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Nikon and The Brevard Nature Alliance present the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus 1311 North U.S. Highway 1, Titusville January 23 - 28, 2008 -- Titusville, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
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Learn About Optics Selecting Optics for Birding And Were Afraid to Ask: Optics Introduction to Birding Optics
Enhance Your Birding Pleasure |
Refine Your Identification Skills Raptors of Florida, Part I - * Raptors of Florida, Part II Flycatcher ID Taking the Fear Out of Identifying Gulls Gull ID at the Tomoka Landfill Sparrow ID Seabird ID Warbler ID Waterfowl 101
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Learn About OpticsSelecting Optics for Birding
Jeff Bouton
Leica Sport Optics
Selecting the "perfect" birding optics is a very personal affair that is different for each individual user. Manufacturers provide a near endless variety of options to fit every consumer's individual needs, making the selection process that much more complex. Join us as we unravel some of the mystery behind what all of those manufacturer's specs really mean to you, the consumer; review advantages and disadvantages of varying options; and learn how each affects actual field performance. By the end of the session, you should be able to sort through the field of optics that are out there and find the one that is best suited for you and your individual needs!
www.leica-camera.us/nature_observation/
Jan. 26, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Gym Class 119; Free
And Were Afraid to Ask: Optics
Presenter: Stephen Ingraham
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics
Start the festival off right with all of your questions about optics answered! Steve Ingraham, former editor of the ABA's "Tools of the Trade" and founder of Better View Desired and betterviewdesired.com with more than 20 years of optics testing behind him, will give candid (or at least inventive) answers to any and all of your optics questions. Steve is currently the Birding and Naturalist Product Specialist for Carl Zeiss Sports Optics and was directly involved in the design of the successful new FL line of binoculars. So from "how to choose" to "how to use" binoculars, and from chromatic aberration to the psycho-physical effects of the roof prism design, just ask.
www.zeiss.com/sports
Jan. 23, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Gym Class 119; Free
Introduction to Birding Optics
Presenter: Ben Lizdas
Eagle Optics
Optics are one of the fundamental tools to help ensure a successful and enjoyable birding experience. For the beginner, it can be an overwhelming task to sort through the myriad of choices available to today's birder or naturalist. Ben will take a look at these options and talk about considerations to make when looking for the binoculars or spotting scope that will suit your needs and budget best. An avid birder and sales representative for Eagle Optics, Ben brings with him years of product knowledge and experience behind the glass to present a clearer understanding of today's optics. The seminar will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
www.eagleoptics.com
Jan. 25, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Gym Class 119; Free
Enhance Your Birding Pleasure
Beginning Birding
Sponsored by Swarovski Optik
Wide range of superior traditional optics
Trip Leaders: Nancy Corona, Cary Salter and Jason Frederick
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Birding is far more than a hobby. It is an open door to the world of nature, a touch point that connects people to the outdoors. Birding inevitably leads to a discovery of turtles, butterflies, wildflowers and all the interconnections of nature. In an informative talk, Nancy will cover field guides and other literature. She will provide helpful hints for beginners on where to find birds and how to identify them, pointing out interesting behaviors, typical silhouettes and identification tricks of the birding trade. Cary will give an overview of optical equipment and how to properly use it. A free car-pool field trip to Black Point Wildlife Drive will follow the classroom session so you can get right out in the field and put your new knowledge to work. Nancy Corona is the Merritt Island NWR Public Programming and Education Coordinator. Cary Salter is an outstanding Refuge volunteer. He and his wife, Betty, lead free Refuge birding trips twice a week throughout birding season. They have introduced countless people to the wonders of the wildlife of Merritt Island NWR.
