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Detailed Schedule
WEEKEND ONGOING EVENTS
Posters
Vendors
Friday Evening – March 17
5 – 9 PM Registration
$60 –
Registration Fee for entire weekend
$2 -- Friday-only
admission, $6 maximum per family
6 – 9 PM Family Owl Fair
Friday evening is envisioned as a family-oriented
celebration of owls, open and marketed to the general public.
We are striving for interactive events that are both educational
and fun. Friday-only admission is $2 per person, $6
maximum per family.
Ongoing Events
Live Owls
Student Art Exhibit-
Owl Irruption Slide Show
Limited Time Events
Owl Audio Room & Owl Calling contest
Storytelling
Story Readers (for young children)
Owl Drawing
Owl House Building
Owl Pellet ID and Dissection
Owl Adaptations
Saturday, March 18
7:30 am Registration Opens, beverages
8:15 am Opening -- Mark Martell, Audubon Minnesota
8:20 am Welcome
8:35 am Growing Old Together -- Inspired by Great Gray Owls -- Dr. Robert Nero, Manitoba Conservation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
8:45 am The Ontario Great Gray Owl Irruption of 2004-05 -- Mark Peck and Colin Jones, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, resp.
9:15 am The Northern Owl Invasion in Wisconsin 2004 -- Andy Paulios and Bruce Bacon, Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative, Wisconsin DNR, Madison, Wisconsin and Wisconsin DNR, Mercer, Wisconsin, resp.
9:45 am Owls: What Happened in Minnesota, 2004-2005 -- Peder Svingen, Duluth, Minnesota
10:15 am Break
10:45 am Night Moves: The Boreal Owl Irruption of 2004-2005 -- Steve Wilson, Minnesota DNR, Tower, Minnesota
11:05 am A Comprehensive Biological View of Great Gray Owls found during the 2004-2005 Winter Irruption -- David Grosshuesch, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, Minnesota
11:25 am Study of Northern Hawk Owls during the Winter 2004/2005 in Northern MN: Perspective from banding results -- Frank Nicoletti, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, Minnesota
11:55 am Wintering Snowy Owls at Logan International Airport -- Norman Smith, Massachusetts Audubon, Milton, Massachusetts
12:15 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm Habitat and landscape distributions of Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls in northern Minnesota during the winter of 2004/2005 -- Jim Lind, Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth, Minnesota
1:50 pm An Analysis of the Diet of Great Grays During the 2004-2005 Invasion -- David Willard, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois
2:10 pm The Ecology of Manitoba’s Great Gray Owls - The Phantom of the Northern Forest -- Dr. James Duncan, Manitoba Conservation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
2:30 pm Ecotourism of Owls -- Carroll Henderson, Nongame Wildlife Program, Minnesota DNR, Blaine, Minnesota
2:50 pm Break
3:20 pm Management for Owls in Northern Forests -- Jim Sanders, Superior National Forest, Duluth, Minnesota
3:40 pm Keynote Address: Movements of Owls in Northern Europe -- Pertti Saurola, Finnish Museum of Natural History
5:00 pm Poster Discussion and Social Hour
6:00 pm
Banquet
MENU:
House salad with dressings
Italian pasta salad (vegetarian)
Green beans almandine
Garlic mashed potatoes
Sliced sirloin
Chicken breast dijon
Spinach lasagna (vegetarian)
Mixed berry crisp
Coffee / tea
/ water
7:00 pm
Awards
"The Owl Invasion: A Photographer's View"
Guest Speaker: Michael
Furtman, author & photographer
Sunday, March 19
8:00 am Beverages
9:00 – 10:00 am Breakout Session I
Future of Owls: Invasions & Research (Hour I)
PANEL MEMBERS: Pertti Saurola (University of
Helsinki-Finland), Dave Grosshuesch (University of Minnesota Duluth & Hawk Ridge
Bird Observatory), and Jim Duncan (Manitoba Conservation).
MODERATOR: Jerry Niemi
The intent of these two sessions is to discuss the future of owl monitoring, owl research needs, implications for management, and hypotheses for owl invasions in the northern forests.
Dr. Gerald Niemi is Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Water and the Environment at the Natural Resources Research Institute, both of the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is also on the Graduate Faculty in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
Bird Photography: Techniques & Equipment
PANEL MEMBERS: Steve Roman, Earl Orf
MODERATOR: Terry Brashear
Join us for an overview and discussion of equipment and techniques used to capture quality bird images. The assumption for this workshop is that the photographer has a basic understanding of how their equipment works, but would like to improve technique. We will emphasize digital photography, but workshop leaders have experience in film and slide photography as well.
Terry started in photography in ninth grade (1978) with his Dad's Yashica TL Electro that he bought on his way back from the Vietnam War (1972). He became proficient at snap shots and figured out shutter speed and f-stop settings. In tenth grade he went to a high school that had a magnet program for photography and was introduced to the dark room. He learned how to develop negatives and print images in both black & white and color. It was here that he learned techniques that are essential to making good images. After high school, Terry continued taking images and found that his interests in birdwatching and photography mixed nicely. He bought a used K series Pentax that came with 35mm and 200mm lenses, which he used until the late eighties when he purchased a Canon T-90. He still owns a T-90 and a Tokina 400mm f/5.6. He now shoots with a Canon DSLR, and a Canon 600mm f/4. He learned a great deal about good big lens techniques from a forum call Naturescapes.net, and it is evident in the images he now produces. Terry grew up in California, but now makes his home in Minnesota.
