2009 Mono Basin Bird Chautuaqua
Program Information
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
Sunday, June 21
Leader and presenter biographies
Other things to do during Chautauqua week
Group size limits, kids, and things to know
Rush Creek romp (field trip)
Chris McCreedy
We will begin in big sagebrush scrub habitat, then move to the Rush Creek Narrows, a scenic cataract pinching the Rush Creek floodplain. Sagebrush birds include Green-tailed Towhee, Sage Thrasher, Sage Sparrow, and Gray Flycatcher. The Rush Creek Narrows signifies the confluence of Walker Creek and Rush Creek, and it marks a boundary between trembling aspen riparian of higher elevations, and mixed willow-cottonwood riparian of lower elevations. Riparian birds include Dusky Flycatcher, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Black-headed Grosbeak, MacGillivray's Warbler, and singing Willow Flycatchers. You will learn to identify Dusky, Gray, and if present, Willow Flycatchers. In addition, the Narrows meadow is a frequent location for vagrant sightings. Time permitting we will then journey to the Rush Creek Delta, a prime shorebird haunt on Mono Lake.
Friday 6:30 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Sagebrush and tufa: Black Point to the shoals (field trip)
Justin Hite
We will start the morning prowling the Pinyon forests of Rancheria Gulch just north of Highway 167 in search of Plumbeous Vireos, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Juniper Titmice, Gray Flycatchers and Pinyon Jays, and we'll hopefully catch these guys singing their cute little lungs out. From there we will drive a short distance to edge of Black Point, a volcano along the north shore that formed underneath Ice Age Mono Lake's waters, where we should be able to find Sage Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and other great sagebrush birds. And underneath a few high-flying Horned Larks in the middle of their aerial song displays we'll wander down to one of the little-visited yet very spectacular stretches of Mono's shores: the Tufa Shoals. In terms of shear numbers of waterbirds this is one of the most productive stretches of shoreline. We'll see avocets, phalaropes, peeps, dabblers, and perhaps even Snowy Plovers scurrying around on the shore of Gaines Island.
Friday 6:30 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Yosemite is for the birds (field trip)
Erik Westerlund
Join Yosemite Park Ranger/Naturalist Erik Westerlund in an exploratory hike of the alpine environment of the Tioga Pass area. Expect a short (1-2 mile), but moderately-strenuous hike up to Gaylor Lakes where we will look for various finches, American Pipits, White-crowned Sparrows, Prairie Falcons, Golden Eagles, and other high elevation specialists amidst the rugged cliffs, glacial cirques, and spectacular rock gardens. Note: This is a high-elevation hike at approximately 10,000 feet and above.
Friday 7:00 am —1:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Glass Creek Meadow (field trip)
Ben Winger
Glass Creek Meadow is a large subalpine meadow that is well known for its spectacular wildflower displays and beautiful scenery. It is also a fantastic spot to look for some of the scarcer birds, mammals, and amphibians of the Eastern Sierra. From Lee Vining we will drive past the June Lake Loop turnoff and hike up through mixed evergreen forest into the wide, flat meadow that is Glass Creek. The hike will afford a great introduction to the montane bird species of the region, and hikers will hopefully be rewarded with a glimpse of one of the more difficult-to-find species of the Eastern Sierra, such as Red Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, or Northern Goshawk. We will focus on searching for birds and improving bird identification skills, but we will not hesitate to enjoy all manner of wildlife encountered on the trail. Participants should be prepared for a sometimes steep or rugged climb (strenous) on a narrow trail, and there is a good chance we will get our feet wet. Bring water, hat, sunscreen, sturdy footwear, and snacks
Friday 7:00 am —1:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Pines, peaks, and passes (field trip)
Kristie Nelson
Mammoth Pass near Mammoth Lakes, CA is a low gap in the Sierra Nevada mountain range which influences the surrounding area tremendously. The gap allows snow and rain to spill over from the relatively moist west side to the dryer east side of the Sierra. This trip will explore the many distinct coniferous forest types of this unique region. We will progress from sagebrush steppe to stands of Jeffrey and then lodgepole pine forests. Next are the majestic red firs, followed by mountain hemlock, western white pine, and finally to the white bark pine and tree line at 9100 ft. elevation. Species we hope to see and hear include Williamson's Sapsucker, Western Tanager, Mountain Bluebird, Clark's Nutcracker and others. After lunch atop the Minaret Vista soaking in the unforgettable views of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, we will descend down to Crowley Lake. The Owens River delta at Crowley Lake is one of the most productive birding sites in Mono County, hosting an array of shorebirds, ducks, and migrants.
Friday 7:00 am —3:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Bohler Canyon (field trip)
Quresh Latif
Come look for birds and other wildlife in one of the Mono Basin's lesser-visited treasures, Bohler Canyon. The varied habitats along the walk will provide a great introduction to the montane birds of the Eastern Sierra. The old aspen stands in Bohler support an amazing diversity of cavity-nesting bird species from woodpeckers to flycatchers to bluebirds, while the willow thickets and sagebrush-clad slopes harbor difficult-to-find species such as Mountain Quail. The canyon is fairly open and exposed, so we will keep one eye in the air for Northern Goshawks and Prairie Falcons. We will work on bird identification skills, particularly birding by ear, but we will not hesitate to stop and enjoy other creatures we might see along the way. The walk will be mostly along an old dirt road and trail. Don't forget your hat, sunglasses, and water.
