UTE MOUNTAIN-MESA VERDE
BIRDING FESTIVAL
2008 SCHEDULE:
Wed., May 7, 2008
Thu., May 8, 2008
Fri., May 9, 2008
Sat., May 10, 2008
Sun., May 11, 2008
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Festival Bird Lists
Scheduled Birding Festival Tours & Tour Leader Bios
Local Lodging
Festival Registration Form (.pdf)
Or register online:
Online Registration Form
Thank You to
Our Festival Partners:
Mesa Verde Country®
City of Cortez
San Juan Mountains Assoc.
Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce
Farmington Museum
US Forest Service
Ute Mtn. Tribal Park
Bureau of Land Management
Montezuma Land Conservancy
Cortez Cultural Center
Colorado Division of Wildlife
Cortez Retail
Enhancement Assoc.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Mesa Verde National Park
Skanska
Guy Drew Vineyards
Osprey Packs
Cortez Super 8 Motel
Holiday Inn Express
Riverbend Bed & Breakfast
Sundance Bear Lodge
Montezuma County
The Linde Group
For The Birds
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Spring migrants and early nesters attract birdwatchers from across the nation to the Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival. Located in the Archaeological Center of America, many of the birding field trips visit spectacular archaeological areas such as Mesa Verde National Park and the Ute Tribal Park.
Diverse habitats from mountain high country, to river corridors, and rugged red rock canyons provide microcosms of several Colorado Plateau ecosystems providing opportunities for a wide variety of species. Due to the varied habitats found in southwestern Colorado, there are many opportunities to look for raptors and owls, and both are the focus of special birding tours.
A sample of other possible species include Lucy's Warbler, Black Phoebe, Wild Turkey, Western Tanager, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Roadrunner, Clark's Nutcracker, Green-tailed and Spotted Towhee, and many more. Previous festival checklists have totaled over 100 birds sighted.
Workshops, an art show, and a special dinner speaker round out the events for the festival weekend. Join the flock in the land of ancient cultures and modern day Native Americans for an incredible birding adventure.
General Information
- Registration is $45, which includes Reception, Lectures and Saturday night's dinner and Keynote Speaker. See individual tours below for their pricing.
- Breakfast items will be available for purchase each morning.
- Welcome Reception on Wednesday is at the Cortez Cultural Center.
- All tours start at the County Annex.
- Don't forget water, jacket, cap, binoculars, scope and your cameras.
- Before you leave, please don't forget to fill out and return your evaluation of the bird festival!
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Wednesday, May 7
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12:00 pm - 8 pm: Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market, Cortez
Center opens at 10 am
5 pm - 8 pm: Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market, Cortez
6 pm - 10 pm: Marilyn Coyler - $25 (easy)
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Thursday, May 8
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4:15 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
4:30 am - 6 am: Art Neskahi
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Coen Dexter, Brenda Wright, Ranger Todd Overbye - $25
7 am - 3 pm: Glen Dunmire & Paul Morey - (easy)
Includes lunch
7:15 am - 1 pm: TBA
Thursday, 8 am - Friday, 6 pm: Donald Bruning - $80
Driving, meals, room on your own...rooms held at Marble Canyon Lodge - 800-533-7339
UTE MOUNTAIN-MESA VERDE BIRDING FESTIVAL
Our Keynote Speaker for 2008: Donald Bruning
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Donald Bruning was born in Boulder Colorado and attended Longmont High School. He received a Masters and a PhD from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Donald worked 37 years for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York. He started as an intern and rose through the ranks to become Curator and Chairman of the department of Ornithology. He also became an elective member of AOU and an active member of American Bird Conservancy and served in numerous positions and on the Board of Directors of the American Zoo and Aquarium association.
Donald represented the AZA and WCS for over 25 years at the CITES meeting (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered species.) He served on a number of IUCN specialist groups and wildlife advisory committees for Indonesia, Malaysia, St. Vincent, and Papua New Guinea.
He has led wildlife tours throughout the world for WCS, as well as managed the captive breeding and wildlife research program for WCS in New York and on St. Catherines Island in Georgia.
He has advised and testified for the USFWS and the US Justice department as well as the states of Hawaii and New York.
Donald developed and led the captive breeding program for the Andean Condor in New York and eventually the release program for captive breed condors into the wild in Peru. He conducted research and conservation work in Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Caribbean, and also served on the Board of the Bahamas National Trust for twenty years.
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10 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
Thursday, 12 noon - Friday Afternoon: Fred Blackburn - $100
Breakfast and dinner included
4 pm - 9 pm: Carolyn Gunn - $25 (easy)
5 pm - 6 pm: Sally Cole - Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market, Cortez
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Friday, May 9
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6 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
Roadrunners may be spotted at the Birding Festival.
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6:30 am - 3 pm: Paul Morey & Mike Jensen - $35
Includes lunch
6:45 am - 12 noon: Doreen Dethmer & Lynn Wickersham - $25
7 am- 12 noon: Coen Dexter, Brenda Wright & Kristen Kuckelman - $25
7:15 am - 4 pm: Linda Martin - $50
Includes lunch
10 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
4:30 am - 5:30 pm: Jennifer Kleffner & Gabi Morey - FREE
5 pm - 8 pm: Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market, Cortez
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Saturday, May 10
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6 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
6:15 am - 1 pm: Coen Dexter & Brenda Wright - $25
The Lucy's Warbler Tour is a featured part of the 2008 Birding Festival. Photo courtesy of Robert Shantz.
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6:30 am - 3 pm: Sally Cole, Mona Hill & Judy Aeschelman - $35
Included lunch
6:45 am - 1 pm: Pete Skartvedt - $35 (easy)
Local wines available for sale!
7 am - 12 noon: Bill Proud - $25
7:15 am - 1:00 pm: Judith Franklin - $80
8 am - 11 pm: Fred Blackburn - $15 (easy)
8:30 am - 10:30 am: Gabi Morey - $5
10 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
Free with Registration, or $5 per lecture/workshop
CORTEZ CULTURAL CENTER:
1:30 pm Rose Wildlife Rehab with Sheryl Rose
2:00 pm How to Bird Chile on Your Own with Coen Dexter
3:00 pm Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas with Lynn Wickersham
4:00 pm How to be a better Birder with Coen Dexter
COUNTY ANNEX:
1:30 pm Perils of Birds - Bird Law with DOW Officer Zach Holder
2:30 pm Colorado Birding Trail CDOW with Jennifer Kleffner
3:30 pm Photography Tips and Techniques with Bill Proud
4:40 pm Hummingbird Banding with Susan Wethington
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
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Sunday, May 11
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6:45 am: County Annex (between Chestnut and Elm on Montezuma)
7 am - 1 pm: Donna Thatcher - $55
7:15 am - 2:30 pm: Chris Schultz - $35 (easy)
Includes lunch
7:30 am - 1 pm: Al and Betty Schneider - $25
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 Birding by Horseback
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 Cortez Area Map
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 Birding at Hawkins Preserve
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 Learning about birds at the Birding Festival
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This website sponsored by Mesa Verde Country®
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