www.fws.gov/merrittisland
Jan. 24, Seminar, 8:00am-9:00am: Free
Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center; Car pool to Black Point Wildlife Drive, 9:00am-12:00pm; Free
Jan. 26, Seminar, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Free
Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center; Car pool to Black Point Wildlife Drive, 2:00pm-5:00pm; Free
Birding by Ear and Habitat
Sponsored by Bird Watcher's Digest
Trip Leader: Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore
America's favorite birdwatching publication
Birding Adventures
Birding by ear and habitat is a great way to increase your ability to identify birds. Advanced birders use birding by ear for 70% of identifications. It is an essential advanced birding skill and necessary to speed up ID and how to locate the bird. Birding by habitat helps you to determine what birds you are likely to see in an area and what can be eliminated for identification. Using a variety of techniques in the field, you will find out how to recognize various species of birds by call and alarm notes and why they make them. The field trip will begin before daylight in an oak hammock searching for warblers and owls as birds awaken and begin singing. We will travel to various habitats including scrub, pinelands, open field, shoreline, open water, wetlands and roadsides to see the role of habitat in identification. A short classroom session, using a variety of media at the Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center, will provide you with numerous handouts and additional information and techniques to improve your skills. Two short stops for shorebirds at beach habitats will end the session. Due to the numerous habitats visited during this workshop in the past, 80-plus species have been observed with a high of 96 species for both days. Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore has been a naturalist in South Florida for more than 21 years, teaching Tools For and Advanced Tools for Better Birding for 17 years. Her motto is "you learn the ID," and she specializes in assisting birders in a non-intimidating field experience. Her business, Birding Adventures, takes birders to search for birds anywhere they can be found throughout Florida, specializing in Everglades, Big Cypress, Corkscrew and the Florida Keys.
www.birdwatchersdigest.com • www.BirdAdventure.com
Meet at the parking lot for the Oak Hammock Trail, 1/2-mile east of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 6:00am.
Jan. 26 & 27, 6:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 16 registrants; $25.00/person - FILLED
Seven-fold Path to Better Birding
Presenter: Stephen Ingraham
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics
What do good birders know that you don't (yet)? Here are seven simple disciplines that will make any birder a better birder and increase your enjoyment of the time you spend in the field. Great for beginners and any birder who wants to improve! Steve Ingraham is the Birding and Naturalist Product Specialist for Carl Zeiss Optics. He is well known from his years as the editor of the "Tools of the Trade" section in Birding magazine, his frequent articles in Wildbird, Birder's World and Birdwatch (UK) magazines, his appearances at ABA conventions and birding events around the country and as the founder and editor of Better View Desired and betterviewdesired.com on the worldwide web. This is an ideal class to take before attending the Beginning Birding session on Saturday at Merritt Island NWR.
www.zeiss.com/sports
Jan. 25, 2:30pm-3:30pm: Gym Class 119; Free
Birding by Impression: A Simpler Approach to Field Identification
Presenter: Kevin T. Karlson
Kevin Karlson Photography
This exciting new concept to field identification is changing the way that many people are enjoying and identifying birds in the field. Using impression-based physical characters rather than scientific plumage analysis as the initial approach to field identification, a simple, yet surprisingly accurate picture is quickly obtained. The beauty and effectiveness of this approach lies in its simplicity and doesn't require knowledge of complicated feather anatomy or prior experience with birds. Beginners and experts alike will share the benefits with common sense and a keen sense of observation the most important tools needed. This interactive program will start by examining Kevin's personal birding journey of 28 years and his recent "conversion" to this creative approach, followed by photographs and explanations that depict the basic concepts of impression-based birding. Audience members will be encouraged to share their thoughts and impressions of comparative photos, with questions and comments encouraged. Kevin and Dale Rosselet are co-writing a book called Birding by Impression: A Simpler Approach to Field Identification.
www.kevinkarlsonphotgraphy.com
Jan. 24, 3:30pm-5:00pm: Auditorium; $5.00
Birding by Impression in the Field
Sponsored by Bird Watcher's Digest
America's favorite birdwatching publication
Trip Leaders: Kevin Karlson with Murray Gardler and Sarah Linney
This outdoor session will be an interactive experience concentrating on the use of the simplified techniques. By concentrating on non-plumage field characters such as size, shape and behavior, participants will be able to practice their general impression approach, share observations and ask questions.
www.birdwatchersdigest.com • www.kevinkarlsonphotgraphy.com
This is a car-pool field trip. Meet in the parking lot for the Parrish Park Boat Ramp (north side -- adjacent to the picnic pavilions) at the east end of the Titusville Causeway at 1:00pm.
