2005 Hummer/Bird Celebration is BIG deal!

Connie Hagar Lecture Series Returns to Hummer/Bird Celebration

Texas A & M University Press will again present the Hummer/Bird Celebration Connie Hagar Lecture Series. This year the program will feature the eagerly awaited new book Hummingbirds of Texas, published by Texas A & M University Press and due out just in time for the Hummer/Bird Celebration. The Lecture this year will be held Saturday night beginning at 7:30 with a program presented by Sid & Shirley Rucker, photographers for the book and followed immediately by a discussion session with Hummingbirds of Texas authors Clifford Shackelford, Madge Lindsay and Mark Klym and book illustrator Clemente Guzman. This book promises to be a real boon to Texas hummingbird lovers so don’t miss this opportunity to meet with everyone involved in its production. Be sure to bring your copies (and gifts) to have them autographed. The Hummer/Bird Celebration would like to thank Texas A & M University Press for making the Connie Hagar Lecture Series part of the event.

Jack L. Brady is a Research Technician supervising establishment and maintenance of crops used for research by the Entomology Department at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Stephenville. He has a B. S. in Biology (1990) from Sul Ross State University, which specialized in the flora and fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert Region.
“Utilization of Solitary Trap-nesting Bees and Wasps” -This program defines and identifies the types of native trap-nesting bees and wasps of Texas, how and why to attract them and the types of plants that may be serviced by these insects.

David Dauphin has been birding almost 40 years. He has served on the boards of the Valley Land Fund, Friends of Santa Ana NWR, Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society, Houston Audubon Society, Houston Ornithological Group and is a past president of Texas Ornithological Society.
“Fall Beach Birds & Shorebird Identification” - David Dauphin will give you a look at how to easily identify those confusing shorebirds. NOTE: Following this talk, David will conduct a field trip at Rockport Beach Park for field instruction on shorebird identification. Details of the trip will be given during David’s program.

Richard & Susan Day are professional photographers and writers who specialize in backyard wildlife. They own Daybreak Imagery, a company that markets photographs, magazines, books, calendars and advertising to clients worldwide. Richard is the primary photographer with photos published in Audubon, Birder’s World, Sierra Club, National Geographic, National Wildlife and others. He leads photo workshops for Frontiers North Adventures and International Wildlife Adventures. Susan also photographs but devotes most of her time to writing about backyard wildlife. She’s co-author of The Wildlife Gardener’s Guide to Hummingbirds and Songbirds from the Tropics. Susan is on the Board of the North American Nature Photography Association. The Days have both won national awards for photography and writing, have worked as book consultants for several birding books and teach nature and photography workshops. At their home on 63 acres near Alma, Illinois, they’ve designed and created a sanctuary for wildlife where many of their photographs are made. They’ve received several awards for wildlife conservation efforts. Their personal and professional goals are to use their words and pictures to create an awareness of nature to help maintain and restore habitat for wildlife.
“A Celebration of Wings” - Professional nature photographers Richard and Susan Day present “A Celebration of Wings”. Since he was a child, Richard has been fascinated by everything that flies. During the past 20 years he’s photographed thousands of winged-things, from large-winged Brown Pelicans to dime-sized Eastern-tailed Blue butterflies. This program will feature his award-winning photographs to celebrate the beauty, splendor and natural history of birds, butterflies and dragonflies. The Days will tell the stories behind their pictures about the trials, tribulations, surprises and joys of photographing things that move.

Clemente Guzman - Illustrator for Hummingbirds of Texas - Guzman has been drawing since the third grade but didn’t get paid for drawing until he was 21. He obtained a scholarship from the Minnesota Migrant Council which allowed him to continue his education at the Mankato Technical Institute where he earned an associate’s degree in commercial art. He has been employed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for 14 years. While at TPWD, he has illustrated 19 state hunting/fishing stamps and several wildlife posters. A number of his departmental publications have received awards such as the Association for Conservation Information, the Izzak Walton League and the Addy Award. His illustrations can be seen in Birds of the Texas Hill Country and Puro Conjunto. He is a current member of Texas Wild Bunch Professional Artists. His work is found in both business and private collections.

Mark Klym is the coordinator of the Texas Hummingbird Roundup working for the Wildlife Diversity Program at Texas Parks & Wildlife. Trained as a biologist at Lake Superior State University, he followed the hummingbirds south in 1999. Mark is a co-author of the new Hummingbirds of Texas.
“How Come I Ain’t Got No Hummingbirds?” - This program presented by Mark will explore the hummingbirds that are commonly seen in Texas as well as some of the rarer visitors we enjoy and how to attract and maintain them in our backyards. Hummingbirds, like all our wildlife, require the basics of food, shelter and water but there is much more to maintaining an effective and reliable hummingbird population in your garden than simply putting up a hummingbird feeder. He will cover plant selection, layout, artifact (bird bath, dripper, feeder, etc.) use and maintenance tips.

