2022 ADVANCED WORKSHOPS
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Powering up Conservation:
How Birders and Technology will Save our Wildlife
Presented by Scott Whittle and David La Puma
Date: Friday, May 6
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
From tiny tags to a global sensor network, technology and birders are an explosive combination for conservation. Our methods and abilities are changing at an almost weekly pace. Over the last few years wildlife tags have been miniaturized to fit on hummingbirds and even insects. At the same time, new crowd-sourced networks are emerging to let us track birds with sound and for the first time are showing us migration live and on a global scale. Experts David La Puma of Cellular Tracking Technologies and Scott Whittle of the Terra Project will catch you up on where we are today, and then look into the future of these amazing technologies and explain how birders can lead the way in the crucial upcoming decades of wildlife conservation.
Date: Friday, May 6
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
From tiny tags to a global sensor network, technology and birders are an explosive combination for conservation. Our methods and abilities are changing at an almost weekly pace. Over the last few years wildlife tags have been miniaturized to fit on hummingbirds and even insects. At the same time, new crowd-sourced networks are emerging to let us track birds with sound and for the first time are showing us migration live and on a global scale. Experts David La Puma of Cellular Tracking Technologies and Scott Whittle of the Terra Project will catch you up on where we are today, and then look into the future of these amazing technologies and explain how birders can lead the way in the crucial upcoming decades of wildlife conservation.
Red-throated Caracara in Costa Rica
Presented by Diego Quesada
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Although the Red-throated Caracara (Ibycter americanus) has a rather larger range, its population in Central America has plummeted over the last decades, making it very hard to find at present.
The decline is hard to account for since it has disappeared even from areas where the forest has remained intact. In Costa Rica there are recent sightings from the Osa Peninsula in the far south and in the northern region, and it is precisely here where our project began in 2013, monitoring a group of Red-throated Caracaras living in the remnant forest patches of a cattle farm near Monterrey, San Carlos.
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Although the Red-throated Caracara (Ibycter americanus) has a rather larger range, its population in Central America has plummeted over the last decades, making it very hard to find at present.
The decline is hard to account for since it has disappeared even from areas where the forest has remained intact. In Costa Rica there are recent sightings from the Osa Peninsula in the far south and in the northern region, and it is precisely here where our project began in 2013, monitoring a group of Red-throated Caracaras living in the remnant forest patches of a cattle farm near Monterrey, San Carlos.
Advanced Warbler Identification
Presented by Tom Stephenson
Date: Sunday, May 8, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Our warblers are some of the most beautiful birds in the world. But their beautiful colors often blind birders to many of their most important ID points. This problem is compounded by the often brief and obstructed views we have in the field. This talk discusses many of these very important but often overlooked ID points such as overall contrast, subtle facial features, color impressions, feather edging, rump contrast, and foraging style, location, and behavior.
And fortunately, viewing a warbler from below can reveal some of the most important ID points for many species. Learn how many tail and undertail covert patterns are, in fact, diagnostic alone or when combined with one other ID point. Individual species, especially the most challenging to identify, will also be discussed with outlines of the important ID points, comparisons with similar species, and illustrations of how even partial views can be used to identify many of even the most challenging warbler species.
Date: Sunday, May 8, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Our warblers are some of the most beautiful birds in the world. But their beautiful colors often blind birders to many of their most important ID points. This problem is compounded by the often brief and obstructed views we have in the field. This talk discusses many of these very important but often overlooked ID points such as overall contrast, subtle facial features, color impressions, feather edging, rump contrast, and foraging style, location, and behavior.
And fortunately, viewing a warbler from below can reveal some of the most important ID points for many species. Learn how many tail and undertail covert patterns are, in fact, diagnostic alone or when combined with one other ID point. Individual species, especially the most challenging to identify, will also be discussed with outlines of the important ID points, comparisons with similar species, and illustrations of how even partial views can be used to identify many of even the most challenging warbler species.
Spectacular Shorebirds
Presented by Erik Bruhnke
Date: Monday, May 9, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to identifying different genres birds, shorebirds will always present a unique challenge. From fields and rivers, to the beautiful Great Lakes shoreline just moments away, there are many exciting shorebirds found nearby! This identification workshop offers tips and anecdotes to learn shorebirds, for both beginning and advanced birders alike!
Date: Monday, May 9, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to identifying different genres birds, shorebirds will always present a unique challenge. From fields and rivers, to the beautiful Great Lakes shoreline just moments away, there are many exciting shorebirds found nearby! This identification workshop offers tips and anecdotes to learn shorebirds, for both beginning and advanced birders alike!
