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CAMP REPORTS 2004

A report on RMBO On the Wing Camp

26 June-7 July 2004

By Jessie Cramer

To start off, this camp was just phenomenal! I met great people, got many different birds to add to my life list, and it wasn't just all about birding! We also learned a lot of stuff about the Chico Basin Ranch, Mesa Verde and different habitats; fourteen habitats to be exact. The week in half we spent on this journey, we all got assigned to a habitat, including our camp leaders because that would make fourteen different people for fourteen different habitats. As we traveled and passed through different habitats, if it was yours, you were to take notes on it. So later we could present our habitats in front of family and friends at the DOW office, located in Denver, CO.

While we were doing all this driving and adventuring, the biggest thing that stood out in my mind was my fellow birders. Being able to meet other young birders, then getting to know them, was most fun for me, because they were all unique and interesting in their own ways.

Then During the week we just didn't get to know each other day by day, but we got to visit a place called Mesa Verde. As we ventured through the Cliff Palace, I learned that these amazing people built their homes under these cliffs all by hand! Then you could see where the park had restored parts of it because, the original work that the people had done looked more classic than the new rebuilt parts.

After we ventured Mesa Verde, we headed to Chico Basin Ranch. We stayed a night there, and happened to catch a Common Nighthawk. One of our camp leaders is a certified bird bander, so he banded the bird, then we took a group picture with it. That morning we woke up to go do some birding. While we were birding I got a Lazuli Bunting as a life bird. Let me tell you, that bird had such exotic colors, that it just drove me wild! Then, later that afternoon around one or so we went to the ranch. When we got to the ranch a very nice gentleman gave us a tour of what ranchers do. One of the things that most interested me was the weighing of the cattle because, there was a machine that looked like it was just the regular ground but it wasn't. So all of us campers piled onto this strange contraption and the gentleman weighed us. I think all of us ended up weighing some where around 1,900 pounds altogether.

While I am just rambling on about these things, I would like to say I had a lot of fun at camp this year and these were just few of the many memories and things that we did on our incredible journey. I also want to thank everyone who made this camp possible, and made it possible for me to be involved in such a learning experience! Thank you!

July 2004

These young birders attended the camps/events they report on with the help of ABA scholarships.