PROGRAM, WORKSHOP, AND SPEAKER PROFILES

The Central Valley Birding Symposium is live again! We are so happy to be able to welcome you back to the 27th annual Central Valley Birding Symposium after four long years. This year’s program features two nationally known keynote speakers, as well as a full complement of field trips and short presentations highlighting the Central Valley. We would like to thank our sponsors for their continuing support, and to all of you for supporting the club the past three years. We look forward to seeing you in person in November! This year’s CVBS is Thursday, November 16, through Sunday, November 19, 2023.

Online registration is now closed. You can register at the event or by contacting Susie Nishio,
cvbsreg@gmail.com or 916-212-1659.

Birding with Jon Dunn: Yolo County, Capay to Woodland

5:30 AM — 4:00 PM

Registration begins at the Stockton Hilton Hotel

3:00 PM — 9:00 PM

Social Hour: Hors D'oevres/No Host Bar

6:00 PM — 7:00 PM

Please come and help us kick off this year’s CVBS! Come meet the CVBS board & staff members! Reconnect with old friends! Meet new ones! Enjoy the scrumptious Hors D’oeuvres buffet & No Host Bar!

Introduction: David Yee

7:00 PM — 7:30 PM

Welcome back! During this time, we will cover Friday’s field trips and make any special announcements and additions/or changes to the Symposium schedule.

Keynote Program: Ed Harper and Ed Pandolfino

7:30 PM — 9:00 PM

For the Love of Sparrows

If you still think of sparrows as LBJs (little brown jobs); skulky little drab guys, hard to identify, and generally unexciting… prepare to have your world rocked! The two Eds will take you on a journey through the world of sparrows to reveal the subtle beauty of their plumage and their songs. Along the way, you may pick up some useful ID tips and learn about the unparalleled variety of sparrow song composition.

An esteemed birder, photographer and presenter, Ed Harper was a long-time educator before taking up bird photography. He and his wife travel extensively, viewing and photographing the world’s wildlife and scenery. Ed also spends much of his time in his beloved home state of Montana. Ed traditionally kicks off the Symposium with one of his stunning photography presentations. He also creates and directs the challenging Bird ID workshops at the Symposium and at Western Field Ornithologists conferences.

Ed Pandolfino’s convoluted journey toward ornithology has taken him from touring Europe in a rock band, to getting a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, to becoming obsessed with all things bird. He has coauthored two bird books, published dozens of research papers, but loves nothing better than being alone at dawn recording bird song.

Birding with Jon Dunn: Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

5:15 AM — 2:00 PM

Presenter: Bob Steele

7:00 AM — 2:30 PM

Bird Photography: Part One, Capturing Images in the Field

Part one of a two-part class. Join professional bird photographer Bob Steele as we explore digital bird photography in the field. At a local park, we’ll look for easy-to-photograph subjects to allow the primary focus to be on technique and fundamentals. Topics discussed and explained will include camera setup, equipment, exposure techniques, composition, flash use, digital field evaluation of images, and approaching subjects. Later in the day, we hope to work on birds in flight, dealing with tricky light, getting close to difficult birds, and more. If you’ve just switched to mirrorless, or are seriously considering it, Bob will discuss the latest in mirrorless technology and the advantages in the field. Minimum equipment requirements for the workshop are: digital SLR body (or mirrorless); 300mm lens; teleconverters (optional), and tripod (optional). For more information about Bob, and to see more of his photography, check out his website: bobsteelephoto.com. Workshop fee ($25) includes Introduction to Photo Editing on Saturday. Limit 10.

Bob Steele is a retired engineer and professional bird photographer from Inyokern, CA. He has been involved in birding and bird photography for over 30 years. Inyokern is in the bird-rich Kern County, an area centrally located at the convergence of multiple bio-regions, providing the opportunity to photograph many avian subjects. Bob has also traveled around the country, to Central and South America, Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Southern Ocean and more, photographing birds along the way. Bob’s photos can be seen in many publications: Birding, Wild Bird, Birder’s World, Ducks Unlimited, National Geographic Traveler, and National Wildlife magazines; books include: multiple National Geographic field guides, the Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds of North America, the American Museum of Natural History Birds of North America, and the Stokes Field Guide to Birds of North America.

