2023 BEGINNING WORKSHOPS
Thank you for a great 2023 festival! The dates on this page reflect those of the 2023 festival. Subscribe to the Biggest Week eNews for all the latest updates on 2024!
Raptors 101
Presented by Erik Bruhnke
Date: Friday, May 5
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Have you ever wondered what that speck of a hawk is, way out on the distant horizon or circling right over your head? Do you ponder which birds of prey visit your backyard? Would you like to fine tune your hawkwatching skills and learn more about these exciting birds found here both year-round and in migration? If so, this is the talk for you! Birds of prey are consistently one of the most difficult varieties of birds to identify.
Come join Erik Bruhnke as he shares field-learned techniques for identifying raptors both up close and at a distance. From his raptor jokes and identification anecdotes, to his wide range of impressive raptor photographs, Erik’s raptor identification workshop is sure to captivate and educate audiences of all skill levels!
Date: Friday, May 5
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Have you ever wondered what that speck of a hawk is, way out on the distant horizon or circling right over your head? Do you ponder which birds of prey visit your backyard? Would you like to fine tune your hawkwatching skills and learn more about these exciting birds found here both year-round and in migration? If so, this is the talk for you! Birds of prey are consistently one of the most difficult varieties of birds to identify.
Come join Erik Bruhnke as he shares field-learned techniques for identifying raptors both up close and at a distance. From his raptor jokes and identification anecdotes, to his wide range of impressive raptor photographs, Erik’s raptor identification workshop is sure to captivate and educate audiences of all skill levels!
Raptor Identification: Techniques and Applications
Presented by Dr. Brian M. Wargo
Date: Saturday, May 6
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Hawkwatching is an esoteric subset of birding that utilizes unique skills and techniques for identification. Hawks are usually far out in the sky, often appearing black, and nearly devoid of any plumage patterns. Making matters worse, these birds rarely vocalize, are moving fast, and do not return for a second glance. All of these problems conspire against the hawk counter who must quickly identify the raptor and move on to the next bird. So, how do they do it?
Your instructor, Dr. Brian M. Wargo, author of “Bird!”: An Exploration of Hawkwatching, takes you into the mind of the hawk counter and shares the techniques that hawkwatchers practice to make the identification. In addition, Wargo is the Eastern Flyway Editor for Hawk Migration Studies, taking countless hours to analyze the data collected from the nearly 90 hawk sites in the eastern part of the United States. This information helps reveal the state of the raptors for the east coast. This workshop provides tips and tricks for hawk identification, all while integrating population trends for each raptor species.
Date: Saturday, May 6
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Hawkwatching is an esoteric subset of birding that utilizes unique skills and techniques for identification. Hawks are usually far out in the sky, often appearing black, and nearly devoid of any plumage patterns. Making matters worse, these birds rarely vocalize, are moving fast, and do not return for a second glance. All of these problems conspire against the hawk counter who must quickly identify the raptor and move on to the next bird. So, how do they do it?
Your instructor, Dr. Brian M. Wargo, author of “Bird!”: An Exploration of Hawkwatching, takes you into the mind of the hawk counter and shares the techniques that hawkwatchers practice to make the identification. In addition, Wargo is the Eastern Flyway Editor for Hawk Migration Studies, taking countless hours to analyze the data collected from the nearly 90 hawk sites in the eastern part of the United States. This information helps reveal the state of the raptors for the east coast. This workshop provides tips and tricks for hawk identification, all while integrating population trends for each raptor species.
Introduction to Warbler Identification
Presented by Tom Stephenson
Date: Sunday, May 7
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Warblers are some of the most beautiful birds in the world. In this lecture we'll look at lots of pictures, to prove that point! We'll also cover where and what to look for first when you see an unknown species. We'll discuss some basic vocabulary that helps train your eye to see some of these most important ID points. And we'll also talk about some of their songs, why they sing, and how they learn their songs.
Date: Sunday, May 7
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Warblers are some of the most beautiful birds in the world. In this lecture we'll look at lots of pictures, to prove that point! We'll also cover where and what to look for first when you see an unknown species. We'll discuss some basic vocabulary that helps train your eye to see some of these most important ID points. And we'll also talk about some of their songs, why they sing, and how they learn their songs.
Why Birds Sing and How They Learn Their Songs
Presented by Tom Stephenson
Date: Monday, May 8
Time: 11:30-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
It takes energy to sing. So why do most birds spend so much time vocalizing? What are the different functions of songs and calls? Are songs learned or innate? And how do we know? Tom Stephenson, author of The Warbler Guide and several important birding apps, will present an overview of the kinds of vocalizations that birds make, how they are acquired, and how the song-learning process unfolds. He’ll discuss why you might hear very odd songs from common species in early spring, and what that tells us about the singer. Stephenson will also cover the many different kinds of vocalizations one individual bird might make, what they may mean, and discuss species that sing only one song across the US compared with other species that have hundreds of different songs.
He’ll explore some strategies to use when we hear a song we don’t recognize and see why traditional field guides aren’t much help. Finally, he’ll discuss general memorization theory and outline a simple and very effective technique for memorizing many bird songs. We know birds sound incredible-tonight we will delve a bit more into the world of bird song!
