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Workshops & Seminars
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All are held at or depart from the
Jekyll Island Convention Center
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Friday October 12, 2007 2:15pm - 4:45pm
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An Introduction to Georgia Dragonflies
Presenter: Giff Beaton
Limit: 30 participants
Fee: $20
Is your Georgia bird list almost complete? Need another challenge? This power point show includes an overview of dragonfly and damselfly identification and life history, and shows a few examples of all the different families of Odonates that occur in Georgia.
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High Tech Birding Toys
Presenters: Marge Inness and Lydia Thompson
Limit: 30 participants
Fee: $5
BirdJam, GPS, birding software like Thayer’s, National Geographic, Avisys – ever wonder which of these new birding toys would really suit your needs? This seminar will introduce you to both computer and PDA birding programs. It will also demonstrate the capabilities of BirdJam (iPod) as well as introductory GPS applications. Come and look before you buy!
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Secrets of Digiscoping
Presenters: Clay Taylor (Swarovski) & Stephen Ingraham (Zeiss)
Limit: 30 participants
Fee: $10
Most birders have dreamed of being able to take a photo of what they see through their binoculars or scope. Now, with the advent of digital cameras and appropriate adaptors, it is finally possible, without investing in the heavy and expensive equipment professional bird photographers use. Come to this informal workshop to find out what digiscoping is all about, get questions answered by the experts in optics, and pick up tips and tricks. Then take to the field for a little practice. Attendees are encouraged to bring their scopes and cameras to the workshop. This seminar is the first of a two-part workshop. The second session will be an optional field trip offered Saturday morning (see Field Trips).
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Shorebird Identification
Presenters: Brad Winn and Clay George
Limit: 20 participants
Fee: $20
Two of Georgia DNR’s shorebird experts will give an introduction to the shorebirds that frequent the Georgia coast. After some classroom instruction, join them in the field to search out some of these long-distance migrants.
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Friday October 12, 2007 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Things That Go “Bink” In The Night
Presenter: Chuck Saleeby
Limit: 12 participants
Fee: $20
Ever wonder what birders are talking about when they say they are doing a thrush count…at night? This seminar will review the distinct nocturnal flight calls of each of the Eastern thrush species using the Bill Evans CD, then we will venture outside Friday night and possibly also Saturday pre-dawn (at 5:00AM) to listen for thrushes (and other species) as they fly over Jekyll Island.
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Saturday October 13,2007 |
Unless otherwise indicated, all Saturday seminars are free with pre-registration
or $10 each for adults and $5 each for children under 12. |
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10:00 - 11:15 am
The Georgia Coast: A Bird Magnet!
Presenter: Georgia Graves
Limit: 30 participants
The Georgia Coast is approximately 100 miles long and comprises 14 barrier islands, 5 major river systems, and a half million acres of marshlands all working together to form one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. It is a nursery for fish and shellfish, and provides staging and nesting areas as well as an abundance of food for year-round resident and migratory water birds. Tides play a tremendous role along the Georgia Coast, availing food, nesting and staging areas. They serve as a gauge for best birding times. Learn how tides, currents, location, and sand (plus a few other secrets) have created our beautiful barrier islands!
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12:30pm - 1:30pm
Beginning Birding for Kids and Families
Presenter: Tim Keyes
Limit: 30 participants
Fee: None
This workshop will cover the basics of birding for the beginner. We will do a quick introduction to the birds of Georgia (migrants vs residents) and then discuss the tools and techniques for attracting, finding, identifying and studying birds in the yard and in the field. We will also discuss where you can go from here -- what resources and groups beginners can plug into to continue to learn about birds.
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2:00pm - 3:15pm
Birding “Outside” the US
Presenter: Dr. Mark Welford
Limit: 30 participants
When birders consider birding outside the US, they should ask themselves two rather basic but important questions: where and how? “Where” asks what country or region do you want to visit to see birds; but this, in turn, involves answering several additional questions. First, do you want to see particular bird species or do you wish to see as many species as humanly possible given your time limits? “How” asks: should birders consider traveling independently or should they travel with an organized group? Mark will try to provide answers to these questions while discussing bird diversity, bird rarity, and bird-related eco-tourism.
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2:00pm - 3:15pm
Getting Started with Bird Photography
Presenter: Jim Wilson
Limit: 30 participants
Learn basic methods of obtaining bird photos without detailed camera operations other than lighting. Included will be bird blinds, digital versus film bodies, some framing aspects, and, of course, lots of bird photos as examples. This seminar is suitable for beginning photographers.