Bird Identification Panel: Moderated by Ed Harper

3:30 PM — 5:15 PM

This program has become an annual favorite. What better way to learn about the finer points of bird identification than by listening to the experts go through the process! Our illustrious panel will include Jon Dunn, Konshau Duman, Kimball Garrett, Keith Hansen and Lynette Williams. They will be presented with photos of difficult-to-identify bird groups (golden plovers, female goldeneyes, etc.), then each will mention what features they use to aid in clinching an ID.

Ed Harper, an esteemed birder, photographer, and presenter, was a long-time educator before taking up bird photography. He and his wife travel extensively, viewing and photographing the world’s wildlife and scenery. Ed spends much of his time in his beloved home state of Montana. He creates and directs the challenging Bird ID workshops at the Symposium and at Western Field Ornithologists conferences.

Dinner: Buffet/No Host Bar

6:30 PM — 7:30 PM

Keynote Program: Jonathan C. Slaght, PhD

7:45 PM — 9:00 PM

Owls of the Eastern Ice

From 2006-2010, Jonathan Slaght studied Blakiston’s fish owls in Russia for his PhD degree in Wildlife Conservation at the University of Minnesota. Fish owls are endangered, with 500-850 pairs in the wild, and almost none in captivity. With weights exceeding 11 lbs., these are the largest owls in the world. They rely on aquatic prey, mostly salmon, yet live in a part of the world where most water freezes for months on end. The purpose of this PhD project, a collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences, was to collect enough information about fish owl movement behavior to develop a conservation management plan to help protect them.

Slaght’s memoir of his experiences, “Owls of the Eastern Ice,” was published in summer 2020 to acclaim. It was named a New York Times Notable Book for 2020, was one of the Ten Best Books of 2020 per The Wall Street Journal, was longlisted for a 2020 National Book Award, and won the 2021 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, among other accolades. Here, he will describe the owls and his project, including details of the adventures and struggles of fieldwork, and on-going conservation efforts with this endangered species.

Jonathan Slaght received both MS and PhD degrees from the University of Minnesota, in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Conservation, respectively, and an undergraduate degree in Russian Language from Drew University in New Jersey. He’s worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) since 2011, where he is now the Regional Director of the WCS Temperate Asia Program. His duties include oversight and strategic conservation planning of all WCS activities in Russia, Mongolia, China, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran.

He also coordinates WCS avian conservation activities along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway from the tundra in the Arctic to the mudflats of Southeast Asia. Slaght’s writings, scientific research, and photographs have been featured by the BBC World Service, the New York Times, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, The New Yorker, and Audubon Magazine, among others. He is currently under contract with FSG to write a second book, titled “Tigers Between Empires,” about tiger conservation in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Presenter: Bob Steele

7:00 AM — 12:00 PM

Bird Photography Workshop: Part 2, Photo Editing

Using photos taken in the field on Friday, we will continue Saturday morning with the editing workshop where Bob will provide further techniques to really allow your photos to pop.

Presenters: David Yee and Jim Rowoth

8:00 AM — 11:45 AM

Beginning Birding Workshop

This two-part workshop will cover the basics. The first part, in the classroom, will include: how to choose and use optics and field guides, when and where to bird, and the first steps toward identifying a bird. In the second part of the workshop immediately following the class, participants will go into the field to practice many of the principles covered in the classroom. We will visit Oak Grove Regional Park in north Stockton, where wintering birds abound. Bring binoculars, a field guide and notebook.

David Yee is considered the top birder and field ornithologist in his native San Joaquin County as well as a top birder in the Central Valley. David started actively birding at the young age of ten and by the time he was in high school, birding had become his favorite hobby and passion. He majored in biology at UC Santa Cruz, and focused on bird science. He went on to become a full-time chemist, but birding remained his passion/obsession. David authored the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of San Joaquin County, and he was a Regional Editor of North American Birds, Northern California Region, from 1986-1994. David is a past president of San Joaquin Audubon Society, Central Valley Bird Club (also a founding member), and Western Field Ornithologists. David has travelled extensively throughout California and the US, as well as making numerous visits to Mexico, Central America, and Southeast Asia.

