Seminar: Binoculars, Bird ID, and Hummingbirds
3 How-To Classes with Bob Barnes
Binoculars: Selection and Effective Use
(Offered Saturday 1:00 pm)
- How can I test binoculars for quality?
- How can I buy a good pair of binoculars for $30?
- How can I use binoculars effectively with moving objects?
- Interactive workshop – bring binoculars; some available on site for use. Level: All audiences
Bird ID
(Offered Saturday 2:15 pm)
- What bird species do I already know?
- What are some tips for identifying species new to me?
- How can I use common birds to help me identify less common ones?
- Where and when should I practice ID?
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate to those who/want to teach bird ID.
Hummingbird Attracting and Tidbits
(Offered Saturday 3:30 pm)
- Feeders – Ants & Pam oven spray, cleanliness is godliness, put-up/take down dates, sugar/water ratio, yellow jackets.
- Tidbits – fast facts, migration, observation/ID, social life, status & distribution, references (books, CDs/DVDs)
- Level: All audiences
Since 1977 Bob Barnes has led over three hundred organized birding trips in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and Costa Rica. Bob started the Kern River Valley Hummingbird Celebration and has taught numerous binocular and bird id workshops at the annual Kern River Valley nature festivals, at California State University-Bakersfield Extension, as well as in the field during hundreds of field trips.
Seminar Date/Time: Saturday, March 13th, 1:00pm 2:15pm and 3:30pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Seminar: Colorado River Valley’s Big Horn Sheep
The Black Mountains, which is the range around Bullhead City and Laughlin, holds the largest contiguous population of desert bighorn sheep in the nation. With growth come problems, especially fragmentation, which is the splitting apart of herd. Zen Mocarski will discuss the biology of bighorn sheep, disease and predation issues, and mitigations efforts throughout the Black Mountains. Come and enjoy this presentation and develop a newfound respect for these animals and where they live.
Zen Mocarski has been the Information and Education Program Manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Region III office for seven years. Twice a year he conducts bighorn sheep workshops and does countless talks on the venomous critters for schools, organizations, and different events throughout the region. Just don’t ask him to identify all the different scorpions, there are, after all, 56 different species in the state.
Seminar Date/Time: Saturday, March 13th, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Seminar: Birds of the Lower Colorado River
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley seminar will focus on birds found in the Laughlin and Bullhead City area during late winter and early spring. Discover where birds such as the Verdin, Clark’s Grebe, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, and Abert’s Towhee can be found.
The program includes a power point presentation and provides information that will help birders identify resident and migratory birds, as well as suggestions where specific species can be found in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. This presentation is geared for all interested in birding the local area.
DeeDee DeLorenzo has lived in Bullhead City since 1978, and retired from teaching in the local elementary school district in 2006. DeeDee has been a facilitator for Project Wild with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and has taught several birding classes at Mohave Community College. At the present time, DeeDee conducts bird surveys in the area for USGS and the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, coordinates the Havasu Christmas Bird Count, compiles Mohave Counting bird sightings for the North American Migration Count, and writes the Mohave County Seasonal Report for the Arizona Field Ornithologists’ website.
Seminar Date/Time: Friday, March 12th, 2:15pm-3:15pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Download the Festival Catalog
February 3, 2010 by SNBWTP
Filed under 2010 Wings & Wildlife Festival, Featured
Download our beautiful, 20 page, full-color Wings and Wildlife Festival 2010 Catalog
See the complete schedule, all field trip and activity descriptions, and more.
Print it out and start making plans to join us!
Event: Saturday Banquet Keynote Speaker – Ted Floyd
Wings and Wildlife Festival of Southern Nevada
March 11-15, 2010
Laughlin, Nevada
Saturday Keynote Speaker: Ted Floyd
Ted Floyd is the Editor of Birding magazine, the flagship publication of the American Birding Association (ABA). Ted is an Instructor with the ABA’s Institute for Field Ornithology, and he is a frequent speaker at bird festivals and other birding events. He is a widely published author, with nearly 150 articles on birds and other topics in natural history. Ted is also the senior author of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada (2007), the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America (2008), and a recently released beginner’s guide called Let’s Go Birding! (2009). A former resident of Nevada, Ted currently lives in Colorado with his wife Kei, daughter Hannah, and son Andrew.