1:00pm-5:00pm: Limited to 24 registrants; $25.00/person
Jan. 25 - FILLED
Shorebirds by Impression
Presenter: Kevin T. Karlson
Kevin Karlson Photography
The indoor session will concentrate on removing present confusion that exists with field identification of shorebirds as Kevin reveals an exciting and simpler method of bird identification. Formerly considered a very difficult task reserved for experts, shorebird ID will become easier for all levels of birders if a relatively simple approach is taken. Starting with basic principles of size, structure and behavior as well as other important non-changeable characters such as bill length and shape, a simple and accurate first impression is formed. By concentrating on the basics and an overall comparative view of each shorebird before applying the classic field-mark system of identification, much of the confusion created by seasonal plumage variability of shorebirds is removed. This workshop, due to its short length, will not cover every shorebird species seen in North America, but will concentrate on the process of analysis that will help each person to confidently continue this method in the field. In 2006, Houghton-Mifflin published The Shorebird Guide, which Kevin co-wrote with authors Richard Crossley and Michael O'Brien. This comprehensive field guide contains almost 700 photos and outlines a simpler method of bird identification for beginners and experts.
www.kevinkarlsonphotgraphy.com • www.shorebirdworld.org
Jan. 23, 3:30pm-5:00pm: Auditorium; $5.00
Jan. 26, 1:00pm-2:30pm: Auditorium; $5.00
Shorebirds by Impression in the Field
Sponsored by Bird Watcher's Digest
America's favorite birdwatching publication
Trip Leaders: Kevin Karlson with Murray Gardler
This outdoor session will be an interactive experience concentrating on the use of the simplified techniques. By concentrating on non-plumage field characters such as size, shape and behavior, participants will be able to practice their general impression approach, share observations and ask questions. This workshop is especially helpful when shorebirds are in non-breeding plumage (like the birds in winter plumage found here in January) since the criteria for identification relies on non-changeable field characters.
www.birdwatchersdigest.com • www.kevinkarlsonphotgraphy.com
This is a car-pool field trip. Meet in the parking lot for the Parrish Park Boat Ramp (north side -- Adjacent to the picnic pavilions) at the east end of the Titusville Causeway at 8:00am.
Jan. 27, 8:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 24 registrants; $25.00/person
Jan. 24 - FILLED
Beach Birds
Presenter: Adam Kent
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
You see them all the time -- running from the surf, perched on pilings and soaring over the water. If you think they're nondescript grayish variations on the same theme, you're only partially correct. Have fun learning identification and natural history of the common but often difficult-to-identify birds found on Florida's beaches in the winter. What's the difference between a tern and a gull or a sandpiper and a plover? Where does the Willet fit in? We'll explore their variations and sort through some of the subtleties of their shapes and behaviors in this look at these fascinating beach birds. Adam Kent is FWC's Florida Scrub-Jay Conservation Coordinator.