Karen Krebbs graduated from the University of Arizona in Wildlife Biology and began working at the Desert Museum in 1987. She has studied hummingbirds for over 20 years. Karen has written books, articles and scientific papers on hummingbirds. She oversaw the popular “Hummingbirds of the Sonoran Desert” exhibit at the Desert Museum for more than 15 years. Her hummer lectures, workshops and natural history trips are very popular. She gives advice to other zoological institutions and gardens about keeping hummers in captivity. She has researched behavior and breeding of hummingbirds in captivity and the wild.
“Those Amazing Hummingbirds” - Karen will talk about the common hummingbird species in Arizona and at the Desert Museum. She will describe some of the amazing behaviors and breeding biology she has observed during her research and observations. Her slide images are spectacular and amusing! Hummingbirds will make you smile and laugh!

Georgean & Paul Kyle have had a love affair with Chimney Swifts for over 20 years. They have hand-reared and released more than 1100 babies, cared for injured adults, built dozens of towers for the swifts to nest and roost in and worked tirelessly to educate the public about these benign, beneficial avian insectivores. In 1995 they founded the North American Chimney Swift Nest Site Research Project, a continent-wide conservation initiative and in 1999 received the National Partners in Flight award for their efforts in Public Awareness. Their book about the secret life of Chimney Swifts and a companion Chimney Swift tower construction guide were recently published by the A & M University Press.
“America’s Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace” - Sleek, unique and secretive, Chimney Swifts build their nests, raise their families and sleep just feet from where we watch TV, eat meals and play with our own children, yet most people have never actually seen one to know what it is. Join Georgean and Paul Kyle as they explore the secretive home life of these aerial acrobats, their fight to cling to survival and what is being done to conserve their declining number.

James Lasswell is a Senior Research Associate and Director of Field Research for the Department of Entomology at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Stephenville. He has a Bachelor’s in Botany with a minor in Zoology and a Master’s in Aquatic Biology. He is author or co-author of a number of peer-reviewed papers that cover such topics as algae, fishes, horticultural production and insects (primarily dragonflies). He recently co-authored a (much anticipated) book with Dr. Forrest Mitchell entitled A Dazzle of Dragonflies. He took up photography in the early 1990’s and has become adept at the use of both 35 mm and digital cameras in taking close-up images of nature’s creatures.
“Beginning Close-up Photography” - This special two-part workshop includes classroom work on Friday followed by hands-on field work on Saturday. Richard Day and James Lasswell will teach you the basics of getting started in close-up photography. They’ll discuss lenses, teleconverters, diopters, extension tubes, tripods, when to use flash, explain depth of field (so your subjects are in focus) and share tips for great close-up photos. They’ll show how to compose and expose your pictures like a pro and how to improve your photos of flowers, butterflies and dragonflies even without specialized equipment. NOTE: Class is limited to 15 and participants must bring their own 35mm or digital SLR camera.

Madge Lindsay is Executive Director for Audubon Mississippi, which sponsors the extremely successful Hummingbird Migration Celebration in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She also serves as Director for Strawberry Plains Audubon Center where an annual hummingbird celebration takes place. Before joining Audubon in 2002, Madge worked at Texas Parks and Wildlife where her love of birds and birding inspired her to develop the Texas Hummingbird Round-up, the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the Great Texas Birding Classic and later the World Birding Center. She is also co-author of the newly published Hummingbirds of Texas.
“Charismatic Hummingbirds” - Why are people in love with hummingbirds? Madge will help answer this interesting question through a colorful program based on her extensive experience with people whose lives have been changed by birds and hummingbirds in particular. Her program will also focus on her new book Hummingbirds of Texas, inspired by her work on the Texas Hummingbird Round-up.

Charles Melton is a professional nature photographer with 16 years of experience photographing hummingbirds. He leads hummingbird photography workshops and is the author of a number of hummingbird articles.
“Hummingbirds in the U. S.” - Experience the diversity of hummingbird species occurring in the U. S. along with many of their interesting behaviors. Discover clues to hummingbird identification and learn which species occur in your area.