Friday 7:30 am —12:00 noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Crowley Lake: Marshes, migrants, mountains, and mud (field trip)
Debbie House
Crowley Lake Reservoir, formed by the damming of the Owens River and cradled in the Long Valley caldera, offers spectacular views of the High Sierra to the west and the Glass Mountain and White Mountain ranges to the east. Besides its wetland habitats hosting a variety of breeding and migrant waterbirds, Crowley is nestled amid a mix of sagebrush, wet meadows, and small alkali lakes, with riparian and pinyon woodlands nearby. June is the peak of the breeding season, so we should see several species of nesting ducks, shorebirds, and grebes, plus perhaps some oversummering non-breeders or late or early migrants. We also will view the largest Bank Swallow colony in the eastern Sierra, Common Nighthawks harvesting the insect-rich air space over the lake, and typical sagebrush denizens, such as Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Sparrow, and, with luck, Loggerhead Shrike and Greater Sage-Grouse. And that's not all!
Friday 7:30 am —1:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Kayaking the South Shore ($85 additional program cost)
Stuart Wilkinson and additional guide
Late spring reveals snow-capped mountains towering over a glassy Mono Lake, a great time to kayak! Join Stuart Wilkinson of Caldera Kayaks and a Mono Basin naturalist for a guided expedition along Mono's south shore. This natural history kayak tour will cover a wide variety of topics relating to this unusual Great Basin lake, such as birds, geology, ecology, history, and politics. Expect to see underwater tufa towers, brine shrimp, lake-bottom springs, and a variety of birds. Some kayak experience is helpful, but not necessary; kayaks and safety equipment are provided. (minimum age is 14 yrs, and must be accompanied by a parent).
Friday 8:30 am —1:30 pm Maximum number: 12
Meet at Navy Beach
Exploring June Lake, an afternoon amble (field trip)
Bob Power
Join Bob Power on this birding tour of the scenic June Lake Loop. The route covers a variety of habitats and with some luck, a variety of birds, from Yellow-headed Blackbirds to Bald Eagles (no promises). We'll sample the June Lake burn area for woodpeckers, the west and east ends of the Loop for a variety of habitats, as well as June Lake and Grant Lake. We will be birding among wildflowers, volcanoes, and spectacular granite peaks.
Friday 12:45 pm—5:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
The nature of your garden (presentation)
Alan Pollack
The needs of birds aren't much different than our own. Food and water are absolute basics, but so is shelter or cover to serve as protection from the weather and a safe place to raise a family. Provide these fundamental elements in your backyard habitat, and you will attract numerous visitors. This hour-long talk will explore these four basic needs and how anyone who has a garden space can combine the use of native plants with sustainable gardening practices to enhance bird habitat right in their own backyard. Alan will give us a virtual tour of his own award-winning backyard garden and leave plenty of time for questions at the end.
Friday 1:00 pm—2:30 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center Auditorium
Meet the chipmunks (workshop/field trip)
John Harris
Learn about Mono Basin's diverse and engaging chipmunks in a workshop and field trip. Chipmunks are familiar campground inhabitants, but distinguishing the six species that are possible in Mono Basin can be difficult. After a brief presentation on chipmunk biology and identification using photos, field guides and museum specimens, we'll check a set of traps near Lee Vining. We should be able to see Sagebrush, Yellow Pine and Lodgepole chipmunks near town and we'll discuss other good locations in Mono Basin to look for chipmunks. kids of all ages
Friday 1:00 pm—4:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center conference room
Birding Lower Parker Canyon (field trip)
Santiago Escruceria
Join Santiago Escruceria on this leisureily, level birdwalk through Lower Parker Canyon. We will explore riparian and meadow habitats in a quiet region of the Mono Basin. We may encounter a good variety of birds from Red-breasted Sapsuckers to Mountain Bluebirds and warblers to Long-eared Owls (no promises). Be prepared to walk a couple of flat, mosly shaded miles and enjoy spectacular views of the Sierra Crest and Mono Lake.
Friday 1:00 pm—4:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Nature awareness: Fire by friction and primitive shelters (workshop)
Peter Bergen
We will gather at an appropriate location to observe and experience what that special piece of earth has to offer us in terms of shelter, fire making elements, and more. Then, working individually and in groups we will gather the materials from the landscape to create a shelter(s) and fire kits. This will be a hands on experience. So come prepared for what we like to call "Dirt Time." By the end of our time together we will have a friction fire in our pit, a shelter that a person can sleep in without an external heat source or sleeping bag, and the confidence this knowledge brings to people. kids of all ages
Friday 1:00 pm—5:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Shorebird viewing station
Take a walk down the State Reserve boardwalk below the Mono Lake County Park and check out resident or migrating shore birds and lake birds. Spotting scopes will be available as will local birders to help with bird identification. Come and go as you please during this 3-hour time period. kids of all ages
This is a free event--no registration necessary.
Friday 3:00 pm—6:00 pm
State Reserve Boardwalk below the Mono Lake County Park, north shore
Eighth annual gala dinner and gathering
Chef Linda Dore
Join us early Friday evening at the Lee Vining Community Center as we continue our eighth annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua! Meet old friends, chat with field trip leaders and presenters, socialize, eat, and make merry. Dinner will once again be prepared by one of Lee Vining's finest chefs, Linda Dore.