Jan. 26, 8:30am-10:00am: CDR; $5.00
Beach Birds in the Field
Sponsored by Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant
Unique and flavorful wild ocean shrimp
Trip Leaders: Adam Kent with Michael Brothers, Sarah Linney and Bob Wallace
Smyrna Dunes Park is located on the south side of Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County, at the north end of New Smyrna Beach. This spectacular beachside park offers panoramic views of the ocean, inlet and estuary as well as the opportunity to get close looks at gulls, terns and shorebirds and do a seawatch of the ocean for loons, sea ducks and jaegers. There is always a possibility of finding rarities such as Glaucous or Iceland Gull. Twenty species of shorebirds are probable here, including Oystercatchers, Piping and Wilson's Plovers, Purple Sandpipers and endangered Red Knots. The session begins at high tide, when birds are concentrated along the shore, allowing close observation and identification practice. After spending some time at the park, participants will take a pontoon boat shuttle to the Disappearing Island sandbar for a close look at the numerous shorebirds, pelicans, cormorants, and up to 15 species of gulls, terns, and skimmers that gather there. The leaders will work closely with participants to demonstrate the process of determining age and separation of difficult gull plumages. Falling tide is the best time to visit Disappearing Island.
www.dixiecrossroads.com
Meet at Volusia County's Smyrna Dunes Park.
Directions: From BCC, go north on U.S. 1 to New Smyrna Beach. Turn right on Canal St. (3 blocks north of U.S. 1 & Hwy A1A intersection) and go to the end. Turn left onto Riverside Drive and go two blocks. Turn right onto Washington St., which immediately becomes North Causeway, the causeway to the barrier island. After crossing the last bridge, turn left onto North Peninsula Ave. The park is two miles north, at the end of the road. Entrance fee is $3.50 per car (up to 8 people). Drive time from BCC is about 45 minutes. Please make sure you eat lunch or pick something up to eat at the park. There are plenty of picnic tables. No food will be provided. Bring water.
Jan. 26, 11:30am-5:00pm: Limited to 32 registrants; $35.00 - FILLED
Birding for Fun
Presenter: Reinier Munguia
Wildstock Nature Photography
Learn the basics of birding and techniques to improve your bird identification skills. This presentation is full of examples of what birders will encounter in the field. Learn how to recognize birds by their shape, colors, flight patterns, calls and behaviors. Reinier Munguia is a nature photographer based in Lakeland, Florida. As a teacher, he is recognized for his enthusiasm and his passion for teaching others what he knows.
www.wildstockphotos.com
Jan. 25, 9:00am-10:00am: Gym Class 119; Free
Refine Your Identification Skills
Raptors of Florida, Part I: Accipiters, Kites and Falcons
Presenter: Jeff Bouton
Leica Sports Optics
Jeff will explore the finer points of raptor identification, looking at the subtleties beyond the obvious (e.g. square tail, round tail) including wing-flap differences, typical flight profiles in soaring and gliding birds, age and sex characteristics and how these can be beneficial in identification. Eleven species will be covered with special emphasis on similar species such as Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks and others, including Swallow-tailed Kite, White-tailed Kite, Snail Kite, Mississippi Kite, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, American Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. Jeff Bouton is the Leica Sports Optics Product Specialist for Birding/Naturalist Markets.
www.birdwatchersdigest.com/leica • www.leica-camera.us/nature_observation/
Jan. 24, 1:00pm-3:00pm: Auditorium; $5.00
Raptors of Florida, Part II: Buteos, Vultures, Eagles and More
Presenter: Jeff Bouton
Leica Sports Optics
Jeff will discuss some of the confusing soaring raptors, covering 11 species with special emphasis on age classes of the two eagles and tips on how to separate them. Full coverage will be given to the various ranges of plumages in the buteos. Red-tailed Hawk has at least five different, named subspecies, can be either light or dark morph in many of these and then can be either immature or adult, leaving the average person spinning. He will point out the differences between Swainson's, Red-tailed, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks in their various plumages and will cover Broad-winged, Short-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks as well as Osprey and Crested Caracara. Jeff Bouton is the Leica Sports Optics Product Specialist for Birding/Naturalist Markets.
www.birdwatchersdigest.com/leica • www.leica-camera.us/nature_observation/
Jan. 25, 1:00pm-2:30pm: CDR; $5.00
Flycatcher ID
Presenter: Alvaro Jaramillo
Field Guides Inc.
