Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival: Watching Warblers with Homer Hansen

Warblers are challenging to identify and Homer is not only knowledgeable, he can help you to master this skill. You’ll visit appropriate habitats, and with Homer’s skill, you will soon be able to keep up with the best. Species that might be seen include black-throated gray, Nashville, Grace’s, Lucy’s, Virginia’s, and yellow yellow-rumped warblers, painted redstart, common yellowthroat, and yellow-breasted chat. Homer will be presenting a workshop on Thursday afternoon where he will go over the basics of warbler ID. We recommend attending this workshop in preparation for this field trip. Rating: 3 Transportation: Vans Meal: Bring your own lunch Cost: $110 Trip Guide: Homer Hansen President, Wings Over Willcox Homer Hansen, the author of the G.I.S.S. Series bird identification guides, has been bird watching in the southwest since 1995. He especially enjoys the challenges and learning posed by the difficult groups of birds and continues to learn about the secrets to bird identification. Homer is a native of Willcox, Arizona. He feels fortunate to have grown up surrounded by Sandhill Cranes in winter and Cassin’s sparrows in summer. Homer has presented numerous workshops on sparrows, raptors, flycatchers, warblers, and bird ecology and is the course instructor for the Tucson Audubon Society’s Moving to Mastery birding workshops. He is also a regular presenter and trip leader for other Arizona birding festivals. Homer earned his B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona and now is the president and owner of Aplomado Environmental LLC, providing services to characterize and remove contaminants from soil and groundwater.         Part of the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival It’s the 2024 Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival! In 2024, join us as we explore the theme of migration and its impact on riparian areas in our environment. Our keynote speaker, Richard Crossley, will lead discussions, and the featured bird for the year is the common black hawk. The Free Family Nature Festival at the Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival will be in the lagoon area on Saturday, April 27th from 9am to 3pm. There will be armchair birding and guided bird walks all across the Verde Valley from April 25th - 28th that you do need to register for.