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2:00pm - 3:15pm
If Islands Could Talk: A History of GA’s Barrier Islands
Presenter: Taylor Schoettle
Limit: 30 participants
Learn the anatomy and changes of Georgia's barrier islands and inlets due to tides, waves, wind and storms through aerial photographs. These islands have classic features that result from the prevailing low wave energy and a large tidal range. Jekyll, which is not typical, is compared to the more typical St. Simons-Sea Island complex.
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2:00pm - 3:15pm
Sparrow Identification
Presenter: Adam Kent
Limit: 30 Participants
This workshop introduces the basics of sparrow identification in the Southeast. 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 the Southeast in 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!
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2:00pm - 3:15pm
The 7-Fold Path to Better Birding
Presenter: Stephen Ingraham – Zeiss Optics
Limit: 30 participants
Most of us learn to bird the hard way: by observation and trial and error (a lot of error), and that is still probably the best way to do it. But what if there were, say, seven simple precepts that an experienced birder might pass on to the novice (and that even the somewhat advanced might find of interest) and what if those precepts would make the process of learning less painful (or more fun)? There are: Steve Ingraham's Seven Fold Path to Better Birding. Bring your sense of humor and ATTEND! Beginners welcome.
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3:30pm - 4:45pm
A Visual Tour of Georgia’s Birding Hotspots
Presenter: Ken Blankenship
Limit: 30 participants
As the largest state east of the Mississippi River, Georgia has a variety of geographical regions. Naturally, this creates a great diversity of habitats, from the ancient peaks of the Appalachian Mountains to the sandy beaches of barrier islands, with rolling hills, agricultural fields, bottomlands, and swamps in between. Each habitat supports its own array of avian life to the delight of birdwatchers. This seminar will take participants on a visual tour of some of the most popular birding destinations across the state, with images of the areas, habitats, and special birds that keep Georgia on birders’ minds! We hope you’ll also take a little time during this year’s Festival to visit Ken’s interactive birding tourism booth in the Rookery.
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3:30pm - 4:45pm
Advanced Bird Photography For The Digital Age (with an SLR)
Presenter: Russ Wigh
Limit: 15 participants
Fee: $25.00 ($15 with pre-registration)
Learn the fundamentals of bird photography equipment and techniques for the digital age in a presentation geared towards users of SLR equipment. This seminar is the first session of a two-part workshop. The second session will be an optional field practice offered Sunday morning (see Field Trips).
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3:30pm - 4:45pm
Gardening for Wildlife: Creating Magic Gardens
Presenter: Jerry Hightower
Limit: 30 participants
From birdseed to butterflies and from chipmunks to chickadees; Jerry will demonstrate how to develop a beautiful wildlife garden right in your own backyard. This workshop covers evaluating, planning, and developing your “magic garden”. Feeders, nesting boxes, birdseed selection, and simple solutions for adding food and shelter are discussed. Flowering vines, arbors, and living walls easily add beauty and utility to the habitat. Discover how to create more magic with butterfly gardens and water features. Each participant will receive a complimentary copy of the book Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard, published by the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources.
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3:30pm - 4:45pm
Not On My Watch!
15 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Georgia’s Birds
Presenters: Mary Elfner and Peter Stangel
Limit: 30 participants
Living the “bird conservation lifestyle” is a great way to have some fun, improve the quality of your life, and help protect birds and the habitats upon which they depend. To conserve birds, you don't have to make radical changes in your lifestyle, tithe a portion of your income, or sacrifice evenings and weekends--all you have to do is make a few, small changes in your everyday behavior. Mary and Peter will offer suggestions for fun, family activities to make your yard, community, and even the planet a safer place for birds. We'll even take a virtual tour of a supermarket to discover some tasty ways grocery shoppers can conserve bird habitat.
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3:30pm - 4:45pm
They Sing About Pizza and Beer, So Why Aren’t You Listening?
aka Birding by Ear
Presenter: Bob Sargent
Limit: 30 participants
People usually tune out bird songs because they’re essentially a foreign language. Think about it. When you’re sitting in an airport and the couple next to you starts conversing in French, aren’t you inclined to block out their conversation because it’s meaningless to you? Learning the songs of most birds isn’t really that hard. You just need to learn some of the tricks of the trade and, of course, a little bit of practice certainly couldn’t hurt. Bob’s presentation will explain why and how birds sing, and will get you started on learning a beautiful new language. Once you really start listening, you’ll discover that a window has been opened to a fascinating new world.
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