We all love the easy pretty colorful birds; that's why we're out there! But  sometimes you don't get that good a look, or all you can say is that it's a  'little brown thing'. In this 2 hour workshop, we will cover some of the  techniques that birders use to help with bird ID, including 'smart' use of  local checklists and field guides, habitat and behavioral clues. We will  discuss GISS (general impression of size and shape) and posture as ID clues,  and then launch into bird topography and field marks. The second part of  the workshop will focus mainly on birding by ear. Ever wonder what the  bird guides mean when they say: 'a noisy twittering call ' or 'a thin  penetrating whistle'. Or how about 'dry chip' or 'liquid trill'. We will  start to develop a common language to describe the sounds that bird make,  using examples from common southwest birds. We will learn to characterize  bird sounds as to common types and sound qualities. Then we will introduce  some of the simple tricks that take the mystery out of birding by ear,  including: name-saying, mnemonics and memory tricks, cadence and sound  quality tip-offs and sound-alike birds.  A field trip follows, where we will put some of these techniques to use in the field.

Learn to quickly see and record your observations in pencil and watercolor.  Take a crash course in drawing from nature and learn how to translate your observations onto paper.  Spend time looking and remembering, then make the eye hand connection resulting in drawings, paintings, and illustrations from the field.  Be prepared to have fun, work hard, and be surprised!
Bring a small drawing paper pad, at least 8 x 10, any soft pencils, charcoal or conte crayon, and/or drawing pens and ink.  Bring a kneaded eraser, a small pan or tube watercolor set with palettes, and at least 2 sizes of good watercolor brushes.  Colored pencils are acceptable.   Water and water holders will be provided.  The course will be given in a beautiful backyard habitat in Madrean woodland.

 Every birder started out feeling intimidated by the experts...it takes time to learn. But wouldn't it be nice if there were, say, 7 simple precepts that would make you a better birder (no matter your current skill level). What is it that the experts know that you don't? Join Steve Ingraham for some insight and some laughs.

Digiscoping allows birders to quickly and easily move from viewing through a spotting scope to capturing stunning images. To become efficient though one needs to fully understand the limitations of the various components of varying digiscoping setups. In this session we will review different types of equipment, how to avoid common pitfalls in field craft, and camera settings that will offer the best end results. Whether you want to preserve your memories of wildlife seen in the field, document some rare sighting, or even capture stunning wildlife images, digiscoping may be the answer for you. There will be a short field component offeruing opportunities for hands on demonstration following the classroom session.

Join local Botanist and ecologist Dean Schlichting, for a discussion about the plants commonly found in area Oak Woodlands. The talk will explain what the terms “Oak Woodland”, “Oak Savannah” and “Oak Encinal” mean and discuss some of the more interesting and charismatic plants found within them. The talk will also include pictures and identification tips for some of common tree, shrub, grass and forb species found in area woodlands. There will be time at the end for your questions about local plants

Insects and other arthropods thrive in the deserts of the southwest.  Learn some natural history, highlights and adaptation of this amazing group.  Presented by Carl Olson, The Bug Man from U of A.

Southeast Arizona provides a tremendous diversity of habitats used by more than just birds.  This area of the state is also well known for its many varieties of colorful and interesting reptiles and amphibians.  Learn to identify many of the snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads that occur in the area, and begin to understand why these animals are important to the ecosystem.  Learn how to safely see and respect them, and come away with a greater appreciation for these often overlooked and sometimes unappreciated animals.  The discussion includes a power point presentation by Bill Radke, a biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Southeastern Arizona’s wetland habitats include canyon streams, ponds, reservoirs, rain pools, irrigated fields and spring-fed cienegas.  All of these offer a rich, colorful, and initially confusing assortment of dragonflies and damselflies.  Several new field guides and the advent of close-focus binoculars have encouraged birders and butterflyers to turn their optics toward those fascinating aquatic insects.  After explaining the benefits of watching them, Bob will present a beginner’s introduction to Arizona’s dragons and damsels, differentiating the characteristics of the two groups, discussing something of their life history, behavior and habitats, and providing some suggestions for recognizing them in the field.

Identification of flycatchers is one of the great challenges of birding. This presentation will focus on characteristics, behaviors, and other clues for the identification of the flycatchers of southeast Arizona. This detailed presentation will be useful for the expert and beginner alike. Both visual and audio presentations will be given for those really interested in learning about flycatchers. The talk will be followed by a field trip through many habitats to study these birds in the wild.
All participants must carry a valid US photo ID and be a US citizen for Ft. Huachuca access.

Avid wildlife photographers Tom Whetten and George Andrejko from the Arizona Department of Game and Fish will teach you tips for improving your photography skills.  The classroom session, given by Tom, is a necessary part of  the workshop, as you will go out into the field with Tom and George on Saturday, August 9 (6:00 am – 2:00 pm) to use your new skills.  There is a limit to this workshop – so please sign up early!

Gordon's presentation will cover grass land restoration, wildlife enhancement and a Burrowing Owl relocation project on the ranch. Rancho Gulag is located in the two mile gap of private land of the San Pedro River National Conservation Area. The ranch contains abandoned agricultural areas, about one half mile of river and mixed mesquite grazing land.