This year our buffet dinner will include: bread and butter; green salad with sugar snap peas and citrus vinaigrette; marinated and grilled tri-tip with a red wine shallot sauce; or chicken cacciatore; or roasted banana squash lasagna with béchamel sauce (white sauce as opposed to the red marinara); roasted cauliflower, artichoke hearts and green beans; herbed new potatoes; raspberry tea cake, double chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream frosting, ginger snaps. Iced tea, lemonade, water, and coffee service included.
Friday 5:30 pm—7:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Hop, slither, & stride (workshop)
Burleigh Lockwood
No species of animal, including us, lives in isolation. We humans forget sometimes, to look down and see the little things that connect us all together. Frogs and salamanders, lizards and snakes are some of the oft-neglected members of our world. Pest controllers and parts of the food chain, they play important roles in whatever environment they occur. Skins, skulls and whole skeletons show some of the adaptations and help to bring better understanding about those little guys that quietly go about their business. kids of all ages
Friday 7:00 pm—8:30 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center conference room
Twilight birding (field trip)
Ted Beedy
Join Ted Beedy for an early evening adventure of birding into the dusk. We will ply some active birding spots in the Mono Basin for early evening activity that may include nighthawks, poorwills, and winnowing snipes. We may even search for an owl or two once daylight is extinguished. We will use our ears as well as our eyes in this nearby bird outing.
Friday 7:00 pm —9:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Predation on Yellow Warblers in the Mono Basin (evening presentation)
Quresh Latif
Come learn about the importance of nest predation to nest success and reproductive success for Yellow Warblers in the Mono Basin. Habitat plays an important role in mediating the relationship between predators and nesting birds, especially nest site selection. Quresh will present the results he has obtained from his years of research on Yellow Warblers including years of field research conducted in the Mono Basin.
Friday 7:30 pm—8:30 pm
Mono Lake Committee slide show room
An Itinerant Photographer of the Wetlands (evening presentation)
Rosalie Winard
Imagine banding 2,500 white pelican chicks at Chase Lake NWR in North Dakota, airboating on the Great Salt Lake amongst avocets, Black-necked Stilts and White-faced Ibises, or sleeping in the middle of the Platte River in Nebraska surrounded by thousands of vociferous Sandhill Cranes. With her camera, Rosalie Winard has witnessed and documented avian adaptations to habitat encroachment and the sudden disappearance and re-emergence of bird colonies. She will accompany her talk with photographs from her new book, Wild Birds of the American Wetlands, as well as photos from her personal archives.
Friday 7:30 pm—9:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center Auditorium
Under a waning moon (evening presentation)
Ane Carla Rovetta
Sit in the peaceful dusk of the waning moon while Ane ushers in the creatures of the night with natural history stories and legends. At this still green park on the edge of the lake you can almost hear the stars calling as the night descends. Bring the whole family to this unusual celebration. Bring a flashlight, a blanket or a low chair, and dress warmly. kids of all ages
Friday 8:30 pm—9:30 pm
Mono Lake County Park (north shore)
Saturday, June 20
Northern hemisphere summer solstice at 10:46 pm PDT
Playing it by ear: The acoustic lives of birds (optional field trip)
Tom Hahn
Are you an early, early riser? This brief, one-hour field trip will focus on listening to birds. Many kinds of birds live as much in an auditory world as they do in a visual one. Meet in front of the Lee Vining Community Center for an optional early hour-long walk listening to the dawn chorus.
This is a free, optional, prelude to the 6:00 am Playing it By Ear field trip, no registration necessary.
Saturday 5:00 am—6:00 am (before 6am field trip)
Lee Vining Community Center
Playing it by ear: The acoustic lives of birds (field trip)
Tom Hahn
This field trip will focus on listening to birds while we watch them. Many kinds of birds live as much in an auditory world as they do in a visual one. The repertoires of songs, calls, and other acoustic signals contain a wealth of fascinating information that is readily available to us every time we go out to observe birds. Identifying the bird by its song is of course useful, but this is only one aspect of "observing by ear." Listening carefully to birds' calls further enhances our field identification skills and opens up a whole different window into the lives of birds. On this trip we will take advantage of the fact that June in the Eastern Sierra is at the seasonal peak of reproductive singing behavior, but also pay close attention to listening to and learning from the array of calls the birds will also be producing.
Saturday 6:00 am—12:00 noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Cottonwoods to Bristlecones (field trip)
Rich Stallcup
After an early departure, an 80 minute drive will get us to the lowlands of Westgard Pass near the north end of Big Pine on Highway 395. We will bird the remnant riparian habitat of the Owen's River floodplain, Tollhouse Spring, pinyon-juniper woodland and have lunch at the Schulman Grove of bristlecone pines. In the afternoon we will explore elsewhere in the southern White Mountains, always watching for birds and other life forms.
