|
We are pleased to partner
with Acteva.com to offer convenient, secure
online registrations for field seminars.
Acteva is a low-cost e-commerce solution
that allows nonprofits to conduct online
transactions, without the expense of setting
up a full e-commerce site. If you would
like to take advantage of online registration,
you will see a "Register Now"
button (like the one below) at the end
of each seminar description. Just click
on it to register. A minimal processing
fee will be charged.
You can also call us to register for classes at (415) 663.1200, extension 373 or click here to print a registration form that you can mail or fax to us.
Please Note:
Our birding seminars usually sell out.
Don't be left out of the fun! Register
early to secure spots in the seminars
of your choice.
Josiah Clark
Saturday, August 23 • 9 AM – 3 PM
$55 ($49 members)
Bird migration is like a tide that washes over us twice per year, bringing both abundance and diversity. Unlike the ephemeral movements of spring when birds are racing to be the first to set up territories on newly-leafed and thawed habitats, in fall, with the breeding season behind them, birds are content to move south more slowly. We will visit several habitats and study numerous bird guilds, discussing when, why and where each group may be coming from and going to and Josiah will teach us about general weather patterns and how they effect bird migration in our area. We will also study plumages of immature sparrows and other breeding songbirds and listen for the late summer and fall begging calls that can confuse even experienced birders. We will be looking to find and acquaint ourselves with the first passing fall migrants as they come into basic plumage.
David Wimpfheimer
Sunday, August 24 • 9 AM - 3 PM
$55 ($50 members)
Come spend the day looking for and observing migrant shorebirds that have traversed thousands of miles from their Arctic breeding areas. Some may stay within the rich habitats well into the winter. Others will pause only briefly before traveling south. Join David for a hike out Limantour Spit or around Abbotts Lagoon, based on where the birds are. Both are wonderful places to learn the difference between a plover and a phalarope or how to tell sanderlings from other sandpipers. We will focus on identification and behaviors of shorebirds and other avian residents.
Joe Mueller and Ben Snead
Saturday, August 30 • 9:00 AM - 3 PM
$55 ($50 members)
Late August is a perfect time to discover the avian ecology of Bolinas Lagoon—just in time for the Fall shorebird migration as well as the arrival of many species of ducks from the north. We will explore the complex, interdependent web of life in and around one of the great birding hot spots in California. As we venture by vehicle to the best viewing areas, we will learn how salt marsh plants, mud flat invertebrates, estuarine fishes, and harbor seals all interrelate while using the birds we observe as focal points for lively discussion. Not a typical bird identification class, we’ll talk in depth on topics such as behavioral ecology, functional morphology, community ecology, and the natural history and interrelationships of all those who make Bolinas Lagoon their home. We will take a few short hikes for a more close up view of the complex system we have come to study.
This class is currently full. Please call us at (415) 663-1200 x373 to add your name to the waitlist.
Lisa Hug
Saturday, September 6 • 9:00 AM - 3 PM
$55 ($50 members)
West Marin is a very special area. It is endowed with a variety of natural habitats that invite human exploration. From Douglas fir forests to open woodlands, to mudflats to the rocky coast, there are many different kinds of birds that utilize each of the very special habitats in their own ways. Join naturalist Lisa Hug for a day of exploring a variety of habitats in and around Point Reyes with an emphasis on discovering which birds prefer to live in each kind of habitat.
David Wimpfheimer
October 11-12 • 9 AM Sat – 3 PM Sun
$155 ($145 members)
By focusing our visit on the Point Reyes Headlands and staying overnight at the Historic Lifeboat Station, we will have a unique opportunity to experience this special area and its avian inhabitants. In a series of short walks, we may visit the Lighthouse, Chimney Rock area, and Drakes Beach on Saturday. Depending on weather patterns, many migrant warblers, sparrows and other passerines concentrate in the cypress groves and willow patches we will explore. Ranch ponds and marsh habitat hold shorebirds while scoters, loons and other waterbirds rest in Drake’s Bay. There is almost always a surprise. We’ll spend the night in this dramatic setting and watch a slide presentation on the birds of Point Reyes. Sunday morning may find us visiting some of the same locations as the previous day, however we will also take a walk at Abbotts Lagoon. The variety of sandpipers, ducks, terns and other water birds there in the Fall can be dramatic. Many raptors take advantage of this rich feeding area as well. Accommodations, with optional Friday evening arrival, are included at the Lifeboat Station.