Jim Rowoth grew up in a small town in north central Missouri in the 1960s. He noted birds around him even as a child but did not take up bird watching until the mid-1980s, when he moved to Stockton. Jim got his BA in Spanish and Political Science at Southeast Missouri State University. He also has an MA in Spanish, and another in Teaching English as a Second Language. Jim has been an active member of San Joaquin Audubon Society (SJAS) since the 1980s, having served on the Board of Directors in a variety of positions, including president. He has been Stockton Christmas Bird Count compiler for decades. He has led field trips for SJAS, the Lodi Crane Festival, and Central Valley Birding Symposium. He has also taught beginning birding at Delta College, volunteered with San Joaquin Office of Education’s outdoor education program at Durham Ferry. He has extensively traveled and birded worldwide.

Presenter: Keith Hansen

8:00 AM — 10:00 AM

Bird Illustration: A Focus on Anatomy, Form and Pattern

Join bird artist Keith Hansen, for a clear and demystified look into bird illustration. With a step-by-step process, Keith will share his tips and techniques for capturing the bird on paper, how to rough out its form, and render basic patterns. We will focus on structural and feather anatomy, as well as color, pattern, and shape.

Participants are asked to bring their own:
Drawing Pad
Eraser
Several pencils with a range of different hardness
Sharpener, knife, or sandpaper.

Keith Hansen grew up in a family where nature and art were a pivotal part of his becoming a Bird Artist. Keith has illustrated birds since he was a teenager. His works have included over a dozen bird books and countless illustrations for various scientific organizations, publications, and logos. Keith and his wife Patricia enjoy leading tours to various countries from Mexico to Panama. His studio, “The Wildlife Gallery”, is in Bolinas California.

Presenters: Led by Dan Airola; Sage Madden & Ian Haliburton; and Chris Conard

11:00 AM — 12:15 AM

Update on Central Valley Bird Conservation and Research Programs

Join us for short presentations on conservation and research programs based in the Central Valley.

Effects of Urbanization on the Behavior and Reproduction of Black Phoebes in the Central Valley - Sage Madden and Ian Haliburton

Urbanization is a major and rapidly growing threat to avian species diversity. Urban environments have numerous differences from non-urban environments, including hotter temperatures, higher concentrations of chemical pollutants, and higher numbers of novel predators such as domestic cats. These environmental differences may lead to changes in the behavior and reproduction of individual birds that affect their ability to persist in an increasingly urbanized world. We report on the first year of a three-year study on the effects of urbanization on the behavior and reproduction of a local flycatcher, the Black Phoebe, in Sacramento, Yolo, and Solano counties.

Sage Madden is a third-year ecology PhD student at UC Davis. Her research focuses on how urbanization and climate change combine to affect birds living in cities. Currently, she studies Black Phoebes in the Sacramento region, and previously she worked with Barn Swallows in Colorado. Aside from research, Sage is passionate about community engagement in science through projects like eBird and NestWatch.

Ian Haliburton is a second-year PhD student studying animal behavior at UC Davis. His research is focused on the relationship between avian behavior, urbanization and chemical pollution. More than anything, Ian is passionate about California biodiversity and about ways that animal behavior can inform wildlife conservation and management.

The Decline of Burrowing Owls in the Sacramento region over the past 25 Years - Chris Conard

Burrowing Owls in Sacramento County and the wider region have undergone steep declines in both area occupied and total number of individuals. Known breeding pairs have dwindled to just a few sites, with substantial decline since 2018. There is an influx of wintering owls from unknown summering locations, but the species is also less numerous and widespread in winter than it was 25 years ago. Some population decline has been caused by development and increased levee maintenance, while other areas that appear intact have also seen sharp declines.

Chris Conard is a Natural Resource Specialist at the Bufferlands in Sacramento County. He regularly leads field trips for Sacramento Audubon, serves as a county editor for eBird, and is a past president of the Central Valley Bird Club.

Status update on Sensitive Species in the Central Valley: Purple Martin, Tricolored Blackbird, and Yellow-billed Magpie - Dan Airola

Dan will provide an update of population monitoring of these species, including even some encouraging news! He reports brand-new information from long term studies of Sacramento’s remnant martins (30 years), Sierra foothill tricolors (9 years), and Sacramento magpies (4 years).

Dan Airola is a Wildlife Biologist and Ornithologist who conducts conservation research for at-risk birds in Northern California. Dan is a Central Valley Bird Club Board member, Conservation Chair, and the Editor of Central Valley Birds. He also is the Past-President of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society, an organization of professional biologists. Dan has conducted long-term research on Purple Martins, Tricolored Blackbirds, Swainson’s Hawks, Turkey Vultures, and migratory songbirds, and recent studies on Yellow-billed Magpies and Ospreys.

