Instead of a long checklist, think of this as pick-your-own birding adventure — calm lakes, quiet wetlands, or wide-open skies.

🌊 Water & Wetlands (Best for Big, Impressive Birds)

• Golden Ponds Nature Area

A winter classic. Open water attracts pelicans, herons, and cormorants, and snowy backdrops make spotting birds easier than you’d expect.

• McIntosh Lake

Eagles, ducks, and wide Front Range views. Calm winter mornings here feel almost cinematic.

• Union Reservoir

If you like scanning big water for migrating flocks and wintering raptors, this one’s worth bundling up for.

🌾 Quiet Preserves & Grasslands (Low Crowds, High Payoff)

• Lagerman Agricultural Preserve

Winter is prime time for raptors. Hawks and falcons love the open fields, and the silence out here is part of the magic.

• Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain

A little rugged, very rewarding. Scan the ridgelines for birds of prey riding the winter winds.

🌳 Creekside & Woodland Wanders

• St. Vrain Greenway

One of the easiest winter birding spots in town. Songbirds, ducks, and the occasional surprise sighting — all without leaving the city.

• Jim Hamm Nature Area

Small, peaceful, and especially known for owl sightings during the colder months.

🦆 Ponds Worth the Extra Stop

• Pella Crossing

Interconnected ponds mean lots of waterfowl activity, especially during winter migration windows.

• St. Vrain State Park

One of the most reliable winter birding spots in the area — quiet trails, great sightlines, and consistent sightings.

🎒 Winter Birding: What You’ll Actually Want to Bring

• Binoculars (8x or 10x is perfect)

• Layers — wind matters more than temperature

• A birding app like Merlin for quick IDs

• Warm drink + gloves you can still focus binoculars with

•Patience — winter birding rewards the slow walkers

Monday, January 26

Tuesday, January 27

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