Seminars Afield...
Allen Fish
Sunday, October 19 • 9:30 AM - 2 PM
$55 ($50 members)
Each fall up to nineteen species of diurnal raptors ride the winds of the Coast Ranges toward their winter homes. We will visit the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in the Marin Headlands for a slide show covering the identification and life histories of these hawks, eagles, vultures, osprey, harriers, falcons, and kites. Next, we’ll put our new skills to the test in the field on Hawk Hill, where raptor numbers may reach 100 hawks per hour! This is a unique opportunity to study raptor identification during peak migration at the premiere raptor migration site in the West.
David Lukas
October 25-26 • 9 AM Sat - 3 PM Sun
$155 ($145 members)
This class combines two very popular programs into one fun weekend learning about birds. Have you ever wondered about the inner workings of birds and how they behave? Our first day focuses on bird structure and function as we examine bones, feathers and anatomy, and talk about muscles, metabolism, and digestion in preparation for a hands-on dissection of a pigeon. On the second day we build on our exploration of anatomy to learn why birds behave in the ways they do, from the minutia of daily grooming to the global sweep of migration. When not in the classroom we will venture into the natural laboratory around Limantour Beach to apply our knowledge and enjoy the world of birds in a new light. Accommodations, with optional Friday evening arrival, are included at the Education Center.
Lisa Hug
Sunday, November 16 • 9 AM - 3 PM
$55 ($50 members)
Learn how to identify ducks, grebes, and any other water birds we happen to find in this fun-filled workshop. We’ll spend much of the morning in the classroom with a waterfowl PowerPoint program that will wet your appetite for observing the real critters! Then, we will explore the Point Reyes area to observer the myriad of duck species spending the winter in the rich, California coastal wetland areas.
David Wimpfheimer
Sun, November 23 • 9 AM - 5 PM
$125 ($115 members)
San Francisco Bay, the largest and one of the most important estuaries along the Pacific Flyway, is right in our own backyard. Join David Wimpfheimer and Dolphin Charters as we cruise from Berkeley to Pt. Bonita and north into San Pablo Bay, hugging the shorelines that are home to thousands of wintering birds. Leaving from Berkeley, we will pass Alcatraz and head toward Point Bonita, where we will tour the southern edge of the Marin Headlands and, weather permitting, travel under the Golden Gate Bridge to the point. Continuing on our exploration, we will travel back along the shore of Angel Island, under the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, past the Marin Islands, the Brothers and Sisters Islands, over to Red Rock and back down along the Richmond shoreline. This trip offers views of hundreds of scaup, scoters and other waterfowl in stunning locations, many of which can only be viewed by boat. In addition to the many ducks, loons, grebes and gulls that come into the Bay for the winter we can also expect to see resident cormorants, pelicans and murres. We will also find seals and sea lions feeding and basking and, with luck, an occasional porpoise.
Please call us at (415) 663-1200 x373 to register for this seminar.
Lisa Hug
Saturday, December 1 • 9 AM – 3 PM
$55 ($50 members)
Many birders find identifying gulls an intimidating process, but it doesn’t have to be! Join Lisa and learn some simple strategies that can take some of the intimidation and frustration out of gull identification. You won’t become an expert overnight, but you may become more courageous! We will start in the classroom with slides and discussion, then head out to the field to practice identifying gulls in the field and on the fly. A great way to practice for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count!
Back to Top
This page last
modified
July 21, 2008
|
