NEW! Beginning Birding class held in a Series of 3 Field Trips Limited to 12 participants (PIAS members only) —three 1.5 hour field experiences!
Tuesday mornings 9:00 am-10:30 am for 3 weeks (March 22, 29, & April 5, 2022)
Instructor: Julian Grudens
A free series of instructional birding trips to local areas, tailored to beginners, no experience or knowledge of birds necessary. Binoculars will be available for participants to use.
Register and join us for three 1.5 hour Field classes. While participants must be Pelican Island Audubon Society members, any member of the public is welcome to become a member as a part of their registration for the course. Click to become a member of Pelican Island Audubon Society.
Each class day will begin at a different local birding hotspot, where participants will have the opportunity to study a variety of common local birds and ask any questions they may have. The goal of this series is to provide an easygoing opportunity for folks to start birding or take their interest in birds a bit further by getting out in the field and becoming more proficient at identifying and finding birds, as well as enjoying and appreciating birds and surrounding nature. Be prepared for short hikes on well-kept trails, with amenities and parking nearby. Classes are about 1.5 hours, but you may want to continue exploring these places afterward.
Day 1: Tuesday, March 22nd at 9:00am
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Viewing Area (Centennial Trail and Observation Tower Parking Lot)
We will start with the basics, such as using binoculars and spotting scopes, basic types of birds, and some helpful terminology. Aside from this instruction, participants will have most of the time available to study, learn about, and enjoy the birds at our first location, focusing on birds that are easy to watch and identify. For those who already have some knowledge of those basic birds, our instructor can work with participants individually to identify their learning objectives.
To conclude the first class, we will summarize our findings from the outing, and provide some recommendations for resources such as bird guides that participants can use while watching birds on their own until the next week.
Day 2: Tuesday, March 29th at 9:00 am
North Sebastian Conservation Area (On Main Street in Sebastian, across from post office)
We will welcome folks back for a morning of birding and learning at another great location. This time, we will get started watching birds right away and be introduced to some new kinds of local birds around us. Many of the same kinds of birds from the first class will be around to refamiliarize ourselves with.
Day 3: Tuesday, April 5th at 9:00 am
Sebastian Inlet State Park (South Side, Indian River County)
Entrance Fee Required $4 single occupant vehicle, $8 multiple occupant vehicle. Or State Park Pass.
Welcome back again for our final class, hopefully you are enjoying this course and finding more time to enjoy birds around you during the week.. We will visit one of the top hotspots in the region and enjoy watching more birds.
We will visit different types of habitats to see how many different species of birds we can find in varied habitats. across. There will be opportunities for participants to identify and categorize new types of birds using field guides and other resources that we have learned about.
Your instructor:
Julian Grudens is a long-time local birder and a biologist with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. Over the past few years, Julian has worked as a field biologist on various bird research and conservation projects around North America. Last year, he worked for both Cape May and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatories as a staff member for their famous migration monitoring counts. Now preparing to begin a master’s degree in biology with a focus in ornithology, this spring, Julian is back on the Treasure Coast volunteering to run a number of field trips and walks with Pelican Island Audubon Society. Will Johnson & Julian Grudens gave a talk: Scroll down to view A Birder’s Guide to Bird Migration in Indian River County.