Saturday 6:00 am—5:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Lundy Canyon bird walk (field trip)
Peter Metropulos
Spend a morning enjoying birds and other forms of wildlife in one of the Mono Basin's most spectacular locations-Lundy Canyon. The mixture of aspen-cottonwood-willow riparian habitat with mature conifers provides prime habitat for a variety of Eastern Sierra birds. The awesome scenery, including displays of wildflowers, picturesque historical sites, beaver lodges, butterflies, and breathtaking rocky peaks should provide additional flavor to the outing. During one or two miles of walking we will make a special effort to locate nesting birds, as well as locating birds by song. In 2008 we studied the nests of a dozen bird species! This bird walk will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Saturday 7:00 am—10:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Beginning birding for adults (workshop and field trip)
Jon Dunn & Justin Hite
Ever wonder what those numbers on binoculars mean? And what about the order of birds in a bird book? Are they trying to make it hard to look up what I just saw? How do those bird experts see so many birds? In this workshop we will go over all the birding basics-gear such as binoculars and books, how to develop skills that will enable you to find birds easily, and more! All of this will take place at Mono Lake County Park and the Tufa State Reserve boardwalk. We'll see wrens, warblers, woodpeckers, and water birds in a rich variety of habitats. Find more birds and more easily!
Saturday 7:00 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Crowley Lake: Marshes, migrants, mountains, and mud (field trip)
Dave Shuford
Crowley Lake Reservoir, formed by the damming of the Owens River and cradled in the Long Valley caldera, offers spectacular views of the High Sierra to the west and the Glass Mountain and White Mountain ranges to the east. Besides its wetland habitats hosting a variety of breeding and migrant waterbirds, Crowley is nestled amid a mix of sagebrush, wet meadows, and small alkali lakes, with riparian and pinyon woodlands nearby. June is the peak of the breeding season, and we should see several species of nesting ducks, shorebirds, and grebes, plus perhaps some oversummering non-breeders or late or early migrants. We also will view the largest Bank Swallow colony in the Eastern Sierra, Common Nighthawks harvesting the insect-rich air space over the lake, and typical sagebrush denizens, such as Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Sparrow, and, with luck, Loggerhead Shrike and Greater Sage-Grouse. And that's not all!
Saturday 7:00 am—12:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Big day and more! Southern Basin transect (field trip)
David Wimpfheimer and Bob Power
The main theme of this program is to see a wide variety of birds by visiting several habitats. However, there is also a secondary focus on taking the time to appreciate plants and other aspects of the area's rich natural history. The pace will be less frantic than other Big Day birding tours so there will be more time to focus on bird identification, by sight and sound, and behavior. The group will concentrate on the southern part of the Mono Basin; from conifer forest above the June Lake Loop to riparian woodland, to sagebrush steppe and the Highway 120 Jeffrey pine burn area near Mono Mills. We will be out all day so be sure to bring lunch, sunscreen, and plenty of water!
Saturday 7:00 am—4:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Lee Vining Canyon bird walk (field trip)
Jack Laws
Lee Vining Canyon is one of the Eastern Sierra's premier birding locations. It offers a variety of habitats and breathtaking views. Of particular interest is the habitat progression as Lee Vining Creek drains from the high alpine mountains of Yosemite and Tioga Pass down through the canyon and out into the arid, sage-scrub surrounding Mono Lake. American Dippers, Townsend's Solitaires, Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, woodpeckers, and nuthatches are among the many species that we may see on this trip.
Saturday 7:30 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding Horse Meadow (field trip)
Jeff Maurer
Horse Meadow is perched up among moraines south of Lee Vining Canyon and is less travelled than other areas in the Mono Basin. This walk will explore Upper Horse Meadow and environs, including the mix of meadow, sagebrush, aspen, and conifer forest habitats, which usually provides a wide range of bird sightings. The area also provides a gorgeous, bird's-eye view of Mono Lake. If the group is willing, we may journey into Gibbs Canyon.
Saturday 7:30 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Magical mystery tour (field trip)
Leader—a mystery TBA
Are you in the mood for some unpredictable birding to some unknown local destination? This new field trip will head to an unknown location in the area for a few hours of "pot-luck" birding. This trip may combine a few secret spots and the latest sightings. We can only guarantee that your leader will know birds and be familiar with the area they are going. This is a surprise trip for someone.
7:30 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Birds and burns (field trip)
Paul McFarland and Chris McCreedy
For the past century a large portion of public forest management was dedicated to the complete suppression of fire from forest ecosystems. This largely successful exclusion of the forest's renewal mechanism not only created tinderboxes of unburned fuel around the west, but also upset the forest's ecological balance. On this trip, participants will explore both recently burned and unburned patches of the world's largest Jeffrey pine forest on the southern edge of the Mono Basin. Wandering through the blackened columns left by a lightening-caused fire, we'll discover a rarely enjoyed new world of wildflowers, resprouting shrubs and once proud pines fast becoming homes for Black-backed and Hairy Woodpeckers. This trip includes a moderate meander of approximately four miles through one of the Eastern Sierra's most under-appreciated ecosystems.
Saturday 7:30 am—12:00 noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Wildflower walk (field trip)
Ann Howald
Join Ann Howald on a moderately paced hike to visit some of the flowery places within plant communities of the Mono Basin. We'll learn to recognize common trees, shrubs and wildflowers, and will discuss the plant communities where they grow. We will talk about the many ways plants have adapted to different environments, their pollination systems, and potential threats to our native flora from global warming. We'll also discuss any insects, birds and other critters that happen to be along the path. Bring lunch.