Sid & Shirley Rucker are a husband and wife nature photography team. They photograph birds (with a specialty in hummingbirds), mammals, insects and other nature subjects. The Ruckers present slide shows to various local, state and national organizations. Their list of publication credits includes national and international magazines, books and calendars. They are the hummingbird photographers for the just-released book Hummingbirds of Texas published by A & M University Press.
“Hummingbirds of Texas by Sid & Shirley Rucker”- This program is a two projector slide presentation of Texas hummingbirds with stories and anecdotes about these fascinating birds. It features the birds’ habitats, behavior and beauty.

Clifford Shackelford is a fourth generation Texan who started birdwatching at the early age of nine. He has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s from SFA in Nacogdoches. He is currently the nongame ornithologist for the Wildlife Diversity Program at Texas Parks and Wildlife where he’s been employed since 1997. He has published over 50 papers on birds and birding, many of which have appeared in peer-reviewed journals like The Wilson Bulletin, Journal of Raptor Research, Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society and more. He and his wife and son live in Austin.
“Watching Hummingbirds in Texas: More Interesting than Reality Television” - In this presentation Clifford will discuss the detailed lives of the 18 species of hummingbirds that occur in Texas. He is co-author of “Hummingbirds of Texas”.

Clay Sutton lives at Cape May, New Jersey and teaches workshops for the Institute for Field Ornithology of the American Birding Association and for Cape May Bird Observatory. He has authored and co-authored numerous books including Hawks in Flight (with Pete Dunn and David Sibley), Birds of Prey of North America (with Richard Walton) and How to Spot an Owl, How to Spot Hawks & Eagles and How to Spot Butterflies (all with his wife Pat), as well as numerous popular magazine articles. Clay is a writer, lecturer, naturalist, wildlife biologist and bird tour leader. He was formerly an environmental planner, administrator and environmental consultant. Migration in all its forms remains his captivating interest.
“How to Spot Hawks & Eagles: Texas Specialties” - This slide program will cover raptor basics, how to find hawks and eagles both near and far and identification of Texas specialties. Clay will share the excitement of autumn at Cape May and of migration at many other hotspots such as Santa Ana NWR in Texas, Duluth in Minnesota, Braddock Bay in New York and Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania.

Pat Sutton is the Program Director for New Jersey Audubon Society’s Cape May Bird Observatory. She is the co-author of How to Spot an Owl, How to Spot Hawks and Eagles and How to Spot Butterflies (along with her husband Clay) and New Jersey Audubon’s Backyard Habitat for Birds. Pat is a founding Board Member of the North American Butterfly Association. She is a passionate photographer of wildlife gardens, butterflies, moths and many other critters. 
“How to Spot Butterflies in Texas and Everywhere” - South Texas, with its sub-tropical climate boasts over 290 species of butterflies! This indoor slide program is based on Pat and Clay Sutton’s book How to Spot Butterflies. Pat will relate her fascination with butterflies and convey the excitement of searching for, studying, attracting and enjoying these winged jewels. Some of her butterfly adventures to the Artic, THE Monarch roost in Mexico, South Texas and her hometown Cape May will be shared. NOTE: This program will be followed by a butterfly/hummingbird watching field trip lead by Pat and Sheri Williamson. Time and place of the field trip to be announced during the program.

Connie Toops is a popular nature writer, photographer and contributing editor for Birder’s World magazine. She specializes in designing backyard landscapes to attract and photograph wildlife. Toops is the author of the award-winning book Bluebirds Forever, as well as Hummingbirds: Jewels in Flight, Owls, and six other nature books. Since 1978, her articles and photos have regularly appeared in travel and conservation magazines. Connie and her husband Pat live at Lost Cove Farm, a 128 acre private nature preserve in the mountains of western North Carolina, where they offer personal instruction and workshops on nature photography and wildlife habitat enhancement.
“Texas Welcomes Wildlife” - Texans love wildlife, whether in a suburban backyard or a multi-acre ranch. Over the past decade, several private groups and governmental organizations have developed programs to help Texans attract wildlife to their property. The state also offers many opportunities for photographers and wildlife watchers to visit private refuges. Toops’ talk will take us on a journey from Rockport-Fulton to the Rio Grande Valley, visiting backyards and ranches that feature great birding, butterfly and dragonfly watching and other fascinating wildlife. Along the way, you will learn how the Texas Wildlife Management Tax Exemption, Texas Master Naturalist Habitat Program and other innovative programs may help enhance your personal encounters with wildlife. The talk will answer questions about food and cover to attract frogs, butterflies, songbirds, hummingbirds and more to your backyard.