Lunch & CVBC meeting:

12:30 PM — 2:15 PM

The CVBS serves as the annual meeting of the Central Valley Bird Club. We will conduct a brief meeting to give members (if you attend the Symposium, you are an automatic member) an update on the club, and to take care of any business that requires the approval by the membership. This is also when we will conduct the ever-popular raffle where many of the vendors and artists donate wonderful items and works to support the Club.

Presenters: Matt Allshouse and Pelayo Alvarez

2:30 PM — 3:30 PM

Audubon Conservation Ranching: Incentivizing Regenerative Rangeland Management by Connecting Certified Ranches to Consumer Markets

Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program (ACR) is designed to protect and improve rangelands by partnering with ranchers to transition to more regenerative grazing approaches via a ranch certification program. This presentation will highlight the ACR program components which includes the development of ranch-specific Habitat Management Plans and a third-party certified set of regenerative practices to increase climate resiliency, increase soil health and carbon sequestration, and increase overall biodiversity. Participating producers can use the Audubon green seal on their product to access premium markets increased sales or revenue. This presentation will highlight program practices, impact, and opportunities for engagement.
Here are some links to program specifics:

https://ca.audubon.org/conservation/conservation-ranching

https://www.audubon.org/news/what-world-conservation-ranching

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2017/how-cattle-ranchers-are-helping-save-western

Matt Allshouse came to Audubon California from Wyoming and has been the Conservation Ranching Program Manager for the state since September 2019. As a rangeland ecologist, he has 15 years of experience associated with land policy, management, and science. Previously, Matt served as Ranch Manager for Antelope Springs Land and Cattle in Wyoming, as a Biologist for the Peregrine Fund in Belize and Guatemala directing conservation field research, and as Ecologist with the consulting firm Trihydro Corporation focusing on restoration ecology. Matt holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources, and Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management from University of Wyoming.

Pelayo Alvarez works as the Director of the Conservation Ranching Program in California. Before joining Audubon, Pelayo worked for the Carbon Cycle Institute where he helped establish carbon farming programs across California. Pelayo has experience working with the ranching community, government agencies, academia and other stakeholders on rangeland conservation initiatives including the development of programs to incentivize good stewardship practices on rangelands. Pelayo also worked for Defenders of Wildlife as the Conservation Program Director for the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition where he coordinated research and outreach activities. Pelayo also teaches Rangeland Ecology and Management at American River College in Sacramento. His previous work experience includes positions at UC Davis, The World Bank and The Nature Conservancy. He has a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine from Universidad de Leon (Spain), a MS degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis.

Presenters: Rodd Kelsey, PhD, Greg Golet, PhD, and Kirsti Carr

3:45 PM — 4:45 PM

Impacts of Drought and Habitat Availability in the Central Valley on Migration and Body Condition of Shorebirds

Shorebird populations in North America have been declining for at least the past 40 years and Pacific Flyway populations are no exception. The loss or degradation of migratory stopover and overwintering sites is likely an important contributor to population declines. As a result, a core strategy of shorebird conservation is to ensure there is sufficient habitat available when and where they need it. In the highly-modified Central Valley of California, the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP - The Nature Conservancy, Point Blue Conservation Science, and Audubon California) designs and implements programs that intentionally flood wetlands and agricultural lands as migration and overwintering habitat for shorebirds and other waterbirds. Maximizing the effectiveness of this type of conservation investment is critical to arrest declines.

Recent, intense droughts and the prospect of such droughts more frequently will exacerbate this challenge. Understanding how shorebird body condition, stress levels and movement patterns change during the non-breeding season in response to these kinds of severe drought conditions can help address these questions and inform conservation management actions. If body condition is poor and/or stress levels are high during drought conditions, there is potential for adverse impacts to survival and reproduction that will likely result in population declines. Because shorebirds are highly mobile, severe drought conditions will also likely impact their movement patterns among types and complexes of flooded habitats including wetlands complexes managed by the California Department of Wildlife (CDFW). Understanding whether certain CDFW complexes of habitat have increased significance to shorebird populations during drought and how flexible shorebirds are in their movement patterns will guide future conservation investments in the Central Valley and management of CDFW wetlands. In this study, the MBCP is evaluating the effects of severe drought and subsequent habitat limitations on migratory shorebirds in California’s Central Valley that depend on managed wetlands and flooded agricultural fields. Insights gained about the impacts of drought and habitat availability on shorebirds will also be relevant for the many other wildlife that depend on these highly managed wetland systems.