10:00 – 11:00 am Breakout Session II
Future
of Owls: Invasions & Research (Hour 2)
moderator: Jerry Niemi
(Continuation of Hour 1…see details above)
Audio Recording of Birds
PANEL: Mark Alt (Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union)
MODERATOR: Richard Peet
Learn about recording techniques in the field and special places within the Midwest for audio recording. Techniques will cover all ranges of size, complexity, and cost; from small mono microphones to large array surround sound applications.
Richard Peet has recorded natural sounds extensively for the past 6 years. He has contributed sounds for many bird CD’s, sound installations, and research / education projects. He is an MOU member, where he serves as the sound archivist, and is active in the Nature Recordists listserv. He has facilitated yearly field workshops for the past 4 years. He is list owner and moderator of the Microphone Do-it-Yourself listserv and develops his own custom microphones for nature recording at all levels of budget - from small hidden microphones to large parabolas. The listening room acoustical environment at the Owl Symposium was mixed, produced, and engineered by Richard. Richard is based out of Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Owl Volunteer Opportunities
PANEL: Vivian Neiger (The Raptor Center), Emily Buchanan (Orion’s Wildlife
Rehabilitation) & Dave Grosshuesch (Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory)
MODERATOR: Gail Buhl (Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center)
Want to get involved? There is a need for volunteers, whether you want to help with transport, owl monitoring, or want to get information on rehabilitation. This workshop will give you all the information you need!
Gail Buhl is the raptor care coordinator and a naturalist at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. Gail also is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator master permit holder and she has been involved with birds, especially raptors, with many organizations, including The Raptor Center, the Minnesota Zoo, and Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center. Gail has participated in many publications, including Wildlife in Education: A Guide for the Care and Use of Program Animals and Care and Management of Captive Raptors, and is a frequent lecturer at professional conferences around the country.
11:00 – 12:00 noon Breakout Session III
OWLICIOUS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
PANEL: Beth Girard (Minnesota DNR & Wildlife Science Center) & Jan Welsh
(Minnesota DNR)
MODERATOR: Lisa Koch (The Raptor Center)
Are you a teacher? Naturalist? Researcher? Wondering how to share the wonder and wizardry of owls with others? Come learn about all the exciting resources for owl education. We'll explore classroom discovery trunks created by The Raptor Center and The Minnesota DNR Nongame Wildlife program, try our hand at some educational crafts and activities, talk about the positives and negatives of owl pellets and have lots of fun! Program presenters have over 30 years of education experience between them and will have a world of resources to show and share- come get some great ideas for your next owl education adventure!
Lisa Koch, M.A., B.S., is the director of education at The Raptor Center. Lisa is responsible for the all aspects of the education program including program development and delivery, curriculum design, care and management of 31 education raptors and the ongoing training of over 100 volunteers. She has extensive experience in education administration, curriculum development tied to state standards, and professional development planning. Additionally Lisa has extensive training and experience in developing and offering teacher professional development workshops. Lisa has a B.S. in environmental science from Rutgers University, New Jersey, and an M.A. in education administration from Seton Hall University, Newark, New Jersey.
Owls = Ecotourism
PANEL: Pam Perry
(Minnesota DNR) & Mark Martell (Audubon Minnesota)
MODERATOR: Carrol Henderson (Minnesota DNR)
From a tourism standpoint, "Owls, like Wolves, are one of those Predators that Pay." Outfitters, community tourism officials, and local naturalists can all benefit in knowing if there are owl viewing opportunities in their area. This workshop will explore some of the opportunities that exist for wildlife viewing opportunities relating to owls. It will include reference to some of the traditional places that people seek out the northern owls in Minnesota. Reference will be made to owl photography and ethics.
Carrol Henderson has been supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources- Nongame Wildlife Program since 1977. He has a B.S. in zoology from Iowa State University (1968) and a Master of Forest Resources degree from the University of Georgia (1970). He has been involved in restoring Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, Eastern Bluebirds, river otters and Trumpeter Swans in Minnesota. Henderson is the author of six books. He has written Woodworking for Wildlife, Landscaping for Wildlife, and Wild about Birds: the DNR Bird Feeding Guide and he is co-author of The Traveler’s Guide to Wildlife in Minnesota and Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality. His latest book is the Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica, which was published by the University of Texas Press in 2002.
Banding
Owls: Methods
pANEL: Frank Nicoletti & TBA
MODERATOR: Ryan Brady
This workshop will cover banding techniques and equipment for banding northern owls: Northern Hawk Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Great Gray Owls, and Boreal Owls.
Ryan Brady has a B.S. in Biology from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, and an M.S. in Raptor Biology from Idaho's Boise State University. He has counted migrating raptors for twelve seasons, including six autumns at Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota, three autumns at Lucky Peak near Boise, Idaho, and three spring seasons at the Chequamegon Bay Hawkwatch in Ashland, Wisconsin. He also has banded thousands of songbirds and raptors in Idaho, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. His M.S. thesis research addressed breeding ecology of Western Burrowing Owls in southwestern Idaho, where he also banded migratory songbirds and raptors while working for the Idaho Bird Observatory. He assisted efforts to band Boreal, Great Gray, and Northern Hawk Owls in Minnesota during the 2004-2005 irruption, and in collaboration with Northland College, he is currently studying winter ecology of Northern Shrikes in northern Wisconsin.
