Walk the Wetlands

The Walk the Wetlands event on the first Sunday of the month begins at the Denver Audubon Nature Center at 8:00AM. The group ventures along the South Platte River through open fields and deciduous woodland, and by ponds and marshes. The walk itself is about 3 miles and takes about 3.5 hours, the time varying mostly due to weather conditions. During the fall season, many regular migrant songbirds that breed here in the park have already left. However, many migrant songbirds from the north, particularly sparrows, are passing through the park, lingering for a few days a time to fatten up for the further journey south. Moreover, waterfowl such as ducks, gulls & terns, and shorebirds such as sandpipers & plovers are flocking to Chatfield Lake and the nearby ponds along the trails and river. Many songbirds like, Mountain Bluebirds & Townsend Solitaires are coming down from their breeding spots in the mountains to spend a more hospitable winter.

Check out the link to eBird to see the chart detailing specific birds seen along the trails here over the past four years in any particular month of the year:
Chatfield State Park is one of the largest staging areas for migrating and breeding songbirds in Colorado. Spring, fall, and much of the summer offer great looks at both migrating and breeding songbirds & waterfowl.

The walk is led by Audubon Master Birders. Audubon Center & Trails is listed as a Hotspot on eBird under ‘Explore Hotspots

Please Note:If you have registered and discover that you will not be able to attend the walk, you must contact either the Denver Audubon Office (Rhonda Shank 303-973-9530) or the trip Leader (Bill Schreitz 410-533-1720) as soon as possible. There is a waiting list for those wanting to join the walk!

• Advance registration, including signing of the liability waiver is required. Walk-up or impromptu participants will not be allowed.
• You are responsible for bringing your own binoculars for optimum experience, water, and sunscreen.

By registering for and attending this field trip, you agree to the following:
-Please self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms, even if you are vaccinated, and use common sense. DO NOT attend if you if you had recent exposure to an individual with symptoms or confirmation of COVID-19. If you have any symptoms or even suspect you could have COVID-19 symptoms, do not sign up for this trip.
-Masks Outdoors: Masks are not required outdoors. However, we encourage unvaccinated people to wear a mask when interacting with people outside their household when outdoors and maintain social distancing of 6 feet.
-Masks Indoors: Fully vaccinated people can go without masks in public indoor spaces. Unvaccinated people are encouraged to continue wearing masks in all public indoor spaces.

Photo credit: Bill Schreitz.