help fund this research.

This is an in-person meeting held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office; 4255 Sinton Road 80907. Our entrance to the building is located on the EAST side (back side) of the building; not the main entrance. Parking is encouraged in the south and west parking lots.
Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm

photo credit:Megan Miller

Live Birds of Prey at Fountain Creek Nature Center
2026-01-31 10:00 - 11:30 | Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain, 80817
This event is not affiliated with Aiken Audubon, but you may be interested in this local bird activity!
Saturday, January 31, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Link to Registration & Info)

Learn about hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, and vultures through a live birds of prey program with Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center! The presentation includes two or three different birds of prey and a discussion of adaptations, predator/prey relationships, natural history, and personal stories of the birds presented. You’ll also hear about the work the Center does to rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned birds of prey. Best for ages 8+. Prepaid registration online is required. $5 per person/$4 per member.

Red Rock Canyon Open Space with Pat Paternostro
2026-02-14 08:00 - 11:00 | Red Rock Canyon Open Space, 3550 W High St, Colorado Springs, CO, 80904, United States
Join Pat Paternostro and Aiken Audubon for a birding walk at Red Rock Canyon Open Space! We will hopefully find several species of raptors along with many of our wintering species such as Sparrows, Towhees, Nuthatch, Woodpeckers and Finches. The walk will include some inclines and uneven terrain and may be snowy or muddy.
We will meet at the open space parking lot which is located at 3550 W High St, Colorado Springs (off of Hwy 24).
You can RSVP to Pat @ broncos30@hotmail.com

Birds & Brews - Ute Valley Park & 105 West Brewing
2026-02-22 09:00 - 12:00 | Ute Valley Park, 5465 7 Oaks Dr,, Colorado Springs, CO 80919 , CO, 80919, United States
We’ll enjoy cool rock formations and great views as we search the woodlands and meadows of Ute Valley Park for birds like Cassin’s Finches, Bluebirds, Townsend’s Solitaires, and Nuthatches. Afterwards we’ll head over to NEW 105 West Brewing, the new occupants of what used to be Trinity Brewing, about 7 minutes away.
– This will be a moderate hike – we may walk three or so miles over uneven, hilly terrain at a birder’s pace. Depending on weather conditions the week before, the trails could be snowy or muddy.
– Bring binoculars, wear good hiking shoes, and dress for the Colorado Springs forecast. If you need to borrow a pair of binoculars, let mention it when you RSVP.
– Space is limited. RSVP by emailing Jessica at jessicaisbirding@gmail.com.