Date: Monday, May 8
Time: 11:30-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
It takes energy to sing. So why do most birds spend so much time vocalizing? What are the different functions of songs and calls? Are songs learned or innate? And how do we know? Tom Stephenson, author of The Warbler Guide and several important birding apps, will present an overview of the kinds of vocalizations that birds make, how they are acquired, and how the song-learning process unfolds. He’ll discuss why you might hear very odd songs from common species in early spring, and what that tells us about the singer. Stephenson will also cover the many different kinds of vocalizations one individual bird might make, what they may mean, and discuss species that sing only one song across the US compared with other species that have hundreds of different songs.
He’ll explore some strategies to use when we hear a song we don’t recognize and see why traditional field guides aren’t much help. Finally, he’ll discuss general memorization theory and outline a simple and very effective technique for memorizing many bird songs. We know birds sound incredible-tonight we will delve a bit more into the world of bird song!
Eastern Warbler Field Trip and Workshop
Presented by Kevin Karlson
Date: Tuesday, May 9
Time: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (meet at the EAST end of the boardwalk)
Fee: $40
Registration Required: Yes
Limited to 20 participants
Join Kevin and a leader from Wildside Nature Tours as they share their knowledge about Eastern Warblers at one of the best migratory warbler locations in North America. With an emphasis on fun and sharing, warblers and other birds will be identified along with a simple review of the thought process involved in the ID. Both plumage details and physical features will be considered on most birds seen, with personal tips from the leaders enhancing the experience. Natural history information about birds is also a part of the trip, as these creatures have fascinating lives that make seeing them more rewarding. If you love warblers and songbirds and want to share that passion with others while learning more about the birds, come on this casual trip.
Date: Tuesday, May 9
Time: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (meet at the EAST end of the boardwalk)
Fee: $40
Registration Required: Yes
Limited to 20 participants
Join Kevin and a leader from Wildside Nature Tours as they share their knowledge about Eastern Warblers at one of the best migratory warbler locations in North America. With an emphasis on fun and sharing, warblers and other birds will be identified along with a simple review of the thought process involved in the ID. Both plumage details and physical features will be considered on most birds seen, with personal tips from the leaders enhancing the experience. Natural history information about birds is also a part of the trip, as these creatures have fascinating lives that make seeing them more rewarding. If you love warblers and songbirds and want to share that passion with others while learning more about the birds, come on this casual trip.
How to Learn Bird Songs (and Memorize Anything!)
Presented by Tom Stephenson
Date: Tuesday, May 9
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Identifying the warblers and other species singing in the field is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of birding. However, trying to learn and remember the important ID points of bird vocalizations can be difficult and sometimes very frustrating.
This lecture will cover many new techniques that make it easier to identify singing warblers and other species. Based on the system outlined in The Warbler Guide, the lecture will also explain how understanding a song’s structure, using objective, easy-to-hear song qualities, can speed up the identification process and make separating similar-sounding species much easier.
Learning and remembering songs is another important skill for birders. The workshop will also cover the science of memory and learning, and outline a simple, 3-step system that works very effectively for memorizing bird vocalizations and anything else you’d like to remember!
Date: Tuesday, May 9
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Identifying the warblers and other species singing in the field is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of birding. However, trying to learn and remember the important ID points of bird vocalizations can be difficult and sometimes very frustrating.
This lecture will cover many new techniques that make it easier to identify singing warblers and other species. Based on the system outlined in The Warbler Guide, the lecture will also explain how understanding a song’s structure, using objective, easy-to-hear song qualities, can speed up the identification process and make separating similar-sounding species much easier.
Learning and remembering songs is another important skill for birders. The workshop will also cover the science of memory and learning, and outline a simple, 3-step system that works very effectively for memorizing bird vocalizations and anything else you’d like to remember!
Spectacular Shorebirds
Presented by Erik Bruhnke
Date: Wednesday, May 10
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to identifying different genres of 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: Wednesday, May 10
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
When it comes to identifying different genres of 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!
Birding 101
Presented by Cassidy Ficker
Date: Friday, May 12
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Flipping through the pages of a field guide can be very intimidating to a new birder, with countless photos and unfamiliar terms. Before learning the differences between species, it is important to learn what one should be looking for. From locating important field marks to explaining what terms such as "bill droopiness" and "supercilium" actually mean, join this presentation to understand how to work through identifying birds on your own!
Date: Friday, May 12
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
Flipping through the pages of a field guide can be very intimidating to a new birder, with countless photos and unfamiliar terms. Before learning the differences between species, it is important to learn what one should be looking for. From locating important field marks to explaining what terms such as "bill droopiness" and "supercilium" actually mean, join this presentation to understand how to work through identifying birds on your own!
Thrushes and Their Lookalikes
Presented by Erik Bruhnke
Date: Saturday, May 13
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
The world of thrushes is filled with charismatic song and impressive migration. Every year these birds wow us with their beauty, and every year these birds cause identification headaches among fellow birders. Thrushes share many similarities to each other and also look like other birds completely unrelated to them! Join in the fun as Erik talks about the field marks, songs, and more with thrushes and their lookalikes.
Date: Saturday, May 13
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Yes
The world of thrushes is filled with charismatic song and impressive migration. Every year these birds wow us with their beauty, and every year these birds cause identification headaches among fellow birders. Thrushes share many similarities to each other and also look like other birds completely unrelated to them! Join in the fun as Erik talks about the field marks, songs, and more with thrushes and their lookalikes.