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All workshops will be held at the Crane Nature Center, 5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Fl. The cost of the workshop includes nature center admission, access to nature trails, museum, Adderley historical house and bird center. The workshops will include a power point presentation and might include handouts and short hike.
VISUALIZE THE CRANE NATURE CENTER
THURSDAY-SEPTEMBER 21Birding by Season - Right Bird, Right Time, Right Place1:30 pm ($25) Leader Paddy Cunningham THWKSHP1 Discovery when and how to find the bird you seek, by learning to Bird by Season. Through the use of checklists, annual graphs, range maps and apps you will learn to find the target and life birds. There will be a special focus on the use of ebird and the AMAZING things it can do for you. The workshop will include an informative power point and numerous handouts. Bring binoculars, field guide and any bird apps on your phone.
Warblers Made Easier Wood Warblers are the most beautiful group of birds in North America, but also one of the most difficult to identify. This workshop will give tips on how to make warbler id. easier such as behavior, habitat, season and groups. It will also include id. tips of a variety of warblers likely to be see on the Atlantic flyway. It will include a power point presentation, take home handouts and a short walk in the hammock to find migrating warblers and songbirds. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22Hawks Galore-Raptor I.D.1:30 pm ($25) Leader Paddy Cunningham FWKSHP1 During the festival we will search the skies for the flight of Raptors streaming down our coastline heading for winter destinations. Learn how to identify the main groups of raptors-Buteos, Accipiters, Falcons, Harrier, Osprey, Eagles, Kites and Vultures. There will be a focus on silhouette and flight behavior as key tips for better identification. Get into the details of the 18 species who can be found here in South Florida. The workshop includes an informative power point presentation, raptor hand outs and a bird walk through the gardens.
Beach Birds-Shorebirds, Gulls & Terns You see them all the time - running in the surf, perched on pilings and soaring over the water. If you think they are nondescript grayish variations on the same theme, you are only partially correct. Have fun learning identification and natural history of the common but often difficult-to-identify birds found on Florida's beaches. What's the difference between a tern and a gull, or a sandpiper and a plover? Where does the willet fit in? Explore their variations and sort through some of the subtleties of their shapes and behaviors in this look at our fascinating birds of the beach.
Florida Keys Specialties Research-White-crowned Pigeon & Magnificent Frigatebird The Florida Keys are the stronghold for two highly nomadic birds, the White-crowned Pigeon and Magnificent Frigatebird. Both Pigeons and Frigatebirds from all over the greater Caribbean region are thought to island-hop in search for seasonal food sources. But how much do they move between islands and over the ocean? Through satellite tracking, the Avian Research & Conservation Institute is discovering some of the mysteries of what these birds do and their key conservation issues. Come and learn about the life history and seasonal movements of Florida's fabulous birds! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23Florida Keys Specialties Research-Reddish Egret & Great "White" Blue Heron1:30 pm ($25) Leader Gina Kent, Avian Research & Conservation Institute SWRKSHP1 Reddish Egrets & Great White Herons are two of the rarest wading birds in the entire U.S., but are both seen year round in the Florida Keys. They are the only two species that have not regained stable or increasing population levels following bans on the plume-hunting trade. The Avian Research & Conservation Institute (ARCI) has been studying them since 2006 to gain knowledge for their conservation action needs. ARCI uses classic field methods, plus satellite telemetry to investigate the reasons and recommend solutions for such declines. Come and learn about the life history and seasonal movements of Florida's fabulous birds!
Birding by Behavior and Habitat Birds are creatures of habitat. Birding by habitat it is one of the best ways to find the birds you seek in that you know where they can be found. Some birds are very specific like Scrub Jays and some more general like Northern Mockingbirds. The focus will be on Florida habitats. Birding by Behavior can sometimes be the most important strategy in identification. A variety of behaviors will be covered but a focus will be on feeding and flight. The class will include an informative power point, numerous hand outs and a walk on the trails to look for birds in various habitats.
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