Thursday, January 29, 2009

Flying South

To be more accurate, I should specify that I'm driving south, but the result will be the same no matter how I get there: I'm attending the sixth annual St. George Winter Bird Festival this weekend in southern Utah. The event includes quite a few really interesting presentations -- I'm especially looking forward to "Bird Brained" this evening about birds' intelligence, as well as "Bird Photography" on Friday and "Binoculars and Scopes" on Saturday. The true highlight, however, will undoubtedly be the four or five field trips I'll be able to participate in after the presentations.

Because St. George is significantly lower than Utah County in terms of elevation, the climate can be quite different and there are many bird species there that do not make it this far north. Ponds, rivers, desert brush, trails, and other habitat options are sure to yeild an amazing variety of wildlife. I hope to see a number of new species to add to my life list, and whatever other tidbits I learn along the way will be most welcome.

Wherever your birding travels may take you this weekend, whether across the country, across your state, or simply into your backyard, I wish you a pleasant "flight!"

3 comments:

Unknown said...

hey, this is mckay, the one with the birding blog. anyway, how did you find my blog? I ask a lot of people that because a lot of people leave comments on my blog that I do not know.

Unknown said...

do you travel?

Melissa said...

Hi McKay! I found your blog because you'd posted on the Stokes Birding Blog, asking if the green siskins were found in Utah, so I knew I had found another Utah birder!

Yes, I do travel, both for pleasure and for business. When birding is involved, business is a pleasure!