WEDNESDAY, Nov 17, 2010 FESTIVAL OF THE CRANES Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

WEDNESDAY

(OLD 2009 is lised here- available till we get the NEW 2010 schedule)

Sandhill Crane Behavior
5:30 am to 11:30 am
WE8 - $80 Bosque del Apache NWR, Crane1
The most comprehensive training on cranes offered at any crane festival, this morning-long workshop will teach you many of the common vocalizations, body language and other characteristics of sandhill cranes. You'll learn to recognize juveniles, tell subspecies apart, distinguish between dancing and aggression and many other details that will help you better understand and appreciate sandhill cranes. At first light we will listen to the cranes on their roosting spots to identify vocalizations and other behaviors. We then move to the classroom for breakfast and viewing many behaviors on film before traveling to different locations on the Refuge to watch and interpret crane interactions. Your instructors are Paul Tebbel, Keanna Leonard and Robert Kruidenier. Paul has worked with cranes for 35 years, including 11 years as the director of Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Nebraska where more cranes gather every spring than any other location in the world. Keanna has been the Director of Education at Rowe Sanctuary since 2001 and helps over 7,000 students every year understand and appreciate cranes, wildlife habitat and the Platte River. Robert Kruidenier was a full time volunteer at the Refuge for most of the last 15 years. His special stories and knowledge of the Refuge are invaluable. Warm shoes and warm, layered clothing recommended. Limit 20. Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Deadly Beauty Photography
8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
WE9 - $35 San Antonio, Owl Bar
Hawks, falcons and eagles will be the star performers as they are released to fly, chase lures, and possibly hunt wild quarry (viewers be warned!). Falconer and wildlife rehabilitator Matthew Mitchell will give priority to the needs of photographers as he exercises his trained raptors. This group will meet at the west side of the Owl Cafe in San Antonio at 8:00 AM and carpool a short distance to an area where the birds can be flown safely. Bring your questions, tripods, cameras and binoculars. Please, no dogs! Limit 10.

Refuge Photography Tour
8:30 AM to Noon
WE10 - $75 Bosque,Crane 1
After catching sunrise and fly-out on your own, photographers are invited to join nature photographer Jerry Goffe on a guided tour of the Refuge that focuses on getting that perfect picture. Most importantly, this tour will be conducted in the North section of the Refuge in some spots normally closed to the public. This trip should provide for images of Wild Turkey, wonderful vegetation, Sandhill Cranes and possibly Pronghorn or Oryx and who knows what else. Jerry applies his knowledge of the Refuge with the light and will attempt to find the best bird vantage points. Participants should bring cameras and tripods and expect to spend quality time photographing the best the Bosque has to offer. Limit 25. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot.

Land, Sea and Air
8:30 am to 2:00 pm
WE11 - $90 Marina del Sur, Elephant Butte Lake
Sea birds, diving ducks, cormorants, grebes, white pelicans and more can be found in a dramatic geological setting at Elephant Butte Lake. Join Steve Green and Tamie Bulow, Conventions and Tours Manager of the American Birding Association, for this exciting trip aboard a 44-foot twin-engine houseboat, followed by birding on land. Breakfast snacks and a full lunch, featuring locally grown and produced foods, will be served. The boat leaves promptly at 9:00 am from Marina del Sur at Elephant Butte State Park and returns to the same location around noon. From there we caravan (5-10 minutes) to the riparian area at the base of Elephant Butte Dam for more birding. Take exit 83 on I-25 and follow signs to the State Park. The park is a 90 minute drive from Socorro; you may want to stay the night before the trip in Truth or Consequences. We will be happy to send information on accommodations close to the tour. The price of the tour is refundable if the weather is such that the trip has to be canceled. Be sure to note your dietary requirements on the meals page of the registration form. Warm clothing is recommended. Limit 14. Offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Burrowing Owls
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
WE12 - $5 Macey Center, Galena
Burrowing Owl studies have been conducted in several locations in New Mexico for well over a decade with some interesting trends in their populations. We have studied many facets of their ecology, including migration. Join Vicki Bailey for an informative presentation based on the results of many years of data collection. Find out what researchers are learning that ultimately may contribute to the conservation of this species. Of course, avian ambassadors will be present for the presentation.

Personal Visions of the Bosque in Watercolor
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
WE13 - $90 Bosque, Lounge
For beginning to intermediate painters, this watercolor workshop will focus on the personal expression of impressions, feelings, and memories of the Bosque del Apache, rather than on accurate or realistic depiction. Although the birds, animals and beautiful scenery will serve as inspiration, participants will be taught methods for creating emotionally expressive paintings that capture their personal experience and vision of the Bosque. Demonstrations will show participants how to use well-designed underpaintings, emotionally expressive color, exaggerated shapes, transparent and opaque layering, negative painting and other special techniques to create several unique Bosque paintings to take home. Although you may bring your own supplies if you wish, everything needed for these paintings will be provided. If you have favorite photos of the Bosque, bring them for reference. For more information, go to http://homepage.mac.com/judithtodd/paintings/ and for specific questions, click "contact me." Limit 20.

Where the Buffalo Roam
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
WE14 - $5 Bosque, Lannan
The Armendaris Grant runs south from the Bosque del Apache NWR to below Truth or Consequences. Its 600 square miles encompass an entire mountain range, seven ghost towns, the oldest Spanish mine, a bat cave with the 4th largest bat population in the US, 3 frontier fort sites and the historic El Camino Real del Adentro. Wildlife such as eagles, hawks, bats, antelope, mule deer and oryx are abundant as well as some Desert Bighorn sheep, Aplomado falcons, Bolson tortoises and blacktailed prairie dogs. And there are bison - lots of bison. Tom Waddell, the ranch manager, has agreed to make an appearance and will give an informal presentation on the ranch, the bison and the research programs that are being carried out there. More fireside chat than lecture, this is an opportunity to gain insight into a fascinating place that is normally closed to the public.

