We are very excited about this year’s slate of birding classes, back by popular demand after several years without them. We have two excellent teachers lined up, Paddy Cunningham, who taught an excellent set of classes for us last year, and Clive Pinnock, of Okeeheelee Nature Center, recently returned to ASE’s board.

Paddy will be teaching Birding by Behavior and Habitat for us this fall, on September 13, at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton. This intermediate-level course will help you develop your birding skills, emphasizing a knowledge of–you guessed it–birds’ behavioral and habitat choices. Experienced birders know not to look for a Kingfisher on the beach, and they probably won’t be checking the treetops for Swainson’s Warblers, either. Paddy’s class will introduce you to the flight patterns and feeding strategies of Florida birds, along with an introduction to the various habitat types you can expect to find in our area. So come on out and sharpen your skills with Paddy C!

Paddy will also be teaching a class for us this spring, on April 11. Stay tuned for more information about this one!

Clive’s two-part class this fall is for beginning birders. The first part of the class will take place November 1, at Okeeheelee Nature Center in West Palm Beach. It consists of a lecture introducing you to the basics of birds, what they are, and how to begin to identify them. The second part of the class is a field trip to practice your skills, at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Boynton Beach. The cost for this class is $20 (includes both segments).