Hill Country Warbler Fest

April 30 - May 2, 2010

Fourwinds Resort and Marina on beautiful Lake Monroe,  Bloomington, IN

"The birdwatching capital of Indiana"

Featuring our keynote speaker, the "Dean of Birdsong," Don Kroodsma, author of The Singing Life of Birds and Birdsong By the Seasons, along with Geoff Keller, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birdsong Recordist, and a whole lot more.

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Saturday, May 1

5:30 a.m. - Dawn Chorus

There are several species of birds with unique songs that they sing only at dawn ... a type of "Good Morning, World" that they utter only at this special time of day. Join ???????????? with a cup of coffee and greet the day with the birds.

8:00 a.m. - Hill Country Warblers - Part II

Drs. Jim and Susan Hengeveld are back for an outing this morning, to put to use the things we all discovered during their presentation last night. Here's your chance to get your weekend bird list off to a fantastic start.

Register today online, by phone, or by snail mail ... click here

Reduced registration fees are available for university students with valid ID.

10:00 a.m. - One-Second Identification

Have you ever had trouble spotting the particular field marks that make identification of many species so quick and easy for other people? Now you can re-train your brain in a fun way. By the end of this program with BirdCountry.US Director Jeff Riegel, you will be identifying birds with just a one-second look. Anyone can do it.

2:00 p.m. - Recording Birdsong - Techniques and Challenges

Many birders use their ears as well as their eyes to identify various species. Geoff Keller has recorded hundreds of species in North America, and he has more than 3,000 recordings archived with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last fall, he released a new CD just for us in the Brown County Hill Country, and here's your chance to see how he records bird song and some of the challenges he faces in the process. He'll also be around after the program to sign copies of his new CD for you.

Register today online, by phone, or by snail mail ... click here

Reduced registration fees are available for university students with valid ID.

4:00 p.m. - Cerulean Warblers of the Hill Country

If there is a poster child for the decline of many of our neotropical migrant songbirds, the Cerulean Warbler has to be it. But a decline in Ceruleans may not be the case in the Hill Country. Ball State University Professor, Dr. Kamal Islam, has studied Cerulean Warblers in the Hill Country for many years, and he will discuss the past, present, and future of one of the most charismatic of all of our warblers.

5:30 p.m. - Social Time in the Windjammer Lounge

Hobnob and relax with the experts you have met throughout the weekend as we eagerly wait for an even greater evening with all of our experts and our keynote speaker, Donald Kroodsma.

Register today online, by phone, or by snail mail ... click here

Reduced registration fees are available for university students with valid ID.

Please Note: Special registration is required for this portion of the Hill Country Warbler Fest

6:00 p.m. - FUN-Raising Dinner with the Revolving Experts

The Hill Country Warbler Fest and the tremendous resources we are celebrating would not be possible without the ongoing work of The Nature Conservancy. All of the net proceeds from this dinner will be going directly to The Nature Conservancy, to continue their work on the Brown County Hill Project. And we're going to have a lot of fun along the way. One of our experts will be seated at each table to start the dinner, which will consist of 6 courses!  Every time a new course is brought in, all of the experts will get up and rotate to another table. By the end of dinner, you'll have had a chance to talk one-on-one with all of them. It's a fantastic opportunity to get to meet many of these folks and an even greater opportunity to discuss with them the conservation items that concern you the most.

7:30 p.m. - Keynote Presentation with Donald Kroodsma

Known as the "Dean of Birdsong," no one anywhere in the world has put more time and energy into learning and teaching birdsong. Don has written two books, The Singing Life of Birds and Birdsong by the Seasons, both of which are must-reads by anyone and everyone interested in discovering more about birds and other life around them. In addition, Don has edited three scholarly volumes on acoustic communication among birds and written more than 100 articles published in scientific journals as well as popular magazines. Donald Kroodsma, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, has been recognized as the "reigning authority on avian vocal behavior" in the citation for his 2003 Elliott Coues Award from the American Ornithologists' Union. The Hill Country Warbler Fest would not be what it is without Don, and our understanding of birdsong wouldn't exist without him either.

 Register today online, by phone, or by snail mail ... click here

Reduced registration fees are available for university students with valid ID.

And if the day hasn't been enough, don't forget live entertainment tonight in the Windjammer Lounge

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For overnight accommodations, please contact the Fourwinds Resort and Marina.

Phone in your room reservations (800-824-2628 - ask for "Vickie) and get their special "Warbler Fest" rates. Mention the code, "Hill Country Warbler Fest" and receive discount prices on both parkside and lakeside rooms.

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Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, SORA Productions, BirdCountry.US,

Fourwinds Resort and Marina, and the Sassafras Audubon Society

Complete information coming soon. Bookmark this page today and check back for details.

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