Class level:  Beginner / Intermediate
Workshop Dates:  Saturday, Sept 14
Field Trip Location: Chaetura Canyon
Class fee: $45 for members, $50 for non-members

The Texas Hill Country supports many species of birds, but its dense oak-juniper woods can make them difficult to see. Birding by ear is a way of finding and identifying birds without having to see them. And it’s so much more! Tuning into the subtle sounds birds make increases awareness and mindfulness, enhances bird behavior interpretation, and helps to make your birding a strong and lasting form of nature connection.

This three hour workshop, led by Mikael Behrens, will focus on identifying and appreciating birds by sound rather than sight, on Travis Audubon’s Chaetura Canyon Sanctuary. It’s a combination of stationary listening and a slow walk on the canyon trail (which is steep and narrow in places.) In this workshop we will:

• Identify the bird sounds we hear.
• Learn about the reasons for and context of bird sounds.
• Learn a context for interpreting bird sounds that does not require identifying the bird.
• Tune in to subtle sounds in general and learn how our ears both help us and hinder us.

A restroom is available at the start and end of the workshop.

$30 Travis Audubon Members, $40 Non-members. Limit 10 participants. Registrants will receive directions to Chaetura Canyon via email prior to the event.

For more information, contact Mikael at birdingonbroadmeade@gmail.com

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.