Birds inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder. Ever wonder who exactly is whistling “Hey Sweetie!” outside your window in the wee hours of the morning? Or how to identify a bird based on a flash of yellow feathers? Or what the little brown bird in the woodpile is called? Or why she’s there in the first place? To help you answer all these questions and more, Sacajawea Audubon Society is offering a BEGINNING BIRDING WORKSHOP, INTERMEDIATE BIRDING SHORT COURSES, and a DEEP NATURE CONNECTION SERIES.
NEW THIS YEAR, naturalists Ashley Martens and Cedar Mathers-Winn will be teaming up to offer ART & SCIENCE OF BIRD LANGUAGE through the lenses of primitive survival skills and animal communication.
All courses (except Bird Language) will be taught by Ashley Martens, M.S., an experienced birder, naturalist, and outdoor educator. Ashley’s approach to teaching birding engages all of your senses to tune in to what you see, hear, and love about the wild beings around us. Contact Ashley at truenatureed@gmail.com or 208-883-4998 for more information.
BEGINNING BIRDING IN FOREST AND FIELD WORKSHOP
Participants will be introduced to the basics of birding through 3 evening classroom sessions and 3 field trips to a variety of habitats in the valley. We will cover bird families, common birds in our region, and what to look and listen for when seeking out the identity of a bird. There will be 2 sections of this course this year. Section A will have field trips on Friday mornings. Section B will have field trips on Saturday mornings. Sections A & B will meet together for classroom sessions.
Classroom Sessions
Sections A & B: Wednesday evenings May 10, May 31, June 21
6:00-7:30pm Wild Birds Unlimited store on 19th St.
Field Trips
Section A: Friday mornings May 12, June 2, June 23
7-10am Various Locations
Section B: Saturday mornings May 13, June 3, June 24
7-10am Various Locations
Cost: $100 for Sacajawea Audubon members; $120 for non-members.
Maximum 9 students per section. Supply lists will be provided upon registration.
INTERMEDIATE BIRDING SHORT COURSES
These are the perfect classes for birders who want to boost their birding skills up a notch and start studying more details of plumage, bird behaviors, and more sight and sound identification tips for specific bird families or groups. Choose as many courses as you like!
CAVITY NESTERS
Together we’ll explore the ecology of birds in our region who either excavate their own cavities (like woodpeckers and nuthatches) or nest in existing cavities (like bluebirds, chickadees, and some owls). We’ll also focus on how to identify woodpeckers by calls, drums, and more. This trip happens early because most of these species breed early (and there are not so many leaves out so we can spot them easily)!
Classroom Session: Wed, April 26th 5:30-7:00pm at Hope Lutheran Church
Field Trip: Sat, April 29th 7-10am (location TBA)
Cost: $50 members and $60 nonmembers.
ART & SCIENCE OF BIRD LANGUAGE
Birds are the true messengers of the forests. They can tell us if there’s a fox hiding in the brush, a person about to run down the trail, or an owl about to fly through. Bird language can also open a window into the lives of birds as individuals, from the intimacy of courtship to the drama of territorial duels. Come learn the ancient art of bird language paired with modern scientific studies in animal communication. In class, we’ll explore each of the 5 voices of the birds, and learn some alarm patterns. Then we’ll practice identifying these voices and patterns in the field. Awareness of bird language also inevitably leads to a deeper awareness of self. Join naturalists Ashley Martens and Cedar Mathers-Winn for our first collaboration!
Classroom Session: Thurs, June 8th 5:30-7:30pm at Hope Lutheran Church
Field Trip: Sun, June 11th 7-11am (location TBA)
Cost: $60 members; $70 nonmembers.
WARBLERS
What is better than yellow feathers?! Well, maybe orange ones! We’ll learn to identify differences between these wonderfully little flashy, fidgety birds and sort them out with plumage, song/call, and habitat clues.
Classroom Session: Thurs, June 15th 5:30-7:00pm at Hope Lutheran Church
Field Trip: Sun, June 18th 7-10am (location TBA)
Cost: $50 members and $60 nonmembers.
SPARROWS & ALLIES
Those little brown birds can be difficult to tease apart. We’ll focus on plumage, habitat, and songs and calls clues for the sparrows of our region so that we can begin to appreciate their subtle beauty and differences.
Classroom Session: Thurs, June 29nd 5:30-7:00pm at Hope Lutheran Church
Field Trip: Sun, July 2nd 7-10am (location TBA)
Cost: $50 members and $60 nonmembers.
THRUSHES & OTHER SONGSTERS: BIRDING BY EAR
The songs of the thrushes are some of the most magical sounds of summer. We’ll learn to identify these birds by sight and song, as well as the many other lovely songsters in our region. This class will focus more on birding by ear than by sight, but of course we will take some time to explore and enjoy visual identification as well. Other birds/families we will be sure to include are: vireos, flycatchers, grosbeaks, and western tanager.
Classroom Session: Wed, July 5th 5:30-7:00pm at Hope Lutheran Church
Field Trip: Fri, July 7th 7-10am (location TBA)
Cost: $50 members and $60 nonmembers.
DEEP NATURE CONNECTION SERIES
For 4 weeks, we will gather in community and practice routines to develop a deeper understanding of and connection to wild nature and natural cycles. We will investigate nature through mindfulness practices, play, observation, and inspiring instructions. We will learn about edible and medicinal plants (and even make some tea and/or tinctures), animal tracking, bird language, and the many ways that nature teaches us.
FIELD SESSION A: Wednesday mornings 9am-11am on May 24, May 31, June 7, & 14
Week 1 – Observing & Sit Spot
Week 2 – Wandering & Edible/Medicinal Plants
Week 3 – Listening & Bird Language
Week 4 – Connecting with Natural Cycles
Course Materials: Blank journal and writing utensils for recording/sketching thoughts and observations, bag or backpack for collecting, field guides, and binoculars if you have them.
Cost: $90 for the series. Maximum 9 students. Near-town location TBA.
