Sterling Wildlife Biology and The Yolo Basin Foundation

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Beginning and Intermediate/Advanced Birding Classes with John Sterling

Where: Explorit Center at 3141 5th Street in Davis, California

Beginning Birding

3 week course: 4-20 August, Wednesdays and Fridays 7-9 p.m.; plus field trip on Saturday, 7 August; $175 ($25 of which goes to the YBF).

Intended for the birding novice, this course offers an introduction to birding basics, including discussion of optical equipment, books and online sources of information, identification of backyard and other common birds, and an overview of basic habitats in the region and common summering birds that inhabit them.  We will focus on developing identification skills, including learning how to use field guides and binoculars effectively.  Lectures will be illustrated with photographs and enhanced with workshop activities. 

Optional Sunday field trips will be offered @ $40 per field trip; minimum is 5 and maximum is 10 participants per trip; transportation by carpooling.  Field trips will focus on species discussed during previous lectures.  Sign up for field trips during classes.

To register for the class send a check for $175 made payable to John Sterling to me at: 26 Palm Ave, Woodland, CA 95695.  Be sure to indicate the class you want to take.  For answers to your questions you can email John at jsterling@wavecable.com or call him at 503 908-3836. 

 

Western Tanager


Violet-green Swallow

Intermediate/Advanced Birding

6 week course: 2 August to 6 September, Mondays 7-9 p.m.; $175 ($25 of which goes to the YBF); field trip on Saturday, 14 August.

A course for experienced birders who seek to refine their birding skills to tackle harder to identify groups of summer/fall birds, such as flycatchers, migrant shorebirds, vireos, hummingbirds, thrushes and others.  This is not a course for beginners but for those who have well-developed field skills and are familiar with the common birds in the area.  We will review the current literature, including field guides and identification articles.   Going beyond field marks, we will also review status, distribution and habitat preferences, as well as behavioral cues that provide a better understanding of these birds.   Lectures will be illustrated with photographs. 

Optional Sunday field trips will be offered @ $40 per field trip; minimum is 5 and maximum is 10 participants per trip; transportation by carpooling.  Field trips will focus on species discussed during previous lectures.  Sign up for field trips during classes.

To register for a class send a check for $175 made payable to John Sterling to me at: 26 Palm Ave, Woodland, CA 95695.  Be sure to indicate the class you want to take.  For answers to your questions you can email John at jsterling@wavecable.com or call him at 503 908-3836. 

John Sterling is a lifelong birder and professional ornithologist who lives in Woodland.  He possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of California birds, developed over nearly four decades worth of extensive travel and study throughout the state.  John is currently writing a book on the status and distribution of the birds of California.  He serves as the President of the Central Valley Bird Club and is a past member of the California Bird Records Committee.

His website for California Birding is www.sterlingbirds.com and his wildlife photographs are on www.sterlingbirds.smugmug.com.

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  John in Antarctica, January 2010
To register for a class send a check for $175 made payable to John Sterling to me at:  26 Palm Ave, Woodland, CA 95695.  Be sure to indicate the class you want to take.  For answers to your questions you can email John at jsterling@wavecable.com or call him at 503 908-3836.