Saturday 9:00 am—2:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding for the young beginner (field trip)
Nancy Hadlock and Richard Potashin
Learn to make basic bird identification by getting to know more about bird parts. Create and learn how to use simple binocular vision glasses. Learn about why you generally find specific birds in specialized locations and then put this knowledge to use creating a poster for everyone to enjoy. This family, activity-oriented program is great for kids age 8-13. Mom and/or Dad, we want you to come too! Adult supervision is required for any under the age of 8. No equipment necessary. Instructors will supply all art materials at no extra fee. kids of all ages
Saturday 10:00 am—12:00 Noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Introduction to drawing birds (workshop)
Jack Laws
Learn how to quickly and accurately draw birds in the field and from photo reference. In this class, we will learn the basics of bird anatomy and tricks to help quickly draw birds in the field either for field notes or the pleasure of sketching. Master the one-minute gesture sketch and learn tricks for drawing heads, wings, and feet. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Bring a sketch pad and pencil if you have them or use ours. kids of all ages
Saturday 1:00 pm—3:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding Burger's Retreat (field trip)
Quresh Latif
We'll drive up and over a steep moraine out of Lee Vining Canyon on our way to a privately owned secluded nature reserve only a short distance from the masses of visitors passing through Yosemite. We'll stroll through a rich variety of habitats including sagebrush, meadow, willow thickets, aspen groves, conifers and even outcroppings of rocks. Green-tailed Towhees, woodpeckers, warblers, flycatchers and many others may make an appearance.
Saturday 1:00 pm—4:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding Lower Parker Canyon (field trip)
Santiago Escruceria
Join Santiago Escruceria on this leisureily, level birdwalk through Lower Parker Canyon. We will explore riparian and meadow habitats in a quiet region of the Mono Basin. We may encounter a good variety of birds from Red-breasted Sapsuckers to Mountain Bluebirds and warblers to Long-eared Owls (no promises). Be prepared to walk a couple of flat, mosly shaded miles and enjoy spectacular views of the Sierra Crest and Mono Lake.
Saturday 1:00 pm—4:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Feeder Café: An afternoon of bird watching, bird feeder safety,
and iced tea! (workshop/fieldtrip)
Don Banta and Stella Moss
Don Banta's bird feeders in Lee Vining draw hundreds of winged visitors annually. You may enjoy this flurry at your home feeder too, but few people realize that sometimes feeders can be unsafe for our feathered friends. Join local bird-lover and our feeder host, Don Banta, and PRBO Conservation Science biologist Stella Moss for a stimulating afternoon of café beverages, feeder watching, and some tips for being the best host to birds at your feeder.
Saturday 1:30 pm—3:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Field notes for all (workshop)
Sarah Rabkin and Chuck Atkinson
Hiking without a field guide? Science background slim? No worries. If you pay attention, the bug, the plant, or the bird can teach you a great deal. We will practice the time-honored art of making informal field notes and sketches to learn about natural phenomena. Discoveries made this way are not easily forgotten, and they complement knowledge from books and classes. Relevant experience is welcome but not assumed. Please bring notebook, pen, pencil, eraser. Binoculars, hand lens, and/or a small ruler may also come in handy.
Saturday 1:30 pm—5:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Furtive & furry: Deciphering signs of mammals in the Eastern Sierra (workshop)
Burleigh Lockwood
What can you tell from fur, feet and teeth? What "sign" will tell you what animal was there before you? Native mammals will be discussed, using skulls, fur, natural history and the signs those animals leave. Interpretation of what you see, and what you might not see, is important for understanding the animals that live in our own back yards. kids of all ages
Saturday 2:30 pm—4:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center conference room
Lee Vining Creek Trail bird walk (field trip)
Susan Steele
Take advantage of Lee Vining's great front yard as you leave the town's north end and enter the sagebrush sea, wind your way through pinyon pine, cottonwood forests, and aspen groves until you reach Lee Vining's southern entrance. This diversity of habitats will introduce you to Green-tailed Towhees, Western Wood-Pewees, Warbling Vireos, Bullock's Orioles, Mountain Chickadees and more, and you'll also get a glimpse of Lee Vining Creek's recovery from past water diversions.
Saturday 3:30—5:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Fields' guide to ospreys (field trip)
Lisa Fields
We will begin with a talk about Osprey life history and what makes the Mono Lake population so unique. This will be followed by viewing active Osprey nests in the South Tufa area. If we are lucky the chicks will be large enough to offer us a glimpse. Although we won't be doing much walking we will be in exposed areas so please bring a hat, water, and sunscreen. kids of all ages
Saturday 3:30 pm—5:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Capturing the landscape in pastels (workshop)
Ane Carla Rovetta
The slanting late afternoon sun illuminates the lake with a glow of color. You will draw this beautiful basin using the art materials, instruction, and enthusiasm provided by Ane Carla. We will stand on the historic rim of the lake and "paint" the essence of the sagelands below.
