Adirondack Avian Expeditions & Workshops, LLC offers workshops and presentations for birders of all levels as well as other interested groups. Select from our list or let us know what other topic(s) you’d like us to cover.
FEES: As an add-on to a birding day, the fee for any workshop is $50. As a standalone service, workshops are provided at a rate of $250 each plus travel expenses.
All About Birds: An introduction to birding. Topics include: songs and calls, appearance/identification, habitats, behavior, food, migration, nesting, birding ethics, and conservation. The presentation utilizes audio recordings, video, photographs, and PowerPoint slides. Many wonderful resources available to birders will also be on hand – books, videos, DVDs, and audio CDs. (A version for school-age children is also available.)
Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks: Some of the most exciting birding locations in New York State can be found in the boreal habitat of the Adirondack Park. Boreal Birds of the Adirondacks is a multimedia presentation using photographs, video, audio, and slides of the wonderful bird species that nest in the North Country. Species such as Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bicknell’s Thrush, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird, among others, are presented along with details of their nesting habitats.
Warbler Workshop: Want to learn more about the many colorful warblers that breed in the North Country of New York? Warbler Workshop features information on warbler habitats, identification, and vocalizations through a multi-media program using video, photographs, sound recordings, and PowerPoint slides. The many resources available to help birders learn more about the beautiful warblers we observe in our area will also be covered.
Mountain Birdwatch: A long-term monitoring program for high-elevation songbirds started by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies is the focus of this presentation. The talk covers the status, distribution, and natural history of Bicknell’s Thrush, a rare songbird that nests in mountaintop forests of the Northeast. The presentation also features maps of Bicknell’s Thrush habitat in the Adirondacks, a discussion of management and conservation opportunities, and information on potential effects of climate change on mountain-dwelling birds. Photographs and songs of five high-elevation songbirds, including Winter Wren, Bicknell’s Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, and White-throated Sparrow, are also presented. Joan Collins has been climbing peaks in the dark and camping on mountain summits during the month of June as a Mountain Birdwatch surveyor for the past ten years. Her presentation will include personal, and often comical, anecdotes of her survey experiences.
The Mystery of Snow Burrowing Redpolls: A multimedia presentation using video, digital photographs, and PowerPoint slides explores this perplexing redpoll behavior. The Common Redpoll is an irruptive winter visitant in New York State. During the winters of 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005, Common Redpoll behavior was documented at a Long Lake study site in the Adirondacks. Common Redpoll behaviors presented include snow burrowing and tunneling, use of snow “nests,” snow “snakes,” seed eating, and communication. Video and digital photographs of a rare visitor from the high Arctic, the Hoary Redpoll, are also presented.
Migration: A technical presentation on the subject of migration that covers patterns, survival & reproduction, strategies, physiology, daily timing, altitude, flight speed, weather, routes, orientation & navigation, compass mechanisms, sunset cues, and threats to migratory birds. Migration is by far the most compelling and mind-boggling bird behavior to ponder.
Sparrow Workshop: Want to learn more about the many sparrow species that breed in the North Country of New York? Sparrow Workshop features information on sparrow habitats, identification, and vocalizations through a multi-media program using video, photographs, sound recordings, and PowerPoint slides. From the Henslow’s Sparrows of the St. Lawrence Valley grasslands to the White-throated Sparrows on the summits of Adirondack Mountains, the wide variety of North Country sparrow species are covered. The many resources available to help birders learn more about the secretive sparrows we observe in our area are also highlighted.
Winter Visitors to New York: Each year, avian visitors from the far north move south to spend the winter in our northern New York region. Some of the species, like Bohemian Waxwing and Snow Bunting, can be found every winter. Other species, such as Pine Grosbeak, irregularly “irrupt” into our area only in certain winters, while some species irrupt on a fairly regular schedule, such as the Common Redpoll, which tends to visit every other winter. Why the birds move to our region, and where you can find them, will be discussed. The presentation will feature photographs and vocalizations of nineteen species that visit northern New York in winter.
Birds & Humans: A Historical Perspective: We explore the fascinating history of ornithology with a primary focus on North America. The historical relationship between ornithology and conservation will also be highlighted.