Gloria & John Tveten are full-time freelance naturalists, writers and photographers. They are the authors of several books including Butterflies of Houston and Southeast Texas, Wildflowers of Houston and Southeast Houston, The Birds of Texas, Vanishing Wildlife of Texas, Coastal Texas, and recently published Our Life with Birds. In addition, their photographs and articles have appeared in several hundred other books and magazines.
John has also led numerous natural history tours throughout North, South, and Central America and the West Indies for the Smithsonian Institution travel program and for other organizations. The Tvetens have served as featured speakers at nature festivals throughout Texas and have received several statewide awards for conservation and education.
“Butterflies as Botanists” - Lepidoptera and the plants they utilize are inextricably linked, each dependent on the other, the plants for pollination and the butterflies and moths for nourishment and shelter during the various stages of their lives. The two have evolved together through the ages and the variety of unique relationships they have forged is truly astonishing. Butterflies prove to be excellent botanists, finding the appropriate plants with almost unerring accuracy. Learn as John and Gloria show how the butterflies detect their hosts through the varied senses of sight, smell and taste and examine their ability to adapt to different plant communities and the changing seasons. The key to finding and attracting the widest variety of Lepidoptera lies in equaling their amazing botanical skills.

Matt White teaches U. S. and Texas history at Paris Junior College and is the author of The Birds of Northeast Texas and a forthcoming environmental history of the Texas Blackland Prairie entitled Prairie Time, both published by A & M University Press. He has written for Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine and served as contributing editor for Texas Birds Magazine published by the Texas Ornithological Society. He is particularly interested in birds of the Texas tallgrass prairies and how they have changed over time.
“Birds of the Texas Tallgrass” - From the coastal prairies to the blacklands that extended north to the Red River, tallgrass prairies once abounded across Texas and played a critical role in the distribution of many bird species. In this lecture, Matt will discuss the geographical distribution of Texas tallgrass prairies and how they influence bird distribution in Texas.

Sheri Williamson, Director/Naturalist for the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, grew up in Fort Worth with a passion for wildlife, chasing lizards from the time she could walk and founding a bird club at age six. In 1988, she and her husband and fellow naturalist Tom Wood moved to southeastern Arizona to manage the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve, where they fell under the spell of hummingbirds and joined the ranks of hummingbird banders. They left the Preserve in 1996 to found the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. Sheri is the author of A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America in the Peterson Field Guide Series, a guide to attracting and feeding hummingbirds, the script for the Advanced Birding Video: Hummingbirds of North America and a variety of other publications.
“How to Know the Hummingbirds” - The chameleon-like iridescent colors and high-octane lifestyles that make hummingbirds fascinating to watch also make them maddeningly difficult to identify. Drawing on more than a decade of specialized study, Sheri will cover basic hummingbird identification techniques useful virtually anywhere in North America. NOTE: This program will be followed by a hummingbird/butterfly watching field trip lead by Sheri and Pat Sutton. The time and place of the field trip to be announced during the program.

Richard Wolinski holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan and a Master of Science from Eastern Michigan University. He has worked as a consulting biologist, served as a Technical Advisor to the Michigan Piping Plover Recovery Team and the first Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas Project and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. He has been an active field biologist for over 35 years. Richard is co-author of The Birds of Livingston County Michigan and author of Enjoying Purple Martins More: A Landlord’s Guide to Colony Management. He is currently employed as a Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecologist
in the Environmental Section, Project Planning Division, Michigan Department of Transportation.
“Attracting and Managing the Purple Martin and Other Swallows” - Richard will provide an overview of the life history strategies employed by members of the swallow family in North America and how they can be used to attract these beneficial species to your property during breeding season. Examples of typical nesting locations of each species will be presented and tips for how you can provide nesting materials and nesting sites will be illustrated.

Tom Wood is co-founder of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, a non-profit conservation organization. A native Texan, he has a B. S. in Wildlife Biology and was director of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge for 14 years before moving to Arizona in 1988 to manage The Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve. Tom and his wife, Sheri Williamson, founded SABO in 1996 and are involved in research (including a long-term hummingbird banding project on the San Pedro River, migration and breeding season banding for the National Park Service and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a study of wintering Ferruginous Hawks) and educational programs throughout southeastern Arizona and northwestern Mexico.
“Hummingbirds 101” - This program is a basic introduction to the magical world of hummingbirds. From their insect-like flight to the brilliant iridescence of their plumage, hummingbirds have long fascinated birders and non-birders alike. Tom will lead us through this program which will offer the opportunity to learn about the amazing adaptations and lifestyles of hummingbirds from nesting to migration. A basic introduction to attracting and feeding hummingbirds will also be included.