In the Nature Conservancy’s California Chapter, Rodd Kelsey is the Director of the Land Conservation and Stewardship Program, overseeing a team that manages over 600,000 acres across California and is working to protect another 750,000 of connected lands by 2030 in landscapes and ecosystems that are underrepresented in California’s protected lands network. Prior to this, Rodd helped lead the Conservancy’s Central Valley strategies with a focus on wildlife-friendly agriculture and shorebird conservation. Prior to joining TNC, Rodd served as Director of Conservation for Audubon California. Previous work includes field research on several bird species throughout the United States and Central America and serving as natural resources manager for the U.S. Navy. Rodd received a B.A. in environmental conservation at the University of Colorado, an M.S. in biology at California State University, Long Beach, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.

In The Nature Conservancy’s California Chapter, Greg Golet provides science leadership to direct engagements in the state’s Great Central Valley. Current areas of focus include advancing waterbird conservation through compatible agriculture and restoring riparian and riverine ecosystems through floodplain restoration. His research focuses on evaluating the effects of management actions and advancing understanding of ecosystem dynamics so that conservation actions can be critically evaluated and new restoration strategies can be developed.

Prior to joining the Conservancy, Greg worked as a wildlife biologist studying seabirds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. He has a Ph.D. in Biology and an M.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz and has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications.

As an avian ecologist for Point Blue Conservation Science, Kirsti Carr’s work focuses primarily on migratory shorebirds throughout their annual cycle. She is based in the Sacramento Valley and currently leads the winter field effort for MBCP’s project investigating drought impacts on shorebirds. She supports various other projects related to shorebirds and wetland conservation in the Central Valley and beyond. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont. Prior work includes studying nest survival of Red-headed Woodpeckers, counting raptors at migration sites, lek surveys of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, and ongoing work in Arctic Alaska studying the breeding and migratory ecology of shorebirds.

Wine & Cheese Reception, Book Signing:

5:00 PM — 6:00 PM

This is a time to visit and have fun with one another. Keynote speaker, Rebecca Heisman, will be available to sign her books. Additionally many friends of the CVBC have recently authored books that may be in your library, so remember to bring yours if you want it signed. Some books will be available for purchase. Closer to the event in an email update, we’ll include a list of authors available for signing at the reception.

Dinner: Buffet/No Host Bar

6:00 PM — 7:30 PM

Keynote Program: Rebecca Heisman

7:45 PM — 9:00 PM

Flight Paths

When Rebecca Heisman worked for the American Ornithological Society, a large part of her job was reading and publicizing new scientific studies being published about bird migration. Often the part of a scientific paper she found herself most drawn to was, unexpectedly, the methods: how ornithologists were unraveling the details of where birds go, when, and why. This became the basis for her forthcoming book Flight Paths, which traces how bird-obsessed scientists have harnessed every major technological advance of the last century, from the invention of the transistor to the latest advances in machine learning and high-volume genetic sequencing, in pursuit of the secrets of bird migration. In her talk, Heisman will share more about how her book came to be and tell some of her favorite stories about adventurous migration researchers through the decades. She’ll also talk about “migratory connectivity”—how the distinct journeys of individual bird populations within a species can expose them to different threats and set them on different trajectories—and how getting to this level of detail in our understanding of the lives of migratory birds may be a key part of saving them in a changing world.

Rebecca Heisman is a science writer based in Walla Walla, Washington. She has contributed to publications including Audubon, Living Bird (the Cornell Lab of Ornithology magazine), and High Country News, and from 2015 to 2020 she worked for the American Ornithological Society, North America’s largest professional society for bird scientists. Her first book, Flight Paths, published by HarperCollins in March 2023, delves into the history, science, and quirky personalities behind how we know what we know about bird migration. When she’s not birding or writing, she can usually be found chasing after her four-year-old son or enjoying her ever-growing native plant garden.

