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May 8-13, 2008
Fee: $1575 with $300 Deposit by April 1
Limit 3-8 People
Doubletree Hotel Lobby, Missoula
May 8, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
Since the Southeast Arizona trip was such a success I am planing another longer trip that I think you all will enjoy. This time we are headed to the beautiful Mission and Flathead Valleys of Montana to participate in an Owl Workshop lead by Denver Holt. Denver Holt is a wildlife researcher, founder and president of the Owl Research Institute and the Ninepipes Center for Wildlife Research and Education, located in Charlo, Montana. His particular focus since 1978 has been researching owls and their ecology. He has published numerous papers for scientific as well as popular publications, and co-authored a children’s science book on owls. He has conducted research in North and Central America. He has led numerous birding and nature tours throughout the U.S., Central America, and Africa. He is an avid naturalist with additional interests and knowledge that include insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, plant identification and geology. The Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society named Denver as Biologist of the Year for 2000. His research on Snowy Owls was published in the December 2002 issue of National Geographic Magazine, featuring a Snowy Owl on the cover. I believe some of you all got a chance to hear Denver speak at an OG meeting last year and know what a knowledgable person he is. This really is a wonderful opportunity that you will not want to miss. Assisting Denver on this trip will be Megan Fylling.
Megan Fylling is a wildlife biologist who earned a bachelor’s degree in Zoology before moving to Montana to pursue her career. She has studied birds and their ecology throughout the western U.S. and enjoys birding as a hobby. Most recently, she has worked for the Avian Science Center at the University of Montana as part of a fire ecology study. She also currently works in wildlife genetics and studies aquatic invertebrates. Megan has also volunteered for several organizations including the Owl Research Institute, Bird's Eye View Banding and Education Program, and RaptorView Research. Megan has been guiding tours for the past three years including tours for Victor Emanuel nature tours.
As the name suggests most of the trip will be spent looking for Owls such as Boreal, Great Gray, Long-eared, Northern Saw-whet, Northern Pygmy and Short-eared. We stand a good chance at seeing all these owls as well as a few owls that we are pretty familar with the Barred, Barn and Great-horned Owls. It is possible to see up to nine species of Owls on this trip. Also, part of this trip will feature the unique opportunity of collecting and dissecting owl pellets in the field. Though the focus will be on Owls other good birds we should encounter are Trumpeter Swan, Greater Scaup, Common Merganser, Gray Partridge, Ring-necked Pheasant, Western Grebe, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Black-billed Magpie, Steller's Jay, Mountain Bluebird and Yellow-headed Blackbird. It should be a great trip full of wonderfull moments that you will not want to miss.
Details: This trip will be limited to 8. This trip is now full and I have started a waiting list. The trip will cost $1575 in double occupancy plus airfare. A $300 deposit will be needed by April 1, 2008 to reserve your spot on the trip. We will be spending the first night in the Doubletree Hotel in Missoula, Montana and all participants need to get there by 6:00 pm on May 8, 2008. We will be assembling in the lobby at 6:30 to head out for a welcome dinner.
If you are interested in going on this trip please let me know and I will get your name on the waiting list.
~ Adam Wood, OG Field Trip Coordinator, birdsondabrain@earthlink.net, 713-515-1692
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