Class Level: Previously completed Intro to Waterfowl Class
Field Trip Date: Sunday, November 10th from 8AM to 3PM
Class Fee: $40 for TAS Members, $55 for non-members

Many cool species of ducks call Travis County home for the winter. If you are like many newer birders, you were probably pretty good at identifying those species last winter, but then the birds left for months! Now, you’re a little rusty on your identification skills and could use a refresher crash course. Enter Travis Audubon’s Waterfowl Refresher Workshop! The workshop will a day in the field looking at ducks and working through the identifications. The focus will be on the more common species in Travis County, starting with the easy-to-identify males but then moving to the females. This workshop is meant for those who are already familiar with the common ducks and just need a refresher. It is NOT meant for those birders who are totally new to waterfowl identification. (For those new to waterfowl identification, you will want to register for the Introduction to Waterfowl class coming in February 2025.) There are approximately 19 species of waterfowl expected in Travis and the surrounding counties, and 12 species that are considered rare but show up regularly. The workshop will mainly focus on the 19 common species, but if we come across some of the less expected species, we’ll work through the identification for them too. We’ll visit several different ponds in Austin to maximize the number of species we see. Most of the ponds that we visit will have flat and smooth trails or sidewalks and close views of the waterfowl. A practice exercise will also be provided so that you can work through identifying ducks from photos and videos at your leisure in the comfort of your home. This workshop will prepare you for the upcoming winter season and will enhance your enjoyment of the ducks that call Austin home for part of the year.

This workshop will take place on November 10 and will last from 8:00 AM to about 3:00 PM. (Bring your lunch to eat along the way.) We will visit multiple ponds, likely in south and central Austin, but Shelia will be monitoring where the ducks are and adjust the locations for maximum exposure to the birds. She will be available after the workshop via email to answer questions about the practical exercise.

Shelia Hargis is the instructor for this class. She has been birding for 25+ years and is totally obsessed with birds! She spends most of her free time birding or thinking about birds. Shelia teaches several other classes for Travis Audubon, gives presentations on a variety of bird topics, surveys birds for the City of Austin and the North American Breeding Bird Survey, participates in as many Christmas Bird Counts as possible, and regularly leads birding field trips. She is active in the Travis Audubon Commons Ford Prairie Committee and the Purple Martin Committee. She is Past President of both Travis Audubon and Texas Ornithological Society. See, she truly is obsessed with all things birds!

Tuition for the class is $40. The limit for the class is 15, so register now! If you have any questions, contact Shelia Hargis at shelia.hargis@gmail.com or 512-294-0272.

REGISTER HERE

The email used to register for this walk will be used to communicate any changes or cancellations due to weather or other factors. Please ALWAYS check your email inbox on the morning of the walk, prior to leaving your home, in case of last-minute changes in the trip plan. Please also check to be sure our emails do not land in your spam folder. When in doubt, please call or email your trip leader. We encourage participants to put the leader’s email address in their safe sender list. Their contact information is included in this trip description.

Payment for a class, workshop, or other fee-based event is due at the time of registration. If payment is not received within a week of registration, the registrant may be dropped from the roster. To withdraw from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event, please contact the Travis Audubon office: 512-300-BIRD (2473) or info@travisaudubon.org.

If a registrant withdraws from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event at least seven (7) days before the first session, Travis Audubon will offer a full refund less a $5.00 administrative fee that helps defray our costs. If the registrant withdraws less than seven (7) days before the first session, no refund will be made. If Travis Audubon cancels the class, workshop, or other fee-based event, we will fully refund the tuition.