Birds of Massachusetts: Winter Session
John Liller, Instructor
Sponsored by Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester
Please call 508-753-6087 to register

Date(s): Tuesdays, 1/3/2006 - 3/7/2006, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM

Fee: $100.00 for Adult Members, $120.00 for Adult Non-members

Program Description: This ten-week class is the second of three sessions
covering birds in Massachusetts. We'll discuss identification of the species
in detail through the use of slides, field guides, and visits to various
locations around the state. The birds covered in the winter session will
include loons, grebes, owls, finches, gulls, and alcids.  The class meets
Tuesday evenings, and weekend field trips will occur at places such as Cape
Ann, Newburyport/Salisbury, Quabbin, and Cape Cod.  Participants are
expected to have some birding experience and should bring binoculars and
field guides. (Participants need not have taken the fall session.)  Call
(508) 753-6087 to register.

Audience: Adult

Introduction to Birdwatching
Date(s): Mondays, 2/6/2006 - 3/6/2006, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Fee: $6.00 for Adult Members, $8.00 for Adult Non-members
Program Description: This program is a five-week lecture series designed to
teach the fundamentals of birdwatching. You can sign up for one, two, or all
five lectures. The lectures will cover the tools of the trade,
identification, habitat, migration, and much more. Join the hundreds of
people who have discovered the hobby of birdwatching.  Bring binoculars and
favorite field guides (if you have them). Call (508) 753-6087 to register.
Fees are per program.
Audience: Adult
     Week 1 History of Birdwatching and Tools of the Trade
     Week 2 Habitats and Migration
     Week 3 Common Feeder Birds
     Week 4 Waterfowl and Raptors
     Week 5 Warblers



Welcome Loons to Central Massachusetts!
Date(s): 2/11/2006, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Fee: $5.00 for Adult Members, $7.00 for Adult Non-members, $3.00 for Child
Members, $4.00 for Child Non-members.
Program Description: Join Roger Leo, photojournalist and wildlife educator,
who will share photographs and stories of his encounters with this
magnificent bird, whose population is increasing here in central
Massachusetts. Loons are being observed not only at the Quabbin Reservoir
but also in the lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the central part of our
state. When was the last time you heard the call of the loon? This is part
of our Magnificent Birds Series. For ages 10 and older. Call (508) 753-6087
to register.
Audience: Adult/Child



Winter Birding Trip to Plum Island
Date(s): 2/11/2006, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Fee: $25.00 for Adult Members, $32.00 for Adult Non-members
Program Description: Winter can be a great time to go birdwatching. Leave
the driving to us as we explore the winter birds in several Important Bird
Areas along the coast of Massachusetts. Plum Island is a birding hotspot for
all seasons. Join us as we explore the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
in search of waterfowl that are attracted to this area. Also be on the
lookout for shrikes, snowy owls, and snow buntings. We will make a brief
stop at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center to check local
sightings. Bring lunch, binoculars, a spotting scope, and a field guide.
Dress in layers for the cold weather. Van will leave promptly at 9:00 am.
Please arrive early. Call (508) 753-6087 to register.
Audience: Adult


For more info on these programs, contact

Kristin Steinmetz
Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary
414 Massasoit Road
Worcester, MA  01604
508-753-6087

Date(s): 3/8/2006, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Fee: $8.00 for Adult Members, $10.00 for Adult Non-members, $5.00 for Child
Members, $6.00 for Child Non-members.
Program Description: Worcester can now boast about its own pair of nesting
peregrine falcons. This past spring, the top floor balcony of the Flagship
Bank became home for several young peregrines. Under the expert direction of
Massachusetts Wildlife Biologist Tom French, the young birds were
successfully banded and will now be monitored. In 1966, primarily resulting
from DDT poisoning, these birds had completely disappeared as a breeding
bird in the East. Join Tom French for a slide show and discussion about the
comeback of these fabulous flyers.  For ages 10 and older. Call (508)
753-6087 to register.
Audience: Adult/Child

Date(s): 3/11/2006, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Fee: $30.00 for Adult Members, $37.00 for Adult Non-members
Program Description: While spending a winter day at the shore may not be for
everyone, may we remind you that Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is
the second best place in southern New England to see harlequin ducks? In
addition, common eiders, black and white-winged scoters, northern harriers,
buffleheads, and oldsquaw (now known as long-tailed ducks) are commonly
observed just offshore. This will not be a high-powered birding trip, but a
winter day at the shore, with birding being just one of the natural history
activities we'll indulge in!  Limited to nine participants; van
transportation from Broad Meadow Brook provided. Dress warmly, bring a bag
lunch, and be ready to leave at 9:00 am sharp from Broad Meadow Brook
Wildlife Sanctuary. Snow date is Sunday, March 12.  Call (508) 753-6087 to
register.
Audience: Adult

Revised  - 4 class sessions and 4 field trips
Cost $75.00 members / $95 non-members
Thursdays at 7:00-8:30 pm,
March 16 thru April 6 with weekend field trips

The long and ever-changing Massachusetts coast witnesses some of the most
dramatic and spectacular migrations in the spring. Sea ducks off the Cape,
loons and grebes off the South Shore, and shorebirds on the North Shore.
Some of the best land bird migrant "traps" are also found right along the
shore. This class will focus on traveling to some of the best-known birding
coastal destinations in the state such as Plum Island, Marblehead Neck, and
Cape Ann. Weekday evening lectures will focus on seabird migration and
identification topics. Join us as we watch wave after wave of migrants pass
by along the beautiful coast of our state as the snow melts, the
temperatures rise, and the world turns green once more.

Please call Broad Meadow Brook at 508-753-6087 to register

Date(s): Tuesdays, 3/28/2006 ~ 5/30/2006, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Fee: $100.00 for Adult Members, $120.00 for Adult Non-members
Program Description: This ten-week class is the third of three sessions
covering birds in Massachusetts. We'll discuss identification of the species
in detail through the use of slides, field guides, and visits to various
locations around the state. The birds covered in the spring session will
include warblers, flycatchers, thrushes, rails, and terns.  The class meets
Tuesday evenings, and weekend field trips will occur at locations such as
Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, River Bend Farm, and Quabbin
Park.  Participants are expected to have some birding experience and should
bring binoculars and field guides. (Participants need not have taken the
fall or winter sessions.)  Call (508) 753-6087 to register.
Audience: Adult

For more information, or to register, please contact Broad Meadow Brook at
508-753-6087.

As the New England regional editor for North American Birds magazine, chair of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee, and a member of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program advisory committee, Petersen is well acquainted with local bird conservation.

Among his publications are Birds of Massachusetts (with Richard Veit), Birds of New England (with Roger Burrows), and The National Audubon Society's Pocket Guide to Songbirds and Familiar Backyard Birds (East). Petersen also edited the Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas (with Roger Meservey) and contributed to The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. He regularly leads birding tours, which have taken him from arctic Canada to South America, Antarctica, New Zealand, Iceland, Africa, and Madagascar.