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Announcements 2012 |
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Online registration ENDS on
Saturday April 21st,
at 8:00PM, 2012.
If you still wish to register for the VVBNF, you can register at the event registration tent beginning Wednesday, April 25th at 3:00PM to 5:00PM.
April 11
Free Public Showing of New Documentary
Premiere showing and panel discussion of new ecology documentary, A Thousand Invisible Cords, about ecology and riparian ecosystems, Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 7:00 at Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library Assembly Hall. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.AThousandInvisibleCords.org .
Iris Society at the Festival
Don’t miss the Iris Society Show at the festival. They will be celebrating the Centennial by creating bouquets of iris representing colors of the 5 C’s of Arizona. How clever. They will also be showing off the spring bloom by asking local gardeners to bring in their favorite iris from the garden. (One bloom and two buds per stem) Judging will be by public vote so you can have a say in who wins. You can bring your entry in on Friday. The blooms will be on display through Saturday. Next year our theme honors this new relationship with backyard birding with “Finches and Flowers”.
April 5
Added attraction at the Festival’s Family Nature Fair Saturday, April 28
A Taste for Birding Marceline Vandewater
8am – 2pm At the Aviary
Free short bird walks for the true beginner are being held during the Saturday Open House and Family Nature Fair.
This is a chance to take a brief bird walk in the Greenway with an expert birder to learn a few quick tricks that will help to make birding even more enjoyable. You just may find a new hobby that’s shared by millions of people around the world. Birding can be a relaxing way to get out-of-doors; relaxing but also challenging. We are surrounded by a multitude of wild birds that many of us don’t even notice unless we learn to look. Marceline has been leading bird walks for years and has a lot of knowledge to share. These free walks are a new addition to the line-up of activities available during the Festival. Marceline will be stationed at the Aviary between walks to answer birding questions. The walks are short adventures lasting only about 20 – 30 minutes. It’s a chance to try out binocular skills, learn how to spot, and what to first take note of to help in identification.
8am – Meet Marceline
8:30 – first walk
9:30 – second walk
10:30 – third walk
11:00 - Lunch break
12:00 – fourth walk
1:00 – last walk
Sweets for the Swift - Free Hummingbird Nectar
We are very excited about a recent donation to the Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival in the form of hummingbird nectar. KAYTEE Products, Inc., www.kayteewildbirds.com, has a new product they want to tell you about, Hummingbird ElectroNectar, and we have the perfect venue here in Cottonwood at the annual Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival. Not everyone can make it to the festival, so for you local people who would like to treat your hummingbirds to a nutricious meal, or just learn how to attract these little jewels to your yard, we’re giving you the opportunity to pick up a sample with a giveaway event. On Friday, April 6 between 1pm and 6pm, all you have to do is stop by the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Hwy 260 and 89A, and pick up a bottle. Bring along a receipt for the purchase of any bird feeder from a local merchant within the past two months and we’ll quadrupal your gift.
Festival volunteers will be there to answer questions about how to feed these swift beauties. Ross Hawkins of the Hummingbird Society will have Hummingbird 101 pamplets and information on their upcoming festival available. Compare a condor and a hummingbird’s wingspan. You can also purchase a feeder on the spot from Jay’s Bird Barn, one of our festival supporters, and you’ll also get the extended gift.
Registered participants can pick up their sample bottle in the Big Tent at the festival. Buy a feeder there and you will get the bonus too.
Additional Field Trips (2):
We are pleased to add an additional field trip to our lineup on Saturday. Having cancelled the Dutch Oven Lunch and Birding, left us with the opportunity to have Geoffrey lead a trip to Montezuma Well, one of our better sites for flycatchers as well as riparian species. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any vans to spare so you will have to drive on your own for this trip.
Montezuma Well Field Trip 
Drive on your Own
Geoffrey Bland
Saturday, April 28
Departure: 7am
Return: noon
Rating: 3
Cost: $25
Do to popular request, we are adding this missed field trip to the schedule. This is a drive-yourself experience to the National Monument located off Highway 17, exit 293. Direction will be sent to those registering for this trip. A natural wonder, a riparian habitat, an expert guide, and birds combine to bring you a successful birding experience. Commonly found are riparian and open country species: flycatchers, vireos, and thrashers. The “Well” also attracts water birds. Walk along the canals of the Sinagua and explore trails in this unusual National Monument. Dress to walk cross-country. You are welcome to bring along a lunch and enjoy the picnic grounds after the guided walk.
Owl Prowl
Geoffrey Bland
Saturday, April 28
Departure:7 pm
Return: 8:30pm
Rating: 3
Cost: $15
Because we have such a large waiting list for our scheduled owl prowls and because we don’t want to impact the same populations by repeating this walk too many times, we are venturing into an area that we have birded many times but not in the evening hours. This will be a little more strenuous as we will be hiking down to Tavasci in an attempt to spot the great horned owl, the barn owl, and perhaps the western screech owl. They have all been seen here in the past. Wear good hiking shoes. Bring along a flashlight as well as your binoculars.
Change of Leader:
Change of leader for Tavasci Marsh on Friday, April 27
Doug Von Gausig will not be able to lead the Tavasci Marsh Field Trip on Friday. Instead we have another favorite, Jim Logan, taking his place. I’m sure everyone will enjoy Jim and have a great birding experience.
Teacher/Educator Workshop:
Don’t forget to look under our Education Button. New this year is an opportunity for teachers and educators of all kinds to learn about the mysterious life of the Monarch Butterfly and teaching resources available for this epic insect. This is a free workshop held on Saturday, April 28 at Cottonwood Middle School, 9am to noon.
Contact Barbie at birdyverde@gmail.com to register.
Trip Cancellation
Due to a lack of interest, we’ve decided to cancel the Dutch Oven Lunch and Birding Program and transfer that energy to supplementing other more popular activities. The Dutch Oven Breakfasts and Dinners have been extremely popular over the years and we had many requests to “teach” people how to do it so we’re confused as to the lack of response to this offering. Maybe the hands-on cooking idea wasn’t appealing or maybe folks thought we were cooking the birds but we’ll delegate this to the cooking channel in the future and leave the birders to their true interest.
| Mission: The Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival provides a unique recreational experience to anyone interested in the natural world and fosters awareness of the importance of habitat for the enrichment of all life in the Verde Valley. |
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