Fwd: Chris Earley's Virtual Bird ID course - The Arboretum, U of Guelph

[Colleen Reilly]

Hello Pipits, 

You may be interested in these courses. Chris Earley is an excellent instructor.

See below email,

Colleen

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Arboretum Workshops <workshops...@uoguelph.ca>
Date: Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Subject: Chris Earley's Virtual Bird ID course - The Arboretum, U of Guelph
To: Arboretum Workshops <workshops...@uoguelph.ca>

Hi, everyone!

I hope this email finds you out looking for fall migrants and welcoming winter birds back to your bird feeders!  🙂.  I wanted you to know that we are offering the virtual bird id course again starting this Friday (and will be offering the virtual bird sound id course again next winter/spring).  If you are interested in taking it again, please click on the link below.  And if you know anyone that would be interested in taking this course, PLEASE forward this email to them!  We are trying to send this out to as many people as we can to get more of the public interested in birding and the environment.  We appreciate your help!  

Happy Birding!!!

Cheers, Chris Earley. 🙂

p.s. If you scroll under the link below you can also see the details about the course in the body of this email.

p.p.s. The courses will be recorded again so, if the timing on Fridays don't work, anyone who registers can still watch the presentations at their leisure.

https://arboretum.uoguelph.ca/educationandevents/workshops

Virtual Bird Identification

Fridays, October 22 to December 10, 2021
Format: Online via Zoom
Instructor: Chris Earley

Learn more

Birding has become an even more popular hobby now that more people are home and enjoying nature. Why not take it to the next level? This workshop series includes eight noon-hour lectures on eight different bird groups: hawks, ducks, sparrows, sandpipers, gulls, spring warblers, fall warblers, and spring migrants. ID techniques, field marks, shapes, behaviour clues, and more will be covered. Each workshop includes a 10-15 minute discussion period for bird-related questions.

Fee: $8 (plus HST) per person, per session or book all 8 and get one free ($56 instead of $64).

Week 1 - October 22 - Hawks
Everyone loves raptors but they can be a bit challenging as they fly by overhead.  We will be covering what to look for to ID our 16 regular species.  A special emphasis will be learning how to tell Cooper's Hawks from Sharp-shinned Hawks as they are common backyard predators that can be confusing! $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 2 - October 29 - Ducks
This colourful group of waterfowl is full of interesting shapes, patterns and lifestyles.  And, while the males are usually pretty straightforward to identify, the females can be quite challenging!  We will dabble with dabblers and dive into divers in this web-footed workshop. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 3 - November 5 - Sparrows
"Uh oh, a sparrow!"  If this statement has ever left your lips, then this talk is for you!  They may seem drab and dull at first, but these LBJs (little brown jobs) really aren't that hard once you know what to look for.  And since there are different species depending on the season, they are really worth knowing! $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 4 - November 12 - Sandpipers
There's nothing like looking at a bird that is standing right out in the open and still not being able to identify it.  Sandpipers definitely fall into this category.  We will cover beak and body shape, leg and neck length, colour placement and behaviour so you will have a better chance to id that shorebird the next time you see it. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 5 - November 19 - Gulls
Did you know that southern Ontario (and specifically the Niagara River) is often considered the Gull Capital of the World?  In late fall/early winter, we can find many species of gull in this region, so it is time to get to know our french fry-loving friends.  We will focus on adults but also cover some immature stages to try and get a handle on this interesting group of birds. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 6 - November 26 - Spring Warblers
Mention the words "spring warblers" to birders in the depths of February and you'll see longing, wistful looks on their faces.  That's because spring warblers rock!  And southern Ontario in spring is an amazing place to see over 30 species of these colourful little rays of sunshine.  But this abundance of species does mean a lot to remember, so we will be covering ways to help with that. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 7 - December 3 - Fall Warblers
While "spring warblers" will bring a smile to a birder's face, "fall warblers" might turn that smile upside down.  This bird group is especially tricky during their fall migration when some species transform miraculously into seemingly different birds altogether!  But don't worry, we will get them sorted out. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Week 8 - December 10 - Spring Migrants
This hodge podge of bird groups makes May migration a special time for nature lovers.  We will cover some easy to id species (male Baltimore Oriole!) and some not-so-easy ones (ack, a little greenish flycatcher!) to help you be prepared for next spring. $8.00 (plus tax) per session or register for all 8 for $56.00 (plus tax)

Fee: $8 (plus HST) per person, per session or book all 8 and get one free ($56 instead of $64).

Chris Earley, BSc (Zoology), MSc (Environmental Biology)

Interpretive Biologist and Education Coordinator

The Arboretum

University of Guelph

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

N1G 2W1

519-824-4120 ext 52201

cea...@uoguelph.ca

www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52649814@N05/

"The chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation"

                                               - Freeman Tilden