Saturday 3:30 pm—6:30 pm
Meet on the east patio of the forest Service Scenic Area Visitor Center
Painting & natural history of the Sierra Nevada (presentation)
Jack Laws
Naturalist, educator, and artist Jack Laws has spent the last six years creating The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada, a field guide to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals that is beautifully illustrated with 2,710 original watercolor paintings. This comprehensive and easy-to-use guide allows botanists to identify the insects that come to their flowers, birders to identify tress in which the birds perch, or hikers to identify the stars overhead at night. Jack will present an illustrated lecture about the natural history of the Sierra Nevada, and the process of creating a field guide including the logistics and techniques for painting in the field, identification tips, and wonderful natural history stories. This was one of last year's most entertaining and talked-about events. This program is different each year. kids of all ages
Saturday 4:30 pm—6:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center Auditorium
Gone batty: A hands-on look into the mystery and magic of Chiroptera (workshop)
Burleigh Lockwood
Going batty is not difficult for Fresno's "Bat Lady." Myths, misconceptions, mosquito abatement and management of bats around your house are all part of the discussion of native bats (and some exotics). Skulls, skins and skeletons help visualize the truth about these marvelous creatures. kids of all ages
Saturday 4:30 pm—6:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center conference room
Critter caper trap setting (field trip)
John Harris
This is an optional field trip that does not count toward your registration fee/limit, but registration is required. We will go out trap setting in preparation for the next day's field trip and look for signs of mammals and places to set live traps. We will investigate the lives of a number of small mammals, including Panamint kangaroo rats, Great Basin pocket mouse, and sagebrush chipmunk. We'll also keep our eyes and ears out for some of the east side bird specialties including Sage Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, and Juniper Titmouse, and Gray Flycatcher. kids of all ages
Saturday 5:00 pm—6:30 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Twilight birding (field trip)
Ted Beedy
Join Ted Beedy for an early evening adventure of birding into the dusk. We will ply some active birding spots in the Mono Basin for early evening activity that may include nighthawks, poorwills, and winnowing snipes. We may even search for an owl or two once daylight is extinguished. We will use our ears as well as our eyes in this nearby bird outing.
Saturday 7:00 pm—9:30 pm
Meet in front of the Scenic Area Visitor Center
The Great Salt Lake—Mono's big sister:
Current issues, research, art and advocacy (evening presentation)
Lynn de Freitas and Rosalie Winard
Mono Lake and the Great Salt Lake are considered sister lakes—one is the eastern gateway to the Great Basin and the other the western gateway. Mono Lake and the Great Salt Lake have both suffered due to water diversions, and both are home to millions of migratory birds in the Great Basin. We will be hearing about the critical problems facing the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem and about some of the research being conducted on the lake.
We will complete our presentation with a discussion of Art and Advocacy. Getting people to care and participate in protecting local ecosystems can be exasperating and difficult. It's not enough to say, "Look what we're doing, don't do that!" But you can say, "Look what might be lost," and if people have fallen in love with what they see they're much more inclined to help. Beauty is a tool, and we will see and discuss its effectiveness on behalf of Great Salt Lake and other magnificent landscapes.
Saturday 7:30 pm—9:00 pm
Scenic Area Visitor Center Auditorium
The joy of bird photography (evening presentation)
Bob Steele
Join professional bird photographer Bob Steele as he shares some of his favorite bird images. Experience the challenge and rewards of bird photography and what it takes to get "the shot." We will catch a frozen glimpse of bird behavior that we don't often see in the wild, and you may see a detail or two that will surprise you. For more information about Bob Steele, and to preview some of his technically stunning work, check out www.bobsteelephoto.com.
Saturday 7:30 pm—8:30 pm
Mono Lake Committee slide show room
Enchanted evening:
Stories and stars on the lakeshore (evening presentation)
Karen Amstutz and Lisa Murphy
In the days before internet, TV, and radio, there were more Chautauquas, campfires, and storytelling. We bring them all together under the splendor of a dark Mono Basin sky where stories and stars come alive. Yosemite National Park Service ranger Karen Amstutz will share amazing facts, strange fiction, and personal observations about the bird of her heart. And Yosemite National Park Service ranger Lisa Murphy will lead us across the night for an evening of astronomical wonder. This program is for kids of all ages!
Saturday 8:00 pm—9:30 pm
Meet at the South Tufa site.
From Lee Vining, drive approximately 5 miles south on Hwy 395. Turn left on Hwy 120 East and travel another 5 miles to the South Tufa/Navy Beach turn-off. Turn left following the signs to the left toward the South Tufa parking lot.
Night moves: Nature after dark (field trip)
Burleigh Lockwood
After a short drive to an old ranch, we will make our way to the barn area, checking the trees for resident birds settling in and waking up for the coming night. In the barn area, we will settle down to watch a spectacular aerial show as the bats begin to emerge. We will listen to their echolocation calls by using a "Bat Detector" and maybe get some good pictures (flash will not bother them). Dress warmly, bring a flashlight and a low chair or blanket. Not recommended for very small children.
Saturday 8:15 pm—9:45 pm
Meet in front of the Scenic Area Visitor Center
Playing it by ear: The acoustic lives of birds (field trip)
Tom Hahn
This field trip will focus on listening to birds while we watch them. Many kinds of birds live as much in an auditory world as they do in a visual one. The repertoires of songs, calls, and other acoustic signals contain a wealth of fascinating information that is readily available to us every time we go out to observe birds. Identifying the bird by its song is of course useful, but this is only one aspect of "observing by ear." Listening carefully to birds' calls further enhances our field identification skills and opens up a whole different window into the lives of birds. On this trip we will take advantage of the fact that June in the Eastern Sierra is at the seasonal peak of reproductive singing behavior, but also pay close attention to listening to and learning from the array of calls the birds will also be producing.
