** traffic on Blackhouse Road will be One Way between the hours of 8am & 6pm on Winter Raptor Fest weekend – please follow signs…**
Winter Raptor Fest 2013!
March 23 & 24
Featuring Live Bird of Prey presentations and free-flight demos, horse-drawn wagon rides and guided walks on both days…
SPECIAL OFFER! Donate/Join Friends of the IBA
and receive
*FREE EVENT ADMISSION & TICKETS
to Live Bird of Prey Programs
*minimum donation applies – seating guaranteed!
click above link for details or visit Friends of the IBA’s new website at www.ibafriends.org
be sure to check back for exciting new programs & activities
and final details of…
Friends of the IBA’s 3rd annual “Art for the IBA” … top 35 Artists juried into the Art Show will receive free tickets to “Night Out” Wine & Cheese reception at Oliva Vineyards and a chance to win
great prizes in 2 categories:
“Best of Winter Raptor Fest” & “Life in the IBA!”
Winter Raptor Fest is a fun and exciting fundraiser for Friends of the IBA’s work to protect endangered Short-eared Owls and other at risk birds of the Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA) and their habitat.
*Admission* FEE: $5 kids 12 & under; $10 Adults
Friends of the IBA Members can sign up for free giveaways during Winter Raptor Fest weekend!
Beat the lines and join today! for details and Membership form
go to www.ibafriends.org
*Each Admission comes with 2 tickets to any Live Bird of Prey program:
tickets must be presented on entry to program area.
Gallup Ridge Farm is a working horse farm;
Please do not try to pet or feed the horses – some of them bite!
NOTE: Programs will be held in tent outside and in designated area of barn.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Live Birds of Prey, Walks & Other Presentations
Saturday, March 23
08:30AM – 10:00AM Guided Snowshoe Walk - must pre-register! (see descr. below for contact)
- Your chance to see and learn about native birds and encounter some of our threatened and at risk raptors as you experience the IBA for yourself! (participation limited)
Time: Presenter: Location:
10:00AM New York State Wildlife Rehab Council (NYSWRC) BARN
- Learn about some of our most endangered raptors and the world of Wildlife Rehabilitation
Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
11:00AM Friends of the IBA TENT
- Opening remarks by special guest New York State Senator Betty Little,
followed by brief intro to the amazing & At Risk birds of the
Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area
11:30AM Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) TENT
- A glimpse into the world of raptors as some of our native owls, hawks and falcons demonstrate the “Physics of Flight” Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
12:00PM The Wildlife Institute of Eastern NY (TWIENY) BARN
- Meet a wide variety of rare and common owls, hawks and falcons, with intro to basics of Wildlife Rehabilitation Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
01:00PM Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center (AWRRC) BARN
- “Biodiversity – What’s in it for us?” featuring owls and other raptors as indicator species
Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
02:00PM Adirondack Raptors BARN
- Live Birds of Prey demonstrate “free-flight” and habitat adaptations; field research into
Northern Harriers & American Kestrels Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
03:00PM Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) TENT
- A glimpse into the world of raptors as some of our native owls, hawks and falcons
demonstrate the “Physics of Flight” Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
05:30PM SHORT-EARED OWL WATCH - must pre-register!
- There are less than 100 of these amazing owls left in the wild! The Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area, or IBA, is critical to the survival of Short-eared Owls in New York State. Participation limited. See descr. below…
Call Rich at 518 623-2587 to register
Places to Stay for the weekend, Washington County Maple Weekend and other attractions & activities…
Historic Inn of Fort Edward - a newly restored inn closest to Winter Raptor Fest!
Queensbury Hotel – gracious rooms and dining less than 10 miles from Winter Raptor Fest!
Lant Hill Farm B & B – chalet style B & B on a working organic farm; not far from the IBA!
Oliva Vineyards - Open for wine tastings and sales Saturday and Sunday Noon till 5:00 PM; this beautiful vineyard and Thoroughbred Horse Farm is located in the IBA on Route 4 in Fort Edward… just a few furlongs away from Gallup Ridge Farm and Winter Raptor Fest! Stop in and say hello to the two new foals at the farm and tell their human caretakers you heard about them at Winter Raptor Fest!