Rails: The migration of secretive birds
Presented by Dr. Auriel Fournier
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Rails are among a group of birds known for their secretive behavior and the challenges of studying their migration and other natural history. Auriel will present on her research to better understand the migratory patterns of rails, and what habitats they use, to help us better understand how wetlands across their annual cycle can be managed to meet rails needs, as well as other wetland birds.
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Rails are among a group of birds known for their secretive behavior and the challenges of studying their migration and other natural history. Auriel will present on her research to better understand the migratory patterns of rails, and what habitats they use, to help us better understand how wetlands across their annual cycle can be managed to meet rails needs, as well as other wetland birds.
Grebes Walk On Water To Find A Mate
Presented by Krisztina Scheeff/KS Nature Photography
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to dating in the world of Grebes it is not as easy as just going out for a fish dinner or a morning swim. These birds have much higher standards. If a mate cannot “walk” on water, they are out of luck. These large, elegant black and white water birds live at Lake Hodges in sunny California all year around and breed in the winter months. Courtship in the world of Grebes is quite elaborate and involves more than just walking on water. There are 8 steps and during this presentation I will touch on all, with of course extended explanation and details on the rushing (walking on water).
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to dating in the world of Grebes it is not as easy as just going out for a fish dinner or a morning swim. These birds have much higher standards. If a mate cannot “walk” on water, they are out of luck. These large, elegant black and white water birds live at Lake Hodges in sunny California all year around and breed in the winter months. Courtship in the world of Grebes is quite elaborate and involves more than just walking on water. There are 8 steps and during this presentation I will touch on all, with of course extended explanation and details on the rushing (walking on water).
Cowbird Brood Parasites: villainous mobsters or falsely maligned native species?
Presented by Sarah Winnicki
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Brown-headed Cowbirds are notorious for their breeding system called "brood parasitism"-- they lay their eggs in the nests of hundreds of other bird species, forcing those birds to feed their ravenous young. They've been painted as dastardly villains, but what are they really? In this program, I'll walk through the biology of cowbirds, paying close attention to my research on the ways they interact with their host species in their native range in Kansas and the current state of cowbird biology research.
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
Time: 1-2 PM
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Brown-headed Cowbirds are notorious for their breeding system called "brood parasitism"-- they lay their eggs in the nests of hundreds of other bird species, forcing those birds to feed their ravenous young. They've been painted as dastardly villains, but what are they really? In this program, I'll walk through the biology of cowbirds, paying close attention to my research on the ways they interact with their host species in their native range in Kansas and the current state of cowbird biology research.
Northern Hawk Owl Winter Ecology
Presented by Hannah Toutonghi
Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay State Park Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
The Northern Hawk Owl Project, led by Hannah Toutonghi, just finished the first winter field season of tracking hawk owls in Northern Minnesota and Manitoba. I will discuss the species, what we previously knew about hawk owls, and the novel preliminary results of using telemetry to track individual hawk owls throughout the winter season! Please come with your curiosity and questions about this nomadic denizen of the Northwoods!
Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay State Park Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
The Northern Hawk Owl Project, led by Hannah Toutonghi, just finished the first winter field season of tracking hawk owls in Northern Minnesota and Manitoba. I will discuss the species, what we previously knew about hawk owls, and the novel preliminary results of using telemetry to track individual hawk owls throughout the winter season! Please come with your curiosity and questions about this nomadic denizen of the Northwoods!
Principles & Pitfalls of Field Identification
Presented by Kenn Kaufman
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay State Park Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
What does it take to develop more skill at bird ID, and to be able to recognize more of the birds that we find? Well, for starters, it’s not simply a matter of learning field marks. Often we can memorize all the field marks for a species and still have trouble identifying it, while in other cases we may recognize a bird without seeing any traditional field marks at all. In this program, based on a section from his recent Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding, Kenn will talk about some basic principles that apply to all birds—principles that make it possible to name birds with more accuracy and confidence. He’ll also discuss some surprising pitfalls of ID, and how to avoid being tripped up by them.
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay State Park Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
What does it take to develop more skill at bird ID, and to be able to recognize more of the birds that we find? Well, for starters, it’s not simply a matter of learning field marks. Often we can memorize all the field marks for a species and still have trouble identifying it, while in other cases we may recognize a bird without seeing any traditional field marks at all. In this program, based on a section from his recent Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding, Kenn will talk about some basic principles that apply to all birds—principles that make it possible to name birds with more accuracy and confidence. He’ll also discuss some surprising pitfalls of ID, and how to avoid being tripped up by them.