Meet Cynthia Cestkowski
Birds have fascinated me for many years. After retiring in 2018 from federal government IT management, I started birding in earnest. I took the Beginning Bird class from the Denver Audubon Society, and it was invaluable. I joined DFO and have attended many field trips, and DFO’s offerings of group trips for all skill levels has greatly enhanced my journey. I became a volunteer steward for the Aurora Open Space and Natural Resources (OSNR) group, and I now lead the OSNR bird counts at various parks and open spaces in Aurora.
The Aurora Reservoir is my home patch, but the area offers many other productive birding spots including Red-tailed Hawk Park, Piney Creek Trail, and the Ponderosa Preserve. The trips I lead explore a variety of habitats, including prairie grasslands, riparian, and wetlands. I try to ensure that everyone in the group is watching, listening and learning, while taking in the beauty that only Colorado has to offer. I am enthusiastic about sharing my knowledge and, since there is always more to learn, improving my own skills. I welcome anybody with even a passing interest in birds to join my trips!
Meet David Suddjian
I've been birding for over 35 years, beginning in California, and in Colorado since 2013. I coordinated DFO's Big Year 2018, leading 81 field trips for DFO that year. I love eBirding, and counting birds.
I lead all kinds of trips from low key local outings near my Ken Caryl JeffCo home to intense far ranging trips reaching out to all corners of the state. Overnight trips go to classic Colorado birding locations, and sometimes we even camp! I like to explore areas, county birding, back roads, cemeteries and sewage lagoons, developing birding by ear skills, and helping birders to appreciate the patterns of migration, seasonal occurrence and habitat associations. I love the camaraderie of DFO field trips, the new friendships that grow, and the opportunities for birders to have FUN in the field!