Presenters: Jon Dunn, with Lara Tseng

8:00 AM — 9:30 AM

The Generic and Status and Distribution Approach to Tyrant Flycatcher Identification

Tyrant Flycatchers are one of the most difficult families to sort out and within North America many species present numerous identification problems, the two wood-pewees perhaps presenting the most vexing identification issue in North America for silent birds. But before venturing to specific identifications, try first correctly identifying the genus of the flycatcher encountered. Each genus has its own distinctive shape. Behavioral clues, like tail wagging, or not, and the choice for perches to “flycatch” from offer important clues. In short, if you can’t tell a pewee from an empid, don’t worry about telling the various empids apart. In addition to the generic approach, learning the rules of status and distribution for each species is usually more helpful than learning the subtle field marks that might distinguish them.

Jon Dunn has authored or co-authored many papers on status and distribution and identification. He was chief consultant or co-author on all seven editions of all seven extant editions of the National Geographic’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America (from the 3rd to the 7th with Jonathan Alderfer) as well as Birding Essentials (2007) and co-authored with Kimball L. Garrett, Warblers (1997) and Birds of Southern California, Status and Distribution (1981). Jon has been a member of the AOU’s (now AOS) Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (NACC) since 2000. Jon has led tours for Wings since 1977. Jon was a charter member for Western Field Ornithologists and has served for nearly two decades on their board, currently as Past President.

Lara Tseng is a 16-year-old college student at California State University Los Angeles majoring in biology. She has conducted research on Western Bluebirds and recently published a paper on Western Bluebirds and eggshell consumption in a peer-reviewed journal. Her favorite species is the Dunlin and she is particularly keen on studying the ten named subspecies, particularly the smallest subspecies, arctica, which breeds in northeast Greenland and winters in West Africa.

Presenters: Jim Burcio and Bob Solari

8:00 AM — 12:00 PM

Carving Seminar for Beginners

Join master carvers from the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association for a four-hour carving seminar. All of the necessary materials, including a study guide and the best knives on the market, will be provided for this seminar. Short lectures with lots of hands-on carving will enable you to complete a Semipalmated Plover. Topics include where to get your supplies, how to use reference material, wood selection, and how to use hand tools and power tools. There is a $25 fee for materials. The price includes a one-year membership in the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association and a club directory, so you’ll know who is carving in your area. Must be fifteen years old or older. Pre-registration necessary.

Presenter: Kimball Garrett

9:45 AM — 11:15 AM

Assembling California’s Avifauna

Birders are keenly aware of the utility of current range maps, from those carefully drawn in the best field guides to the raw data of atlases and eBird maps. But we think less about the time element – how a range map might have looked a hundred years ago, or even a hundred thousand years ago or five million years ago. Not to mention what range maps might look like after decades more of climate change and other human-caused insults to the planet.

This talk will draw on information from paleontology, biogeography, and recent advances in phylogenetics to look into the surprising biogeographical origins of many of California’s bird species, explore some major trends in distributional changes over past millennia, and take a glimpse into the future.

Kimball Garrett has been birding in California for nearly 60 years, and spent 40 years until his retirement in 2022 as Ornithology Collections Manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He has been a member of Western Field Ornithologists since its inception and served a term as WFO president. He is a long-time and current member of the California Bird Records Committee, regional co-editor (with Guy McCaskie) for the Southern California region for North American Birds, a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, and co-author of several books, many of which involved collaborations with Jon Dunn, a friend since childhood. Kimball lives in Juniper Hills, California and occasionally breaks the shackles of Los Angeles County to attend the Central Valley Birding Symposium.

Presenter: Robert Shields

1:00 PM — 2:30 PM

Birds, Chocolate and Wine at Heritage Oaks Winery

Come enjoy an afternoon of chocolate and wine pairings at Heritage Oak Winery with The Generous Danes Chocolates. This amazing offering is being made by long-time CVBC member and CVBS field trip leader, Robert Shields. He will be pairing the fine wines of Heritage Oak Winery with his custom handmade chocolate truffles. If you have never paired chocolate with wine, you’ve really missed out. If you have, you’ll be with an expert. Robert developed his love of “textures” and decadence after having the pleasure of sitting and talking to Julia Child for a day at a 1990 food and wine event in Mendocino. His chocolate truffles pay homage to the decadent fungus, truffles. Combining his love of wine and chocolate was a “logical” progression so he could serve up taste-sensory decadence. The venue will be the gorgeous Heritage Oak Winery patio and garden, where many birds will also be enjoyed. Robert is a senior consulting biologist and a professional bird guide. The cost is $50/person, which includes a small donation to the CVBC. Up to 50 people can attend.