Ted has broad interests in birding and ornithology, especially as they relate to conservation and management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Colorado Field Ornithologists, and he recently served two terms on the Board of Directors for Western Field Ornithologists.
In recent years, Ted participated in the creation of Bird Conservation Plans for Partners in Flight and in the production of Eco-Regional Plans for The Nature Conservancy. He is currently involved in efforts to describe the nocturnal flight calls of migrating birds in western North America. In all his work, Ted is interested in promoting partnerships that depend on the active contributions of amateur field ornithologists.
Book Signing: Friday, March 12th, 5:00-6:00 pm
Banquet Keynote Speaker: Saturday, March 13th
Seminar: Bat Monitoring
This class will cover the different techniques of bat monitoring. Participants will learn about the scientific methods used in bat monitoring, including methods that require permits and also the ways to monitor that do not require permits such as acoustic, spot lighting and bat houses. The discussion will include Southern Nevada bats and their habitat.
Marissa Foster graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2007 with a degree in Environmental Biology. She has worked for the Southern Nevada Water Authority for 6 years; 4 years as an undergraduate intern and 2 years as a Biologist.
Marissa has also worked with the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee on the Las Vegas Wash project for all 6 years. In these years Marissa participated in amphibian, fish, bird, bat, small and large mammal, and vegetation surveys. She has conducted bat surveys for the Wash team for 5 of those years using both acoustic and capture techniques.
Seminar Date/Time: Friday, March 12th, 2:15pm-3:15pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Seminar: Wildlife and Plants of the Mojave Desert
Dr. Charlet will present an overview of wild plants native to the Mojave Desert and will talk about the ecology of these plants and their use by various wildlife. Dr. Charlet’s research is acutely focused on the natural history of the Great Basin and Mojave Deserts. He has worked in more than 280 of Nevada’s 314 named mountain ranges, and mapped and wrote a reference book on the conifers of Nevada. Dr. Charlet has worked on several projects for Clark County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan.
David Charlet received his B.S. and M.S. in Biology and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. He is a Professor at the College of Southern Nevada, where he teaches 10 biology and environmental science classes each year. David relentlessly brings his research experience into his classroom lectures, and recently was the editor and lead author of a textbook used in introductory environmental science classes.
Seminar Date/Time: Friday, March 12th, 10:30am-11:30am
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Educational displays include LIVE Reptiles and Raptors
On Friday and Saturday, there will be informational booths with education displays, literature, and demonstrations about Nevada’s wildlife and natural beauty, conservation, and many more topics. We’ll have live raptors and reptiles on display in seminars! There will even be a bird taxidermist demonstrating his craft.
Information Booths Confirmed as of 01/22/10:
Bureau of Reclamation
* Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
Kern Valley/Birding Nevada
Las Vegas Wash
Laughlin North Reach Project
* Nevada Commission on Tourism* Nevada Department of Wildlife
* Red Rock Audubon Society
Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP)
Southern Nevada Water Authority
Ted Cassidy, Taxidermist
* U.S.D.A. Nevada’s NRCS
* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
* SNBWTP Partner: Southern Nevada Birding & Wildlife Trails Partnership is a collaborative effort of federal and state agencies, for-profit corporations, non-profit groups, and private citizens from Southern Nevada. SNBWTP is committed to supporting conservation through sustainable tourism and introducing birding and wildlife enthusiasts to Southern Nevada.
Chuckwalla: Image © Jeri K. Krueger (USFWS) taken at the 2009 Wings & Wildlife Festival
Seminar: Falconry – Introduction and Demonstration
Participants will receive a general overview of the sport of falconry and the process one must go through to participate in falconry. Master falconers will discuss the kinds of raptors that falconers hunt with, as well as the typical prey hunted with these birds. Live birds planned for exhibit in a falconry “weathering yard” will include a Goshawk, Harris Hawk, Red tail Hawk, Peregrine Falcon and others.
Dick Benoit recently retired from UNLV Educational Outreach and is an apprentice falconer. He is certified in Nevada as an Environmental Education and Interpretation specialist and his area of interest is raptor habitat and migration patterns in Nevada and the surrounding states. Dick has enlisted the knowledge and expertise of several of his master falconer mentors for this very informative session on the sport.
