Birding festival offers a 'hoot' for everyone

Sound effects are Bob Miller's specialty. He hoots like a Western Screech Owl, squeaks like a rabbit in distress and piques birds' attention with friendly noises that he calls phishing.

“When you make a phish- phish sound, the birds will respond,” said Miller, who will lead several trips at this year's Yuma Birding and Nature Festival. “It's like they are asking ‘what's there?' and they'll come investigate.”

The annual festival, slated for April 13-16, has evolved into one of Yuma's signature events drawing visitors from across the nation to not only witness firsthand our rare ecology but also to experience it.

“It's really the Southwest's only interactive wildlife festival,” said Chris Bedinger, Arizona Game and Fish Department information and education program manager. “We offer hikes, river tours and really fascinating talks.”

In fact, world renowned photographer Bruce Taubert is the festival's keynote speaker. With a degree in forestry and wildlife management and over three decades of experience shooting extraordinary wildlife pictures for magazines like Arizona Highways, Taubert's unique perspective on nature is sure to be a hit with festival goers.

“I think this year's photography aspect is really great,” said Bedinger.

Besides photography, the field trips truly showcase Yuma's environmental gems. Included on this year's agenda are an evening canoe trip on the Colorado River, East Wetlands endangered species identification tour, Sears Point petroglyph tour, Muggins Mountain Wilderness hike, a bat netting expedition, and the always-popular owl hunt with Miller where he demonstrates his remarkable talent.

“Owls, coyotes, bobcats are predators and so I'll do my jackrabbit squeal to try and draw them out,” said Miller.

The bat-netting outings are also well-attended, said Bedinger, because folks have a chance to don night vision goggles and help the biologists take actual survey data.

Meanwhile, Susana Henry, the refuge manager for the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, thinks the Horse Tanks hike and stargazing field trip will be a worthwhile experience.

She's hoping to convince a local astronomer to join the crew and talk constellations with the attendees.

In addition to the field trips, there's a nearly nonstop lineup of seminars and talks devoted to a wide range of subjects, including habitat gardening, building birdhouses, local conservation projects, travel photography, birding, bird migration and even a presentation on holes entitled: “Home is Where the Hole Is.”

“It's not just about the birds - geology, history, people,” said Miller, “are all part of the package because it explains why the birds are here in the first place.”

The Birding and Nature Festival registration is $25, with the field trips ranging from $10 to $85.

“You can't beat that price,” said Bedinger.

Both Miller and Bedinger agree that the abundance of wildlife in Yuma is one of its greatest assets and admit that they, along with so many locals, missed many opportunities to learn from events like the Birding and Nature Festival. They are hoping that between Taubert's presentation and the nature-inspired opportunities for all age folks, the festival will continue to grow.

“I can't believe I missed so much for so long,” said Miller. “Not anymore.”

SEMINARS

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
5:30 p.m. to 8 - Opening reception at the Pivot Point Conference Center

Thursday, April 14, 2011
8 a.m. to 9:30 - Landscape Evolution of the Colorado River Region
8:30 a.m. to 10 - Home is Where the Hole is - a field guide to holes in the ground
10 a.m. to 11:30 - Recreation Opportunities in the Yuma Area
12:30 p.m. to 2 - Seeing with Wild Eyes
1 p.m. to 2:30 - Beginning Birding
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 - Native Fish of the Lower Colorado River
3 p.m. to 4:30 - Bats of Southwestern Arizona
3:30 p.m. to 5 - Bird migration
4 p.m. to 5 - Desert Reptiles
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 - People behind bird names

Friday, April 15, 2011
8 a.m. to 9:30 - Tips on making better travel photos
9 a.m. to 10:30 - The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP)
10 a.m. to 11:30 - Giant Earth figures of the Southwest
Noon to 1:30 - Native wildlife
1 p.m. to 5 - Introduction to Wildlife Photography with Bruce D. Taubert
1 p.m. to 2:30 - Inside Arizona Game & Fish Department
3 p.m. to 4:30 - Habitat Gardening
4 p.m. to 5:30 - Beginning Birding

Saturday, April 16, 2011
9 a.m. to 10:30 - Rare and Unusual Plants in the Yuma Area
10 a.m. to 11:30 - Habitat Gardening
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Building Birdhouses for kids
1 p.m. to 2:30 - Bird Migration
1:30 p.m. to 3 - Introduction to the Bureau of Land Management
2:30 p.m. to 4 - Native wildlife
2:30 p.m. to 4 - Landscaping for Wildlife

FIELD TRIPS

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
7 to 10 p.m. - Evening canoe trip on Lower Colorado River

Thursday, April 14, 2011
5:45 to 7:30 a.m. ­­- Endangered species identification tour in the Yuma East Wetlands
6 to 10:30 a.m. - Exploring the Lower Colorado River Marshes
6:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Sears Point Archaeological Tour
7 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Imperial Wildlife Refuge B-wash hike
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Exploring Backyard Sanctuaries
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Yuma River Tours
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Tour, Heritage Center and Castle Dome Mines
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Volunteer Project at the Yuma East Wetlands
6 to 10 p.m. - Dunes Ecology
6:15 to 10 p.m. - Evening Owl Adventure
6:30 to 10 p.m. - Bat Netting with Arizona Game & Fish Dept
6:45 to 10 p.m. - Evening Canoe Trip on the Lower Colorado River

Friday, April 15, 2011
5:45 to 7:30 a.m. - Sunrise Birding-Endangered Species Identification Tour in the East Wetlands
6 to 9 a.m. - Sunrise Canoeing on Lower Colorado River
6:15 to 10:30 a.m. - Muggins Mountains Wilderness Hike
6:30 to 10:30 a.m. - Explore the Lower Colorado River Marshes
6:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Birding By Sound
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Salton Sea Birding & Nature Tour
7:15 a.m. to noon - Native Plant Walk
9 a.m. to noon -Native Plant Walk
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Yuma River Tours
3 p.m. to 10 - Horse Tanks Hike and Stargazing Cookout
6:15 to 7:30 p.m. - Sunset Walking Tour in the East Wetlands
6:30 to 10 p.m. - Bat Netting with Arizona Game & Fish Dept
7 to 10 p.m. - Evening Owl Tour
8 to 10 p.m. - Evening Campfire on Lower Colorado River

Saturday, April 16, 2011
5:30 a.m. to noon - Imperial Ponds Conservation Area
5:45 a.m. to 7:30 - Sunrise birding in the Yuma East Wetlands
6 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Sears Point Archaeological Tour
6:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Desert Bighorn Sheep & Wildlife Search
7 a.m. to noon - Birding at Betty's Kitchen and Mittry Lake
7:30 a.m. to 11 - Breakfast and portrait photography with Jeff Kida (Register at www.FriendsOfArizonaHighways.com)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - King of Arizona Mines Geological and Historical Tour & Wildlife Search
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. -“Voluntourism” in Mexico
8:30 a.m. to noon - Backyard Birding
2 p.m. to 5 - Afternoon canoe trip on the Lower Colorado River
6:30 p.m. to 9 -Dinner and Keynote Speech - “A Lifetime of Chasing Wildlife” presented by Bruce D. Taubert