Classes
ALBANY ADULT SCHOOL
The following classes are held in the East Bay at Albany Adult School. Go here for information on fees and registration.
Birds of the Bay Area
Rusty Scalf, RScalf@sonic.net; Bob Lewis, Bob@wingbeats.org
Six Wednesday evenings, January 11 – February 15, 7 – 8:30 p.m., plus five Saturday or Sunday morning field trips, January 14 or 15 – February 11 or 12, and one weekend field trip, February 18 – 19
Join an enthusiastic group of birders to learn about our winter birds, both in the Bay Area and a little farther afield. Winter means shorebirds feeding on our bayshore, ducks in courting plumage in lakes and bay waters, raptors, wintering land birds, and swans, geese, cranes, and more. Learn about bird identification, behavior, physiology, and taxonomy in six lectures filled with great photographs and in six field trips. Go to www.wingbeats.org for more details.
Birding by Ear
Denise Wight, blkittiwake@yahoo.com
Six Thursday evenings, January 12 – February 16, 7 – 8:30 p.m., plus six Saturday field trips, January 14 – February 18, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Birds communicate by making a variety sounds all year, even in the middle of winter. We will learn to locate and identify birds by calls and winter songs. Classroom study will include learning techniques for bird sound recall, analyzing bird sound recordings, and viewing spectrographs. For more information, go to www.blkittiwake.com.
Bird-watching for Advanced Beginners
Anne Hoff, Anne2210b@sbcglobal.net
Three evening classes, February 1 and 15 and March 7, 7 – 8:45 p.m., plus five Saturday morning field trips, February 4, 11, 18, and 25 and March 10
For students who’ve taken Beginning Bird-watching or have a rudimentary knowledge of birds and how to use binoculars. The class will look at bird topography and flight patterns and learn to identify 50 common birds.
GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON
The class below meets at the GGAS office, 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley. Limit: 20 participants. Sign-ups begin at noon, Monday, January 9. Fee: $80. To register, call 510.843.2222.
North American Owls – FULL
Dave Quady, davequady@att.net
Four evenings, February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m., plus three weekend afternoon and/or evening field trips February and March (dates and times to be announced)
As he shares his extensive knowledge of this fascinating group of birds, Dave Quady will describe what makes owls different from other birds, offer tips for identifying them by sight and sound, and provide insight into their habits and habitats. The three field trips will visit local owl habitats, where class participants can hope to hear and see owls. Dave Quady is the author of the owls section of National Geographic’s Complete Birds of North America and a frequent GGAS field trip leader.
California Raptors In Winter — Classes in the East Bay and San Francisco
Relatively mild temperatures and productive food sources make California an ideal destination for raptors in winter. This popular class taught by Eddie Bartley—now offered in both the East Bay and San Francisco—will focus on the amazing evolutionary adaptations and life histories of California’s hawks, eagles, harriers, kites, and falcons. Presentations include information specific to winter resident, migrant, and seldom-seen vagrant raptors. On two full-day field trips, we’ll have opportunities to view and focus on this order but won’t ignore the myriad other birds.
The East Bay class meets at the GGAS office, 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley. The San Francisco class is at the EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park on the southern waterfront. Ample parking is available at both locations. Fee: $60. Limit: 20 students. To sign up, call 510.843.2222.
San Francisco schedule:
- Saturday, February 18, class presentation, 9 a.m. – noon
- Sunday, February 19, field trip to San Mateo coast, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Sunday, February 26, field trip to Point Reyes, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Berkeley schedule:
- Tuesday, February 21, class presentation, 7 – 9 p.m.
- Saturday, February 25, field trip to Point Reyes, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 28, class presentation, 7 – 9 p.m.
- Saturday, March 3, field trip to Sacramento Delta, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Field trip meeting points will be announced in class, where carpooling can be coordinated. Inclement weather postpones field trips to a rain date of March 4. Participants in both classes are encouraged to join Eddie Bartley and Noreen Weeden on their March 11 field trip (go to www.goldengateaudubon.org/field-trips/field-trips). For more information, contact Eddie at eddie@naturetrip.com or go to www.naturetrip.com.