Seminar Date/Time: Saturday, March 13th, 2:15pm-3:15pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Images © Jeri K. Krueger (USFWS) taken at the 2009 Wings & Wildlife Festival
Wings and Wildlife Festival 2010
Wings and Wildlife Festival of Southern Nevada
March 11-15, 2010
Laughlin, Nevada
Wings and Wildlife Festival Makes a Second Appearance
An annual birding and wildlife-watching festival is coming to Southern Nevada for a second time. The Wings and Wildlife Festival will take place March 11–15, 2010 along the riverfront in Laughlin.
The festival is sponsored by the Southern Nevada Birding and Wildlife Trails Partnership, whose mission is to promote ecotourism in the rural areas of Southern Nevada.
A celebration of all things wild in the Mojave Desert, the Wings and Wildlife Festival promises days of exploring, fun and learning along the Colorado River. Educational seminar topics will include falconry, bats, bighorn sheep, attracting hummingbirds, wildlife uses of plants, and binocular use. Saturday will include a special event just for kids, entitled, “Birding 101.”
Transportation will be provided for field trips, which will take bird and wildlife enthusiasts to such sites as Big Bend of the Colorado River State Recreation Area, Colorado River Heritage Greenway Trail, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Hualapai Mountains, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Wee Thump Joshua Tree Forest. Kayak trips will allow bird and wildlife viewing along the Black Canyon, Colorado River and Topock Gorge.
A wine and cheese gathering is planned for Friday night, with renowned local photographer and artist Sharon Schafer and other nature artists displaying their work. On Friday and Saturday, there will also be approximately 20 informational booths, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Red Rock Audubon Society, and others. Exhibitors will have information on wildlife watching and will include live raptors and reptiles, and even a bird taxidermist. An evening banquet and keynote speaker, Ted Floyd, is planned for Saturday. Ted Floyd is the Editor of “Birding“, the flagship publication of the American Birding Association.
The festival will include:
- Indoor displays emphasizing nature or environmental and conservation-oriented messages
- Educational workshops and demonstrations including falconry, taxidermy, and live animals
- Multi-media presentation by Boulder City artist, Sharon K. Schafer
- Keynote speaker and editor of “Birding” magazine, Ted Floyd, at Saturday night banquet
- Guided hiking and kayak tours for both beginning and advanced nature watchers
- Friday night social and Saturday evening banquet
Guided tours planned for:
Colorado River
Big Bend State Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Topock Gorge
Topock Marsh
Laughlin Lagoon
Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area
Important Bird Areas
And MORE!
Seminars cover:
Rescued Raptors
Reptile Watching
Falconry
Big Horn Sheep
Wildlife and Plants
Bird ID for beginners
Binocular Use
Hummingbirds
Bats
And MORE!
Target Species:
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Gilded Flicker
Phainopepla
Crissal Trasher
Least Bittern
Yuma Clapper Rail
Falcons, Hawks, & Eagles
Desert Tortoise
Bighorn Sheep
And MORE!
- View Festival Map here
- Email us if you have any questions.
- Artwork by: Sharon K. Schafer
Event: Friday Evening Presentation – Sharon K. Schafer
Wings and Wildlife Festival of Southern Nevada
March 11-15, 2010
Laughlin, Nevada
Friday Evening Presentation: Sharon K. Schafer
Enjoy a stunning presentation, “The Art of Nature: Images from the Wildlands of Southern Nevada“, by Skydance Studio’s Sharon K. Schafer. Join this renowned Boulder City artist/naturalist as she presents a multimedia program designed to reveal Southern Nevada as a land of great contradictions and contrasts. Southern Nevada is at once austere, enchanting, and secretive. It is a land of mystery… a land of contrasts and contradictions… a land of great beauty and little rain.
A glimpse of the hidden beauty and grace of nature can change a viewer. By looking at these images the viewer comes away with a different perspective – no longer seeing the Public Lands of southern Nevada as a desert wasteland, but rather as a place of unparalleled natural beauty and diversity that is deserving of our care and concern.
Sharon K. Schafer is an accomplished fine artist and photographer. Through her photographs, paintings, and field sketches Schafer invites us to explore the stunning natural beauty of southern Nevada’s wild-lands.
Schafer now resides in Boulder City, Nevada where she owns and operates Skydance Studio. The studio specializes in beautifully artistic, yet scientifically accurate, images that appeal to the art collector and the environmental educator alike.