Sunday 6:00 am—12:00 noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Photo walk with Bob Steele (workshop)
Bob Steele
Join professional bird photographer Bob Steele as we explore digital bird photography in the field. We'll look for easy to photograph subjects to allow for the primary focus to be on technique and fundamentals. Topics discussed and explained will include camera setup, equipment, exposure techniques, composition, flash use, digital field evaluation of images, and approaching subjects. Minimum equipment requirements for the workshop are: Digital SLR body; 300mm lens; teleconverters, tripod, and flash (if available). For more information about Bob Steele, and to preview some of his photography, check out www.bobsteelephoto.com.
Sunday 6:00 am—11:00 am Maximum number: 8
Lee Vining Community Center
Lundy Canyon bird walk (field trip)
Peter Metropulos
Spend a morning enjoying birds and other forms of wildlife in one of the Mono Basin's most spectacular locations—Lundy Canyon. The mixture of aspen-cottonwood-willow riparian habitat with mature conifers provides prime habitat for a variety of Eastern Sierra birds. The awesome scenery, including displays of wildflowers, picturesque historical sites, beaver lodges, butterflies, and breathtaking rocky peaks should provide additional flavor to the outing. During one or two miles of walking we will make a special effort to locate nesting birds, as well as locating birds by song. In 2008 we studied the nests of a dozen bird species! This bird walk will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Sunday 7:00 am—10:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding Burger's Retreat (field trip)
Jon Dunn
We'll drive up and over a steep moraine out of Lee Vining Canyon on our way to a privately owned secluded nature reserve only a short distance from the masses of visitors passing through Yosemite. We'll stroll through a rich variety of habitats including sagebrush, meadow, willow thickets, aspen groves, conifers and even outcroppings of rocks. Green-tailed Towhees, woodpeckers, warblers, flycatchers and many others may make an appearance.
Sunday 7:00 am—10:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Mono dunes critter caper (field trip)
John Harris
Join John for a morning of checking live-traps and track plots to discover Mono's desert mammal fauna. We will be trapping in the dunes on the northeast side of the lake; an environment that also supports Utah Juniper woodlands. We should see a number of the small mammals that characterize the Great Basin, including the Dark kangaroo mouse, Ord's and Panamint kangaroo rats, Great Basin pocket mouse, and sagebrush chipmunk. We'll also keep our eyes and ears open for some of the east-side bird specialties of the area including Sage Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, Juniper Titmouse and Gray Flycatcher. John's field trip received rave reviews last year! kids of all ages
Sunday 7:00 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding South Tufa and the Jeffrey pine forest (field trip)
Kristie Nelson and Rich Stallcup
In a small area around the southwest shore of Mono Lake we'll find birds that nest in sagebrush scrub and in dry, mature coniferous forest. These may include Lewis' Woodpecker, Gray Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Pinyon Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Rock Wren, Sage Thrasher, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee and Brewer's and Sage Sparrows. We'll also identify and talk about shoreline waterbirds.
Sunday 7:00 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Jordan Creek bird walk (field trip)
Jeff Maurer
Jordan Creek graces the slope of the southern lateral moraine of Virginia Creek, feeding the Mono Basin from the northwest. This "island" of aspen riparian habitat in a sea of Great Basin scrub supports riparian species such as Bullock's Oriole, MacGillivray's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Lazuli Bunting, as well as dryland species such as Black-throated Sparrow, Rock Wren, and Fox Sparrow. In the upper elevations of Jordan Creek representatives from the Sierra montane forest such as Cassin's Finch, Western Tanager, Mountain White-crowned Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, and Blue Grouse can be found. PRBO Conservation Science has documented Jordan Basin as supporting one of the highest diversity of birds in the Eastern Sierra. This hike will mostly be off-trail with moderate to strenuous hiking and hikers are bound to see a number of species that aren't found in the lower elevations of the Mono Basin.
Sunday 7:00 am—12:00 pm
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding Bridgeport Reservoir (field trip)
Ted Beedy
Join Ted Beedy for an exploration of wetlands and lake habitat of Bridgeport Reservoir. This is an under-appreciated birding resource just up the road from Mono Lake in the beautiful Bridgeport Valley. Waterfowl, grebes, terns, pelicans, and shorebirds grace the surface and shores of this popular fishing reservoir. In 2008 a pair of Sandhill Cranes nested at Bridgeport Reservoir—a new record for Mono County!
Sunday 7:30 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Field sketching birds (workshop)
Jack Laws
How can field sketching help us become more observant birders? Jack Laws will lead us on a bird walk while also demonstrating how scientific illustration and quick field sketches can help develop the eye's ability to see nature. Jack will also give us tips for quickly catching the shape and color of birds in the wild. The goal is not to create a pretty picture, but to help make us more observant while documenting our birding experience. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Bring a sketch pad and pencil if you have them or use ours. kids of all ages
Sunday 7:30 am—10:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Birding mixed habitats (field trip)
Dave Shuford
Join Dave Shuford for an exploration of wetlands, meadows, cottonwoods, aspen groves, conifers and sagebrush habitat. We'll see wrens, warblers, water birds, woodpeckers, warbling vireos and many more in a progression of habitats ranging from the Mono Lake shoreline to Lundy Lake. The last portion of this trip may involve a short but moderately uphill hike at nearly 8,000 ft. in elevation.
7:30 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Lee Vining Canyon bird walk (field trip)
Susan Steele
Lee Vining Canyon is one of the Eastern Sierra's premier birding locations. It offers a variety of habitats and breathtaking views. Of particular interest is the habitat progression as Lee Vining Creek drains from the high alpine mountains of Yosemite and Tioga Pass down through the canyon and out into the arid, sage-scrub surrounding Mono Lake. American Dippers, Townsend's Solitaires, Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, woodpeckers, and nuthatches are among the many species that we may see on this trip.
