BCAS Articles
2025 Boulder Christmas Bird Count Results
The 84th Boulder CBC was held on a mercifully calm 14 December 2025. Our count day total of 110 species ties our best tally in the last 10 years, with 5 more count-week species coming in to reach 115 total for our 2025 count window. Our participation was outstanding, with 184 folks contributing their talents in the field and watching feeders.
December Nature Almanac: A Least Bittern Pays a Rare Late Fall Visit to Sawhill Ponds
It was tiny, cute, and furtive. And it should have been along the Gulf Coast or in Central or South America. Instead, this Least Bittern was skulking in and out of the cattails at Sawhill Ponds.
July Nature Almanac: Milkweeds Flourish after Wet Spring
With frequent showers and mild conditions, Boulder County’s spring was one of the greenest in recent memory. Moisture-dependent wildflowers emerged early and burst into bloom by the time our first hot summer days arrived in late June. Boulder County supports at least seven native milkweed species.
December Nature Almanac: Yes, Birds Do Yawn!
A Great Horned Owl sat in a canyon alcove and opened wide its beak. We could see its tongue and red, cavernous mouth. Was this a yawn?
Black Bears in Boulder County
American black bears are Colorado’s largest carnivores. Bears are intelligent. They open car doors, sliding glass doors, or door handles that aren’t knobs.
Discover a unique wildlife and birding preserve in a pristine environment
There is a large National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Colorado that is only 3 hours and 15 minutes from Boulder that offers birders, nature enthusiasts and photographers a wealth of opportunity to experience an untouched and uncrowded environment. The “gem” of Jackson County is Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
Catios as Outdoor Enrichment for Indoor Cats
The significance of enriched environments for indoor cats cannot be overstated. Catios, or cat enclosures, provide a sanctuary where cats can indulge their curiosity and natural behaviors in a controlled environment.
BCAS and CARRI Investigating Local Kestrel Population Decline
Collective data indicate a long-term and widespread decline of American Kestrel populations, including in Boulder County. To supplement investigations occurring in different parts of the U.S., Boulder County Audubon is teaming with and supporting the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute to investigate the local decline in our American Kestrel population.
Boulder Bobcats
Many people get excited about mountain lions, but you may want to keep your eyes peeled to see a bobcat.
Teen Naturalists Winter Raptor Survey Results
We did achieve a new high for raptors on this particular survey; capped by a ferruginous hawk who soared in from the north and circled over the parking lot.
Christmas Bird Counts are for Everyone
Christmas Bird Counts welcome new birders. Ashley Meadows, with Audubon Rockies, wrote about being a new birder on her first Christmas Bird Count as part of the Boulder circle. Ashely also shares tips for enjoying any Christmas Bird Count.
Owl Banding with Scott Rashid
“We’ve got one in the net…let’s move!” We were there at a BCAS Interludes with Nature workshop to observe small mountain owls up close as they were captured and banded for research purposes.
Boulder author Steve Jones Wins “Nebraska as Place” Award
Boulder author Stephen R. Jones has won the 2023 Nebraska Book Award for nonfiction in the “Nebraska as Place” category for Nourishing Waters, Comforting Sky: Thirty-Five Years at a Sandhills Oasis.
2021 Was Not a Good Year for Bluebirds
2021 was a disappointing year for Mountain and Western Bluebirds in Colorado. The data from our Boulder County Open Space and Boulder County Audubon bluebird monitoring combined with the data from the entire state of Colorado bluebird box surveys shows fewer bluebirds fledged in 2021 than in 2020.
Insects and Kin of the Colorado Front Range
Insects and Kin, in 1104 pages, is a comprehensive guide to the major orders of insects that you are likely to observe throughout Colorado’s seven Front Range life zones.
Encounters with Nature: The Western Spotted Skunk
The uncommon, diminutive, and spotted skunk inhabits rocky canyons, foothills, and montane riparian habitats below 8,000 feet in elevation. It uses rocky outcrops and logs for dens and can be found near where people live.