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Learn to record bird vocalizations in California

February 23, 2009
Learn to record bird vocalizations in California

Black-backed Woodpecker

Many birders are intrigued by the idea of recording bird songs. For some of us, it provides a mechanism for learning songs, for others its a critical part of a research endeavor. Here’s your invitation to retreat to the Sierra Nevada for a week where you’ll spend each morning in the field recording birds, birding along the way.  Join experienced instructors from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library for classroom sessions covering everything you want to know about recording equipment, tips, and techniques. The workshop will be held at San Francisco State University's Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the Tahoe National Forest.

The Sierra Nevada Field Station is home to a wide variety of habitats, which make it an ideal locale for recording birds. Coniferous forests support Black-backed and White-headed Woodpeckers and Cassin's Finches. Scrubby areas host Green-tailed Towhees, Fox Sparrows. Along riversides we find American Dippers and Calliope Hummingbirds, while more expansive wetlands are home to Cinnamon Teal, Wilson's Phalarope and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. 

Dates: June 6-13, 2009
Fee: $895 includes tuition, transportation during the course, food, and lodging. Recording equipment is available to borrow.

Learn more here or contact Jessie Barry for copies of last year’s eBird checklists or if you have any other questions. To enroll contact: Nancy Schrempf (607)254-2153.