Flycatchers produce a love-hate relationship with many birders. Many species are dull-colored and extremely similar (heck, sometimes practically identical) to other species. On the other hand, other species like the kingbirds are bold and bright, easy to spot and hold a special place in birders' hearts due to their gutsy attitude. Yet both expert and beginner still want to know how to simplify identification of some of these challenging birds. This workshop will be a classroom session to review basics such as the different flycatcher groups and the marks that are important in separating species. Al will also introduce how voice can be used in field identification. Photos of the common species occurring in this part of Florida in winter will be shown as well as examples from other parts of the continent. Whether you are intimidated or invigorated by the challenge of flycatcher identification, this class promises to be informative. Alvaro (Al) Jaramillo is a guide for Field Guides Inc. and author of the Birds of Chile.
www.fieldguides.com
Jan. 24, 3:00pm-5:00pm: Gym Class 121; $5.00
Taking the Fear Out of Identifying Gulls
Presenter: Alvaro Jaramillo
Field Guides Inc.
Gulls can be a dizzying group to separate (some individuals even baffle experts). Their propensity to wander great distances makes them a favorite of veteran birders everywhere. However, they are also a perfect group for beginners as they are easy to approach and sit in plain view for extended periods. This allows for detailed study! In this classroom session, Al will review basics such as "parts" of a gull and a basic understanding of age, molt and seasonal variations in plumages. Photos of some of the many plumages shown by commonly occurring Florida species will be shown. Gulls are never truly easy birds to identify, but there are a bunch of tips and tricks which can literally take the fear out of this group, even for a beginner. Do you get all "messed up" when you reach the gull pages in the field guides? If so, this course aims to clarify rather than confuse. A trip to the Volusia Landfill will also take place. This area is consistently productive for many gull species, including some rather rare ones for Florida. Whether you are a beginner just learning these skills or a veteran refreshing them, this class promises to be a fun and interactive experience. Alvaro (Al) Jaramillo is a guide for Field Guides Inc. and author of the Birds of Chile.
www.fieldguides.com
Jan. 23, 8:00am-10:00am: CDR; $5.00
Jan. 26, 1:00pm-3:00pm: CDR; $5.00
Gull ID at the Tomoka Landfill
Sponsored by Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant
Unique and flavorful wild ocean shrimp
Trip Leaders: Alvaro Jaramillo with
Jan. 23: Michael Brothers, Jeff Gordon, Paul Lehman, Bob Wallace and Chris Wood
Jan. 27: Michael Brothers, David Simpson, Bob Wallace and Andy Wraithmell
One of the only landfills in Florida that allows birders to visit, the Tomoka Landfill is one of Volusia County's most unique and productive birding sites! Join us for a rare opportunity to tour this site with some of the most knowledgeable gull experts in the world. As many as 30,000 gulls of 10 species can be seen at the Landfill. Recent rarities include Glaucous Gull, Iceland (Kumlien's) Gull, Thayer's Gull, and European Herring Gull. Who knows what else we might find - maybe a first state record Yellow-legged Gull or Kelp Gull! The conditions allow for close comparison of similar species with many different age classes and plumages. The dump also offers the opportunity to get great photographs of the dozens of Bald Eagles, and hundreds of wading birds that are present, and adjacent pine flatwoods and open fields hold sparrows and other winter species. This is a trip you will not want to miss!
www.dixiecrossroads.com • www.fieldguides.com
Meet at the Tomoka Landfill administration building at 11:30am on Jan. 23.
Meet at the Tomoka Landfill administration building at 8:00am on Jan. 27.
Directions: Take I-95 North to exit 256, Port Orange exit, Route 421. Turn left (west) on Taylor Road, continue for 2 miles. Turn right (north) on Tomoka Farms Road, FL 415. Go four miles north on FL 415 to the Tomoka Landfill. Stop at the administration building and sign in. You will also need to sign out upon departure. Drive time from Titusville is about one hour.
