Fall migration is underway

State of play: Nesting season is over and birds are funneling south, often gathering around reliable water and cover.

• Like Tejon Street on a Friday night, crowds can make them easier to spot.

What they're saying: "We can expect western and eastern species on their journeys from northern forests and tundras to southern jungles and coastlines," Aiken Audubon president Jessica Miller told Axios.

Where to go: Chico Basin Ranch, southeast of the city, is open to birders through Oct. 2. Its banding station commonly catches Wilson's and orange-crowned warblers, Swainson's thrushes, brown thrashers and white-crowned sparrows.

• Aiken Audubon calls the 87,000-acre ranch Colorado's largest birding hotspot.
• Admission is $15, reservations are open seven days ahead and access is capped at 20 birders daily.

Closer to town: Try Bear Creek Nature Center or Aiken Canyon Preserve.

• Watch overhead for migrating hawks and sandhill cranes.

Pro tip: Download Merlin Bird ID, check BirdCast for migration forecasts and scan Aiken Audubon's website for recent sightings.