Prairie Dogs
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
WE15 - $5 Macey Center,Galena
Of the five known species of prairie dogs, all of which are found from southern Canada to northern Mexico, one is endangered, one is threatened and others have suffered a 95% decline in numbers and living area in the last century. Prairie dogs are a keystone species: a species upon which many others depend. Neither dog nor rodent, this colonial squirrel is of prime importance to many other species and one that deserves to be part of the grassland ecosystem. Their social behavior has been studied and new things are discovered constantly. The talk will discuss all 5 species, with an emphasis on Black-tailed Prairie Dogs found in southern New Mexico. Their behavior, efforts for reintroduction, and natural history will be covered.

Trinity Site Tour
Noon to 5:30 PM
WE16 - $40 San Antonio, Owl Bar
Fred Hollis, retired employee of the White Sands Missile Range and Trinity Site history buff, will be your guide on this tour of the site of the first atomic detonation. The tour begins at the Owl Bar, where the Los Alamos scientists stayed during the blast. The Bar was the community meeting place and had the only phone in town. It is also famous for its green chile cheeseburgers! A coach (with rest room) will take you to the Trinity Site as well as to the McDonald Ranch House. Wear walking shoes and layered clothing and bring a photo ID. This tour is offered on Wednesday and Saturday. Meet in the Owl Bar Meeting Room for lunch (included) at noon, and be sure to make your lunch selections when you register. Leave for White Sands at 1:00 pm. Limit 40.

Luis Lopez Mining District Hike
12:30 PM to 4:30 PM
WE17 - $5 Macey Center Parking Lot
From WW II to the early 1970s manganese ore was mined in an area not very far SW of Socorro. Main use: alloy metal to toughen and harden steel. Naturalist Bob Merkel will take hikers past mine shafts and spoil piles to see firsthand the evidence of volcanism, earthquakes, and mineralized groundwater that left behind an amazing array of rock forms. Sturdy shoes or boots essential; hiking stick recommended: we'll climb uphill and down across a lot of rubble. High clearance vehicle necessary the last 2 miles of the 10 mile drive to the start of the hike. Car-pooling can be arranged at the Macey Center parking lot.

The Refuge
12:30 PM to 4:00 PM
WE18 - $10.00 Bosque, Lannan
Bosque del Apache NWR is ideally situated in a flyway ecosystem that extends from Canada to Mexico, and offers rest and food to migrating wildlife. Join our Wildlife Biologist, John Vradenburg, for a presentation and tour showcasing some of the ongoing habitat management projects at Bosque del Apache NWR. See how Refuge staff transforms the land: creating habitat, restoring natural processes, and manipulating land and water to benefit a variety of wildlife. You'll understand why the Refuge is one of fourteen Land Management Research and Demonstration Areas in the country that are outstanding examples of how applied research and habitat management work together.

Loggerhead Shrikes
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
WE19 - $5 Macey Center, Galena
The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a robin-sized, masked, hook-billed passerine that hunts like a small hawk, preying on invertebrates, insects, small animals, lizards and some small birds. They are known for their unique behavior of impaling their prey on sharp thorny vegetation or barbed wire. They occupy a broad geographic area and a wide variety of habitats. Throughout the North American range, they have aroused serious concern because of declining numbers, generally attributed to loss or degradation of habitat. Vicki Bailey has captured many photographs of this amazing bird over the course of a 3-year study, and will give you a comprehensive and entertaining glimpse of its fascinating behavior and striking beauty.

Cranes of the Rockies, Cranes of the World
2:30 PM to 3:30 PML M
WE20 - $5 Macey Center, Galena
Evelyn Horn will share the latest information from the Whooping Crane Convention in Necedah, Wisconsin, reviewing the Cross-Fostering Project and current efforts to create a second migrating Whooping Crane flock led by ultra-light aircraft. She also will present insights gained at the annual meeting of the International Crane Foundation into 14 species of the world's cranes including characteristics and behaviors of such extraordinary birds as the African Blue, the Australian Brolga, the Far Eastern Japanese Crane, the Demoiselle, and the far northern nesters such as the Siberian. Evelyn is the author of two books dealing with wildlife, particularly with cranes.

Look But Don't Touch
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
WE21 - $5 Bosque, Cactus Garden
The Laura Jean Deal Desert Arboretum is the cactus capital of the Bosque del Apache NWR. Naturalist Daniel Perry will stroll through the garden with you and discuss identification, propagation, cultivation and appreciation of these prickly plants. There are some imposters among these symbols of the Southwest, and you will learn to identify those as well.

Basic Animal TrackingW S
3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
WE22 - $10Bosque, Lannan
All animals that live in and around the Rio Grande bosque leave signs of their presence. Come learn the fundamentals of reading animal sign in the outdoors. Join presenter Kevin Hansen as he demonstrates how, where and when to find and interpret animal tracks, scat and scrapes. Limit 15.

Dinner Theater: "Moon over Buffalo"
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
WE23 - $32 Socorro,Garcia Opera House
The Socorro Community Theater will present the Broadway hit "Moon Over Buffalo" by Ken Ludwig at the historic Garcia Opera House. This side-splitting farce by the author of "Lend Me a Tenor" centers on a thespian couple in the twilight of their careers, expecting a visit by Hollywood director Frank Capra. Miscommunications fuel the non-stop antics both behind the scenes and on stage. Dinner menu available upon request after Labor Day. Pre-paid registration is required. Dinner and performance are $32.