Seminar: Dragonflies and Damselflies
A program on another major group of flying critters: dragonflies and damselflies. Using locally taken images, this program will introduce participants to the local dragonflies and damselflies, the habitats where they can be found, tricks of the trade for finding them within those habitats, and observations about their adaptations for feeding, territoriality and more.
Bruce Lund is a botanist/biologist who has been birding, botanizing, and dabbling in other natural history areas in southern Nevada for more than a decade. Over that time, he found his binoculars increasingly straying from birds to another group of colorful flying critters, the dragonflies and damselflies. Actually, this is happening quite a bit among birders because this group of insects is a lot like birds in being active and colorful, flying and perching in full view during the day, and eminently viewable with binoculars. Bruce finally “caught the bug” and dedicated his full attention to learning and photographing this ancient lineage in southern Nevada.
Bruce will have his insect net, cameras, and other field tools, and bring his collection of field guides for participants to check over. And as a plus, Bruce will bring his own local field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies for the Muddy River area where he has done most of his field work. While the focus of the guide is for the northeast corner of the County, it will work very well in the Laughlin area.
Bruce is a volunteer with the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge, leading guided walks and creating seasonal bird, bat, butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly, and other interpretive posters. He leads bird trips in the Muddy River area for the Red Rock Audubon Society, and initiated the Muddy River Christmas Bird Count in 2000 and has been its leader since then. Past experience includes five years as a US Forest Service botanist in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, twelve years as a land steward for The Nature Conservancy in the Muddy River area, and in New York fourteen years as the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Director for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and a bunch of other stuff.
Seminar Date/Time: Saturday, March 13th, 10:30am-11:30am
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Seminar: Water and Wildlife – Collaboratively Restoring Habitat
David Syzdek, an environmental biologist for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, will discuss wildlife and restoration activities at the Warm Springs Natural Area (WSNA). The Warm Springs Natural Area is a 1,218 acre nature preserve where five major springs come together to form the Muddy River near Moapa, Nevada. WSNA contains one of the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the Mojave Desert: the desert riparian ecosystem.
This oasis in the desert is home to 29 sensitive species including four fish, 11 invertebrates, five birds, seven bats, one reptile, and one amphibian. Several of these species are endemic and are only found on WSNA. One of these, the Moapa dace, is a critically endangered fish species. Recovery and delisting of the Moapa dace is the focus of a collaborative effort between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nature Conservancy, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. David will discuss the history of WSNA, the wildlife and other resources, and efforts currently underway to improve habitat for the dace and other species. He will also discuss the future of the property and its management as a birding destination.
David Syzdek is a native Nevadan who attended the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and has a degree in Environmental Studies with minors in Biology and Geology. He has worked as a wildlife biologist for over 15 years and currently is employed by the Southern Nevada Water Authority at the Warm Springs Natural Area where he works to help recover the endangered Moapa dace. He also works with invertebrates, reptiles, mammals, and birds at the Natural Area. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, scuba diving, reading and spending time with his two children, Caroline, age 6 and Andrew, age 3.
Seminar Date/Time: Friday, March 12th, 1:00pm-2:00pm
Click here for Festival and Event registration!
Moapa Dace Image © David Szydek
Seminar: Burrowing Owls – Charismatic Desert Dwellers
Biologists Leilani Takano and Christiana Manville of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will give a presentation on burrowing owls in southern Nevada. These owls easily can be seen in Laughlin and Las Vegas if you know where to look. Come and learn where and how to observe this species, about common owl behaviors, and efforts to conserve this species.
Additionally, the results from the Urban Burrowing Owl Monitoring Project be presented. A joint effort project between Red Rock Audubon Society and the USFWS used volunteers to monitor owl nests throughout the breeding season in Las Vegas.
Christiana is a biologist with the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, where she assists private landowners with restoration of wildlife habitat on their property. She developed the Urban Burrowing Owl Monitoring Project in response to public concern about burrowing owls being threatened by urban development.
Leilani is lead biologist for endangered bird and migratory bird issues in the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office in Las Vegas. She has also worked in the USFWS Migratory Bird Office in Portland, Oregon and with the U.S. Geological Survey on brown treesnakes.
Seminar Date/Time: Friday, March 12th, 1:00pm-2:00pm
