Hello, I am Katelyn Shelton and I would love to thank you, Columbus Audubon, for your strong support to me. The trip to Colorado was full of new experiences, breathtaking scenery, amazing people, and more, beautiful birds.
I think one of my favorite parts was meeting the American Dipper (which I learned was once called the Water Ouzel ). They were so full of character, bobbing up and down and dipping in and out of the water. The male we saw at the Alluvial Fan sat on a rock which was about five or six feet away, and sang to his crowd of young birders. The Dippers were just one of the many captivating birds I saw that week. A few more of the highlights included meeting birds like the American Three-toed Woodpecker, the Mountain Bluebird, the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Lark Bunting, Mountain Plover, and the White-tailed Ptarmigan. Still, I have no room to list all the wonderful species I saw; even things like Elk, and Golden-mounted Ground Squirrel.
All in all, I gained a whopping 47 life birds. I can probably owe this large number to this being my first time out West!
The new scenery was beyond my imagination out there, and my pictures will never do the justice. They could never stretch the sky as far, or bring the fresh morning air to me from the mountains. It’s so hard to put into words how much it was like a fantasy. I missed it as soon as I closed my van door, and my family and I set back for Ohio.
This is something I will always remember and I owe this brilliant chapter of my life to you. The camp and overall experience has further deepened my passion for the natural world and our feathered friends. It has even inspired me to start a naturalist club at my high school!
So, once again, I want to thank you. Know that I truly appreciate the joy and opportunities you brought me through this trip.