Sunday 7:30 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Exploring Rattlesnake Gulch (field trip)
David Wimpfheimer and Bob Power
This unique area, the oldest known gold mining site in the Eastern Sierra, is a quiet, dramatic place unlike any other location in the Mono Basin. A riparian habitat of willow and aspen holds typical breeding species. Adjacent sage and bitterbrush habitat offer a different group of birds. Rocky expanses and unlimited vistas provide good raptor watching. This is a fun and scenic area with lots of great boulders and old cabins that will not only interest birders, but photographers as well.
Sunday 7:30 am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Aeolian Buttes and flutes
Margaret Eissler
We will drive to the Panum Crater trailhead and walk to the pumice rim and obsidian dome, stopping along the way for magnificent views and flute music interspersed with thoughts and perspectives inspired by high places. The hike is short but contains some elevation gain and loss. Margaret's been giving interpretive music walks in Tuolumne Meadows since 1985 and is excited to bring the program to the expansive vistas of the Mono Basin.
Sunday 8:00am—11:00 am
Lee Vining Community Center.
Fields' guide to Ospreys (field trip)
Lisa Fields
We will begin with a talk about Osprey life history and what makes the Mono Lake population so unique. This will be followed by viewing active Osprey nests in the South Tufa area. If we are lucky the chicks will be large enough to offer us a glimpse. Although we won't be doing much walking we will be in exposed areas so please bring a hat, water, and sunscreen. kids of all ages
Sunday 9:30 am—11:30 am
Lee Vining Community Center
Butterfly Ramble (field trip)
Alison Sheehey
Sleep in like the butterflies do before taking off on this leisurely journey into butterflying around the Mono Basin. This walk will focus on viewing, identifying, and photographing—but not capturing—these beautiful creatures. Join Alison in exploring flight patterns and flower, plant, and tree relationships while enjoying the magic of the butterfly. Bring your binoculars and a butterfly book if you have one. kids of all ages
Sunday 9:30 am—12:00 noon
Lee Vining Community Center
Moving with the lore of birds (workshop)
Ane Carla Rovetta
Unwind your intense weekend with this gentle yoga class for the entire family. Ane Carla is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor who's classes offer a unique twist: SHE TELLS STORIES WITH THE MOVES! Come and experience the movement and legends of the band tailed pigeon, the sandhill crane or the tundra swan—all are ancient Sanskrit movements infused with Ane Carla's folktales and wit. kids of all ages
Sunday 10:00 am—11:15 am
Scenic Area Visitor Center conference room
Picnic and music at Mono Lake County Park
(and the bird calling contest)
Join us Sunday afternoon for a picnic in the park complete with live music by Ray Bonneville. This is a perfect way to kick-off your summer by enjoying lunch, relaxing in the green shady glow of County Park, and immersing yourself in music.
Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Bonneville has been inspired by the many places he's called home—including New Orleans, Colorado, Arkansas, Alaska, Boston, Seattle, Paris, France, Montreal and Austin Texas. He has received rave reviews from blues, jazz and roots critics alike but has developed a deep groove all of his own. A one-man band, he backs up weathered, storytelling vocals with a highly percussive guitar style, dramatic harmonica lines and brings his foot down on an amplified piece of plywood on the floor for added percussion. Bonneville is highly influenced by the natural world and finds himself splitting his time these days between Montreal, Austin and Cotter, Arkansas, where he likes to write songs and fly-fish the White River.
Feel free to bring your own lunch or consider purchasing a grilled veggie burger garnished with locally grown produce. Other sustainable sides and drinks are available. This is a great way to end the Chautauqua! We'll even continue our traditional bird calling contest. So come enjoy good food, live music, with new and old friends as we recap the weekend's bird sightings or steal away down the boardwalk for a last-minute glimpse at the birds before ending our birding weekend. kids of all ages
Sunday beginning at 12:00 noon
Other things to do during Chautauqua Week
Birding at Mono Lake County Park & Tufa State Reserve Boardwalk
Wrens, warblers, woodpeckers and water birds can be seen in this rich
variety of habitats. We'll make our way from the sagebrush through the old
cottonwoods, around the willow thickets, and down the boardwalk to the shoreline
of Mono Lake. Led by a Mono Lake Committee naturalist. kids of all ages
a note about programs, limits, kids, etc.
Presentations range between 25 and 100 people depending on the venue. Workshop attendance can vary between 15-25 people. Field trips are typically limited to fifteen registered participants, but there are some trips that allow more. We reserve the right to adjust trip size in order to not split up couples, or to allow volunteers and trip leaders a chance to attend trips. We consult with field trip leaders, and we are strict about reigisrtaion limits.
Special events, the dinner, and the picnic do not count toward your Chautauqua registration limit, but you may still have to register for them. Check the program information carefully. Special events are not listed on the .pdf schedule, and you don't have to register for them, so make a separate note of them if you're interested.
Many programs are great for kids because of the dynamic subject, location, or leader. When we say kids, we mean kids of all ages, so you will find a lot of adults in these programs as well. Kid-appropriate programs are noted with "kids of all ages" text.
For more information about Chautauqua etiquette, transportation, what to bring, etc, see Chautauqua Skinny.