GlensFallsRegion.com www.washingtoncounty.org washingtonnycounty.com
Sunday, March 24
Time: Presenter: Location:
10:00AM North Country Wild Care (NCWC) BARN
- Meet some of our native raptors and learn about Wildlife Rehabilitation
Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
11:00AM Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) TENT
- A glimpse into the world of raptors as some of our native owls, hawks and falcons demonstrate the “Physics of Flight” Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
12:00PM The Wildlife Institute of Eastern NY (TWIENY) BARN
- Meet a wide variety of rare and common owls, hawks and falcons, with intro to basics of Wildlife Rehabilitation Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
01:00PM Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center (AWRRC) BARN
- “Biodiversity – What’s in it for us?” featuring owls and other raptors as indicator species
Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
02:00PM Adirondack Raptors BARN
- Live Birds of Prey demonstrate “free-flight” and habitat adaptations; field research into
Northern Harriers & American Kestrels Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
02:00PM Animal Whisperer - Saratoga Animal Connection TENT
- Learn about animal communication from an expert
03:00PM Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) TENT
- A glimpse into the world of raptors as some of our native owls, hawks and falcons
demonstrate the “Physics of Flight” Live Birds of Prey (ticket required)
We will continue to add new programs and update the schedule on a regular basis; you are welcome to link to our site but, for this and other reasons we ask that you…
Please do not post this schedule on your website; Thank You!
Food Concessions
- Meme’s Snack Shack: offering a variety of hot and cold food and drinks, & great chili!
- Harry’s Hot Dogs: hot dogs, sausage, keilbasa, nachos, soda
- Cider Man: specialty hot cider with cranberries; cold cider available
- Bake Sale: Little Theater on the Farm
- Mack Brook Farms: 100% grassfed Angus beef for sale (cryovac packaged and frozen)
50/50 RAFFLE and Sleigh Rides (11am-3pm) – both days!
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS:
Friends of the Washington County Grasslands IBA
Introduction to the endangered, threatened, at risk and simply amazing birds of this unique IBA and a brief overview of grasslands ecology.
Adirondack Raptors “Flight, Habitat and Raptor Research”
by Mark Manske
Free flight demos highlight this fascinating look at flight adaptations that suit a species to its habitat. Mark is a Master Falconer and scientist will also share results of some of his field research to help recover American Kestrels and threatened Northern Harriers.
Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center “Biodiversity – what’s in it for us?”
by Wendy Hall
Live Birds of Prey help demonstrate the importance of the food chain and how it relates to indicator species like the Short-eared Owl.
New York State Wildlife Rehab Council
by Kelly Martin
Learn about some of our most endangered raptors and the world of Wildlife Rehabilitation
North Country Wild Care by Nancy Kimball
Meet some of our raptors and learn about Wildlife Rehabilitation
The Wildlife Institute of Eastern New York “Introduction to Raptors & Wildlife Rehabilitation” by Trish Marki
Meet a variety of raptors from different habitats and get a glimpse into the at times heartwarming and at times heartbreaking world of wildlife rehabilitation.
Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
by Hannah Putnam
- Join VINS educators in an engaging presentation that explores the natural world through the eyes of a variety of raptors as some of our native owls, hawks and falcons demonstrate the “Physics of Flight” and what it takes to survive in the wild. VINS is a highly regarded center of education, research & wildlife rehabilitation located in Vermont.
Saratoga Animal Connection
“Animal Whisperer” Susan Hamlin offers a holistic approach to enhance the human-animal connection. Interspecies communication, clinics, holistic addresses for behavior, health, competition and companionship. Serving an international clientele by phone and Skype, barn calls in Saratoga NY region.
Guided Bird Walks - (walks will be held with our without snow )
Your chance to see and learn more about the birds and their habitat – and perhaps experience an unforgettable encounter of your own! *Group sizes limited – MUST PRE-REGISTER!
SATURDAY a.m – Look for and learn to identify At Risk and common grassland birds with avid birders and Friends of the IBA outings leaders Rich Speidel and Bo Harris. Hawks, Falcons, Eastern Bluebird, Mockingbird and many more! Eastern Meadowlarks are even possible.
Call Rich at 518 623-2587 to register
SATURDAY p.m - your chance to encounter the IBA’s endangered Short-eared Owls and other raptors with Ron Renoni (the Eagle Watch guy) and Friends of the IBA Board Members. Northern Harrier sightings also possible.
Call Rich at 518 623-2587 to register
SUNDAY – this walk is replaced by the Saturday Evening Owl Watch
Children’s Activities
Make and take crafts and games with Queensbury Girl scouts, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, D.E.C. Five Rivers Environmental Center, World Awareness Children’s Museum (GO). Friends of the IBA and more!
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