Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com.
The North American Gull Conference 2010 is a special feature of the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival and is co-hosted by the Volusia County Marine Science Center. The event will be held in Titusville, Florida from January 27 through February 1, 2010.
Following is a quick look at the scheduled events of the Gull Conference:
Beach Gull Watch – Jan 26. 3-9 pm Daytona Beach Shores Resort. Dinner served at 7pm. Keynote Speaker Bruce Mactavish will present “A Birders Introduction to Gull Watching: Yesterday and Today.”
Gull Classroom Workshops: Taking the Fear Out of Identifying Gulls. Presented by Alvaro Jaramillo. Jan 27, 8-9:30 am; Jan 28, 12:30-1:30 pm; Jan 29, 8-9:30 am.
Gull ID at Brevard County Landfill (field workshop). Jan 27 & 29, 10 am-12:30 pm. Thousands of gulls of many different species will be observed close range. Bald Eagles and other species are present too.
Gull ID at Daytona Beach Shores (field workshop). Jan 28, 2:30-5 pm. Land crabs and other natural foods attract gulls of all kinds. Trip leaders assist in identification.
A Birder’s Introduction to Gull Watching. Presented by Bruce Mactavish. Jan 30, 10-11:15 am. Why is gull watching becoming so popular with birders?
Decoding the Herring Gull Complex: In the New World (intermediate level). Jan 29, 3:30-5 pm. Presented by Martin Reid. Examine migration and vagrancy of rare forms, learn to distinguish different age classes.
Gull Nightmares from the Bering Sea Region, Alaska. Jan 31, 8-9:30 am. Paul Lehman addresses difficult and unresolved identification issues of the Bering Sea gull population.
Hybrid Gulls in Eastern North America: Potential Identification Traps. Jan 29, 1:30-3 pm. Bruce Mactavish explores frequent hybrid gull combinations in the East. A must for serious Eastern US gull watchers.
Large Gull Workshop: A Round Table Discussion. Jan 31, 3-4:30 pm. Gull experts lead a discussion covering identity, occurrence, range, hybridization dynamics, using molt in gull I.D., and much more. Discussion of rare and unidentified gulls seen during the conference. Q&A session.
The Truth About Gulls: Most Are Easy to Identify. Jan 30, 1-2:15 pm. Michael O-Brien shows how easy gull identification usually is when you know which features to focus on.
Younger Yellow-legged Gulls: What to Look For (intermediate/advanced level). Jan 30, 11:30 am-12:45 pm. Martin Reid presents. A primer on different types of yellow-legged gulls in Gulf and Atlantic Florida.
Get more information, registration forms and a catalogue of classes, field trips, and presentations at the website of the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival: http://www.nbbd.com/fly/.
All events require registration! Classes fill up fast so get registered early.