This program takes you to a little desert garden in the middle of an urban housing development. Here you will find that you can have a habitat garden anywhere, as long as you provide the basic requirements of food, shelter and water, while staying away from pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers. In this garden, water is the biggest attraction. Progressing through the year, you will see each of the four season's characteristic plants and animals. The variety of foods available during winter attracts many songbirds, as well as their predators such as the Roadrunner and various hawks. In spring, the garden awakes with beautiful flowers, and many of the garden's plants support the life cycles of various butterflies and their caterpillars. In summer, the pond comes alive with the mating songs of Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frogs, as well as attracting toads and dragonflies. Fall ends the seasons with a burst of flowers, hummingbirds, and nectaring bats.

Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures and southeast Arizona is one of the best areas in the U.S. to view them. This video program provides information on identification tips, range, habitat preferences, and migration patterns for most of the species occurring in the U.S. Behaviors such as nesting, feeding, bathing, courtship, territorial defense, singing and many others will be shown. Information on where to view hummingbirds in the area will also be discussed.

Join Priscilla Brodkin, co-author with Bob Stewart of  the Butterflies of Arizona – a Photographic Guide for a power point adventure into the realm of Arizona’s butterflies.
You can use your same skills as birders to observe and ID butterflies.  Butterflies’ defense mechanisms, food and nectar plants and some basic butterfly gardening will also be discussed.

Cave Creek Canyon's nesting raptor densities are the highest known in the US, and among the highest measured anywhere in the world, due in large part to the number of small insectivorous owls. The surprising concentration, only recently confirmed, is over four times that of the world-famous Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area managed by the BLM in Idaho. Cave Creek Canyon is already the ABA members' favorite birding destination as well as the site of many long-term research projects due to the presence of the American Museum of Natural History’s Southwest Research Station. Cave Creek Canyon is an urgent candidate for special recognition as a Research Natural Area to be managed to ensure its future as a world-class scientific research area and to ensure its future for birders and other ecotourism groups who visit it.

While Sky Island Alliance has numerous conservation and restoration programs in the region, the "Cuatro Gatos" Project, the on-the-ground research and conservation project in northern Mexico, focuses on landscape-level conservation promoting the protection of habitat cores connected by corridors that allow wildlife movements across large regions.  The project is focused on four species of wild felines: jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots and bobcats, whose presence is an indicator of ecosystem health, and whose conservation supports other species in the same areas.  In 2007 fieldwork was initiated with the use of camera traps and track counts. In only 10 months a population of wild ocelots was identified 25 miles south of the international border, a conservation agreement was signed to protect 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat, and suitable habitat and feline presence in several mountain ranges south of the border was documented.  Sergio’s talk illustrates this project and describes the conversation efforts being taken to protect these cats.

This is the field session associated with the Workshop classroom session given Friday Morning 9:15 – 10:15 AM.
[click here to go to the description ]

In August, southeastern Arizona becomes a living laboratory for studying hummingbird identification. Join Sheri Williamson, author of the Peterson Field Guide to the Hummingbirds of North America and co-founder of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, for an intensive field workshop at the best hummingbird locations in the U.S. Learn those difficult females! Limited to 8 participants. Box lunch included. Difficulty: 2 [click here for difficulty key]

Geomorphologist Glenn Minuth will help you understand why the San Pedro Valley is recognized as a world class area for understanding Plio-Pleistocene fauna.  The drama of Pleistocene life is notably preserved in the sedimentary rock record of the region especially during the last ice age.  We will discuss the fossil evidence for an assemblage of life that ran the range of giant mammals, birds and reptiles.  Evidence indicates the initial human colonization of North America including the San Pedro Valley occurred in late Pleistocene times when the early humans co-existed with the megafauna. You'll witness the intriguing fossil evidence for the subsistence strategies of the Clovis Culture 12,000 years ago in the valley.

Open your eyes and your backyard to the wonders of nature and share this adventure with your children and grandchildren.  Join Festival Volunteers as they take you through the steps of welcoming cavity-nesting birds to your garden.  All you need bring is a Philips head screw driver to assemble your nest box!  All guardians, parents and grandparents are invited to stay and join in this fun-filled, heart warming event! 

From their insect-like flight to the brilliant iridescence of their plumage, hummingbirds have long fascinated birders and non-birders alike. In this program, Tom Wood of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory answers many of the most common questions about these often misunderstood birds, including how to attract and feed them and how scientists are revealing new and surprising information their behavior and adaptations.

In addition to the huge variety of birds, southeastern Arizona is also home to some very interesting mammals. Join Chris as she uncovers some of the mysteries of one of Arizona's most enigmatic mammals - the white-nosed coati. We'll learn about their social behavior, where they live, what they eat and what eats them. We'll also discuss whether or not they are really recent additions to Arizona's fauna.

Resident birds will be discussed along with some of the Mexican species that come to nest in the region. The Sky Islands of South East Arizona are the home of many target species that visit from Mexico. We will also touch on a few of the birds that winter in the area for your future reference. And of course we will cover the specialties that the area is noted for.

Observe up close as researchers from the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory capture, band, and record data in their twelfth season studying the importance of the San Pedro River as a migration corridor and nesting area for hummingbirds. A fabulous opportunity to see hummers in the hand and up close - bring your cameras! There is no charge for this program and pre-registration is not required. However, donations are gratefully accepted. Hummingbird "adoptions" will also be available.