Owl with Paul Bannick

In Owl, award-winning photographer Paul Bannick uses his intimate yet dramatic images to illustrate four different nesting owl species—Northern Pygmy, Burrowing, Great Gray, and Snowy—throughout the course of the year in four distinct habitats. Each stage in an owl’s life is chronicled: courtship, mating, and nesting in spring; fledging and feeding of young in summer; dispersal and learning independence in fall; and, finally, winter’s migration. Unusual irruptions and the everyday struggle to survive are also covered. In addition to the four featured owls, the fifteen other species of North American owls are generously depicted throughout the book; Bannick’s startling images reflect their shared behaviors as well as some surprising exceptions and adaptations. More than just a backdrop, the four featured owl habitats—forest, grassland and steppe, boreal, and Arctic—reveal wildly rich stories of their own. Owl is a stunning follow-up to Bannick’s bestselling title, The Owl and the Woodpecker, giving bird lovers yet another gorgeous photographic tribute, engaging natural history, and a compelling call to preserve the habitats that sustain these most iconic of birds. (Limit of 100)

Burrowing Owl by Paul Bannick.

Wings of the Sacred: How Birds Shaped the Soul of Ancient Colombian Cultures with Giovani Ortiz

Colombia is the bird capital of the world, but for its ancient civilizations, our feathered friends were more than mere flying wonders. They were messengers, guardians, and even deities. This presentation explores the deep-rooted relationship between Colombia’s avian diversity and its rich indigenous folklore through the eyes of 5 iconic species and where we can find them. (Limit of 60)

Golden-fronted Whitestart by Greg Lavaty

Desert Purple Martins – Monsoon Saguaro Nesters with Jennie MacFarland

The Desert Purple Martin (Progne subis hesperia) is a distinct subspecies that is very different from the familiar Purple Martins of the eastern USA. The Desert Purple Martin times its nesting to monsoon abundance and nests exclusively in saguaros in Arizona and cardons in Mexico. Learn about recent discoveries in their nesting, migration and wintering grounds in Brazil. We’ll talk about the technology that revealed the previously unknown details of their yearly cycle with lots of photos, videos and amusing stories of field research mishaps. (Limit of 100)

Image by Henry T McLin

Sharpening Your Editing Skills: Lightroom Mobile Basics with Mike Henry

Most photographers edit their images and Adobe Lightroom Mobile is a great platform to tastefully bring your bird photography to life. Whether you’re simply sharing your work on social media or selling your photos at your online shop, we’ll touch on some practical tools anyone can quickly master. We’ll walk through cropping, basic editing, storage and how to use masks to recover the color and light that might have been lost between your subject and your gear. We’ll also talk about workflow and I’ll even guide you from a RAW image to a gently-processed photo in just a few simple steps. (Limit of 60)

Crested Caracaras by Mike Henry

Bird Art Basics with Christina Baal hosted at The Drawing Studio

Have you ever wanted to draw birds, but found it difficult to know how to start? Or maybe you already love drawing birds, but want to learn some new tips and tricks to enhance your practice? This bird drawing workshop is designed to break through the trepidation of the “white page” and get you drawing birds right away. We will learn simple but effective techniques to improve drawing and observation skills that can be easily practiced even alongside hectic daily schedules. Most importantly, this workshop is designed to convince you that drawing is fun and can be a practice to look forward to in order to improve your skills as an artist AND as a birder. While this workshop is geared toward beginners, all skill levels are welcome! Basic art materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own favorites. Hosted at The Drawing Studio, 2760 N Tucson Blvd. Limited to 15 participants.

Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers with Paul Bannick

Based upon his new book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”, award-winning photographer Paul Bannick uses his intimate yet dramatic images, up-to-date science and first hand narratives to explore the lives of North American Woodpeckers through four seasons including; courtship, mating, and nesting in spring; fledging and feeding of young in summer; dispersal and learning independence in fall; and, finally winter movements and survival. His exploration of these impactful birds and their habitats includes the species from the Arctic through southern Mexico, including those of the Caribbean Islands. Bannick’s startling images reflect their shared behaviors as well as some surprising exceptions and adaptations. More than just a backdrop, the varied habitats—reveal wildly rich stories of their own. (Limit of 100)

Gilded Flickers by Paul Bannick

Watch, Wait, Wonder: Birding to Become More Fully Alive with Ragan Sutterfield

Birding is a joy and delight, a struggle and a journey. What if we take what we do as birders and re-imagine it as a deliberate practice akin to yoga or meditation? In this talk, author Ragan Sutterfield will draw on philosophy, religion, and stories from his 30+ years as a birder to explore how paying attention to birds can help us live into virtues like hospitality and friendship, patience and generosity. If you want to go deeper into the soul side of birding, this is the workshop for you.  (Limit of 60)

Northern Cardinal by Mick Thompson

Roadrunners & Cuckoos with Kathe Anderson

Greater Roadrunner by Dan Weisz

Roadrunners and Cuckoos are members of the same odd family of birds. These species play a significant role in human culture for good reasons—they exhibit extraordinary behavior. With an emphasis on Arizona species, and a peek into this odd family worldwide, this interactive class will explore some unusual anatomy of these birds, what they eat, how they behave, and threats to their populations. (Limit of 100)

Image by Dan Weisz

Photographing Birds in Flight with Krisztina Scheeff

It can be incredibly rewarding to photograph birds in flight. Equally, however, there can be nothing more frustrating than the very same thing. In this classroom talk professional photographer Krisztina Scheeff with KS Nature Photography will show you loads of birds in flight shots and teach you lots of tips and tricks, camera settings and more to help you get those fantastic in flight bird shots. Corresponding field workshop on Friday morning requires separate registration. To read more about Krisztina, please visit www.KSNaturePhotography.com. (Limit of 60)

Exploring Arizona’s Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls with Stephen Vaughan

Come join us for an engaging and enlightening program that takes a closer look at the captivating world of Arizona’s Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. This program is a deep dive into the lives of these fascinating birds, shedding light on their biology, ecology, and conservation status. What sets this program apart is the invaluable firsthand observations of Steve Vaughan, a seasoned owl expert with decades of experience. For the past eight years, Steve has dedicated his efforts to studying these owls in southern Arizona. This means you’ll get a firsthand account from someone with an intimate knowledge of these remarkable creatures, going beyond what is readily available in published materials. Steve Vaughan’s remarkable career as both an ornithologist and nature photographer spans over 50 years of exploring the avian world. His stunning photographs, which have been published in outlets such as National Geographic and Audubon, capture birds in their most candid and captivating moments. Steve’s deep understanding of birdlife and his technical skill behind the camera allow him to tell powerful stories through his images, highlighting the beauty, fragility, and wonder of the natural world. (Limit of 100)

Image by Stephen Vaughan