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BIRDING BY EAR:
Using, Processing and Recording Bird
Sounds
 May 7, 10 & 14
2 – 4 p.m.
Ottawa NWR Conference Room and in the Refuge
This workshop covers everything from learning to
recognize birdcalls, to how to record them, and
how to process them at home afterwards. In this
technical workshop you will get expert advice on
what equipment can be used for recording, what
computer programs may be used to good effect to
process and improve the recordings at home
later. In this workshop Nick will take you out
in the field on the Ottawa refuge to record some
woodland birdcalls, and then the second half
will be based within the conference room on the
refuge to discuss the finer points of processing
these calls. Nick will also have a range of
crazy tropical bird sounds on hand too to
illustrate some of the fun that can be had from
this practice around the globe. Run by Nick
Athanas, a founder and long-term professional
guide for bird tour company Tropical Birding.
His passion for bird recordings has led him to
build one of the largest online collections of
bird sounds in the Americas.
INLAND SHOREBIRD
IDENTIFICATION:
Getting to Grips with awkward peeps, prickly
plovers
and strange sandpipers
 May 9
2 – 4 p.m.
Ottawa NWR Conference Room and in the Refuge
Ottawa NWR will be the venue for this essential
workshop for those who shy away from the sticky
problems of shorebird identification. During
this workshop we will begin in the Ottawa
conference room talking through some of the
inland shorebird species that may be encountered
on this rich wildlife refuge. We will talk over
the finer points of ID and then walk onto the
refuge to practice what we have learnt in the
field checking the myriad of shorebirds packing
the pools, dikes and swampy areas on the refuge.
Some of the species that may be seen include
Black-bellied Plover, Greater Yellowlegs,
Baird’s and White-rumped Sandpipers, Dunlin and
Short-billed Dowitcher. This workshop will be
run by a veteran inland shore birder Michael
Retter, who grew up birding in the Midwest.
THE PRINCIPLES OF
DIGISCOPING:
Turning your telescope into a high quality
camera lens
 May 11, 12 & 13
2 – 4 p.m.
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Who knew when a Malaysian guy fashioned a metal
tube to attach his little digital camera to his
scope over ten years ago, what the widespread
impact of this would be. Digiscoping has taken
off, with the increased quality and decreased
price of handy digital cameras birders have
capitalized on the increased photo opportunities
out there. Jeff Bouton has been working with
Leica Camera for over five years and has worked
with many brands and models of cameras, and
scopes during this time, becoming an avid digiscoper in the process. Jeff will talk you
through what equipment options you have for this
addictive hobby, and also how to get the most
out of your scope and your camera. The workshop
will be held at the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory.
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
 May 11,
12 & 13
2 – 4 p.m.
Ottawa NWR
Registration required.
You may attend one or all three sessions.
FREE
SESSION 1: Improve
Your Nature Photography
May 11
This is the first of three photography workshops
covering:
• Equipment
- lens hoods, tripods
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Camera Techniques - focus, digital exposure
theory, depth of field and composition
• Field
Techniques - using natural light, fill flash,
camera positioning, blinds, controlling
backgrounds, attracting wildlife.
Subjects touched upon will include insects,
birds, amphibians, flowers, close-ups, action,
and flight.
Session 2: Field
workshop to apply what you learned in Session 1
 May
12
Participants should bring camera equipment,
tripod (if owned), digital media, and dress for
cool and/or damp conditions. We will go into
the field to study control of exposure, depth of
field, composition, reflectors &
diffusers. Participation in Session 1 not
required, but will be helpful.
Session
3: Optimizing digital-capture nature images
using Adobe Photoshop in the computer
May 13
Images from Session 2 will be chosen to
demonstrate:
• opening a photo in the computer
• raw
vs. jpg
• working
in layers
• tone
curves
• EXIF
data
• sharpening
•
saving for final
usage, either email or printer
Participation in Sessions 1 & 2 not required.
DEMYSTIFYING EMPIDONAX
FLYCATCHERS
May 15 & 16
2 p.m. - 4
p.m.
Ottawa NWR Visitor Center
 What is
primary projection exactly? What's the
difference
between "whit" and "pip"? Is "Traills
Flycatcher"
really unidentifiable when not vocalizing? This
workshop will answer all these questions and
more as we go over the oral and visual cues
helpful in identifying the empids of the eastern
U.S. and Canada.
The workshop will be led by Tropical Birding
leader Michael Retter, who has spent years
studying this sticky group both in the US, and
during his numerous trips across the border into
Mexico.
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