Jan. 23, 11:30am-3:30pm: Limited to 30 registrants; $25.00/person
Jan. 27, 8:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 30 registrants; $25.00/person
Sparrow ID
Presenter: Adam Kent
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
This workshop introduces the basics of identification of inland sparrows found east of the Mississippi River. Even though most North American sparrows lack the bright colors of many warblers, sparrows' distinctive shapes, interesting behaviors and subtly beautiful patterns can allow us to identify them with often only a quick glance. Sure, sparrows and their often secretive behaviors can present identification challenges in Florida in the winter. The trick is being prepared. Once you understand the basics of the combination of shapes, behaviors and patterns, you, too, can do away with the term "Little Brown Job." You may even find yourself saying you are going "sparrowing" instead of birding this winter. Adam Kent is FWC's Florida Scrub-Jay Conservation Coordinator.
Jan. 23 & 24, 1:00pm-2:30pm: CDR; $5.00
Seabird ID
Presenter: Larry Manfredi
Larry Manfredi Birding Tours
Learning how to identify seabirds while on a moving vessel as they fly past the observer is not always an easy task. Veteran Florida birder Larry Manfredi will give you the opportunity to learn seabirds as they are actually encountered from a boat. This workshop will introduce the beginning seabirder to some of the common pelagic birds that might be encountered off the East Coast of the United States. Among the birds discussed will be Audubon's, Cory's and Greater Shearwaters, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Brown Noddy and Pomarine Jaeger. A native of South Florida, Larry is familiar with locations of all the Florida specialties. He is the founder and president of his birding tour company.
www.southfloridabirding.com
Jan. 25, 3:45pm-5:00pm: Auditorium; $5.00
Warber ID
Presenters: Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
The wood warblers are among the most popular groups of birds in North America. Their sheer abundance and diversity, brilliant plumages and spectacular migrations make them a favorite of nearly every birder. Identifying these birds can be a challenge, particularly in fall and winter when many species are disguised in shades of green, yellow and brown. Learn all about wingbars, eyerings, tail-wagging and hover-gleaning as we take the challenge and sort out these splendid birds. Our program will cover all eastern species with an emphasis on the 25-plus species that winter in Florida. Michael O'Brien is a freelance naturalist, environmental consultant, artist and author living in West Cape May, New Jersey. Louise Zemaitis is an artist, naturalist and a popular field trip leader in Cape May where she leads bird and butterfly walks and teaches birding workshops as an Associate Naturalist with Cape May Bird Observatory. Michael and Louise lead tours for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours.
www.ventbird.com
Jan. 23, 2:45pm-4:15pm: CDR; $5.00
Jan. 26, 3:30pm-5:00pm: CDR; $5.00
Waterfowl 101
Sponsored by FLORIDA TODAY
Serving the Space Coast community
Trip Leaders: Kim Risen, Naturescape Ventures
Jan. 25 & 26: with Murray Gardler
Jan. 27: with Larry Manfredi
In this field workshop session we'll visit Black Point Drive on the Merritt Island NWR to learn first-hand, in-the-field tips on the identification, behavior and life of the waterfowl that spend their winters here. Large concentrations of water birds have made this area famous, and Kim will do his best to shed new light on these fascinating birds. A birding tour leader, freelance photographer and writer, Kim is the founder and publisher of NatureScape News, a tabloid news magazine emphasizing the FUN of birding, butterflying and the wonders of nature.
www.floridatoday.com • www.naturescapenews.com
This is a car-pool field trip. Meet in the parking lot for the Parrish Park Boat Ramp (north side -- adjacent to the picnic pavilions) at the east end of the Titusville Causeway at 8:00am.
Jan. 25, 26, & 27, 8:00am-12:00pm: Limited to 24 registrants; $20.00
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