Paddle and/or float the Birds of Prey Area from Swan Falls to Celebration Park

When: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Where: The park at Swan Falls Dam - 21 miles south of Reed Elemenary

Notes: Sack lunch provided. PROVIDE YOUR OWN TRANSPORTATION - GUIDE WILL PROVIDE SHUTTLE BACK TO SWAN FALLS DAM.

Cost: $75.00 per person

Details: This approx. 10 mile free flowing section of the Snake River has fantastic scenery, lots of wildlife, historic ranch and stone houses, and famous Rock Art. Class I and II Rapids are easy to negotiate as you paddle a canoe or touring kayak (we have high quality Nova Craft, Mad River, Dagger, and We-no-nah boats, or you can ride in our rafts). We stop for lunch at Wees Bar and a short hike to some of the best preserved petroglyphs in the Northwest. Published retail price is $95.00 per person, but we are offering a Special Festival Price of $75.00 which includes all equipment, licensed guides, nice riverside lunch and transport back to put-in. Meet at Swan Falls Park at 10am. All arrangements must be made by contacting www.idahoguideservice.com or calling toll free 1-888-73-IDAHO.

Registration Booth Open

When: 3:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School - map

Cost: Festival fee is $5.00 per family or $3.00 per individual; children under 12 years free with paying adult.

Details: Staffed by volunteers, the registration booth is open during each day of the festival.

Morley Nelson Movie Night with live raptors

When: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School Gym

Cost: Free with admission

Details: A live falconry demonstration will begin the evening festivities, including a flight demonstration (weather permitting). Then, join Tyler and Norman Nelson (Morley Nelson’s sons) for a glimpse at Morley Nelson’s fascinating life, along with the special raptors that were used in Disney movies. Featured will be clips of the Disney movies filmed in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. Slim, Morley’s golden eagle, will make a live appearance during the evening.

Registration Booth Open

When: 6:00am - 7:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School main entrance

Cost: Festival fee is $5.00 per family or $3.00 per individual; children under 12 years free with paying adult.

Details: Staffed by volunteers, the registration booth is open all day.

Tour - Raptor Banding in the NCA

When: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Where: Various locations in the NCA - meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation and Sack lunch provided. Maximum 15 people.

Cost: $30.00 Adult, $20.00 students 12-17 years

Details: This is an all day activity and due to safety issues, the field trip is geared toward students 12 and older and adults. Help band nesting western screech owls and possibly Saw–whet owls. John Doremus, recently retired from the Bureau of Land Managemen, will provide information about the productivity, food habits, movements, fidelity to nest site and mate, and annual weight cycle of these raptors.

Lecture only - Raptor Identification (no tour)

When: 8:30am - 10:00am

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Cost: Lecture free with admission

Details: This lecture will be for beginners as well as a great review for experienced bird watchers. Barb Forderhase, an educational specialist for the BLM will provide the lecture: What’s that bird?! It’s big. It’s dark. A golden eagle? Or… maybe it’s a turkey vulture? How do you tell the hawks apart? Particularly the immatures? What kind of owl is that? Want to learn how to identify raptors found in southwest Idaho?

Tour - Birding and learning in the NCA

When: 8:00am - 2:00pm

Where: Meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation and Sack lunch provided. Maximum 20 people.

Cost: $25.00 Adult, $15.00 children under 12 years

Details: This tour will highlight the best birding locations in the NCA with commentary on the habitat and other features such as Swan Falls Dam. Things to bring include binoculars, snacks, water, sunscreen, and a camera. Your guide on this tour will be RL Rowland who has extensive birding and tour guiding experience. He has been a member and Vice-president of the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and a charter member and past field trip co-coordinator for the SW Idaho Birders Association.

Tour - Historic Tour of Southwest Idaho

When: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Where: Meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation and Sack lunch provided. Maximum 30 people.

Cost: $30.00 Adult, $20.00 children under 12 years

Details: Your tour guide will be BLM archaeologist Dean Shaw. This tour will take you to some of the best scenic and historical viewing areas in the southwestern part of the state. Initial Point is the beginning point for surveying in Idaho. Dedication Point provides an outstanding view of the Snake River Canyon. Swan Falls Dam, built in 1901 (the first hydroelectric dam on the Snake River), was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Celebration Park, Idaho’s first archaeological park, boasts petroglyphs carved on boulders by Native Americans and early settlers. Hands-on demonstration and discussion of lithic technology and survival strategies of indigenous peoples, as well as atlatl (ancient spear throwing device) demonstration, coaching and practice will be given. A stop at the Owyhee County Historical Museum will teach you about the Oregon Trail. With nearly 3,000 cultural and historic sites, Owyhee County contains the richest concentration of archeological sites in Idaho.

Education booths, Exhibits, and Children's activities

When: 10:00am - 5:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School Gym

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Festival attendees will have the opportunity to view wildlife, birding, and NCA related informational exhibits and commercial displays. Also, learning is fun and this year’s children’s programs are no exception. Children will enjoy origami, a variety of crafts, other creative projects, and much, much more! These events are all free to children, with adult paid admission, attending the Birds of Prey Festival.

Lecture and Tour - Burrowing Owls

When: 10:00am - 1:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary

Notes: Transportation provided. Maximum 20 people.

Cost: $20.00 Adult, $15.00 children under 12

Details: Burrowing owls are a declining species across the west and a species of greatest conservation need in Idaho. Learn about these little diurnal owls with Ecologist Justin Welty from U.S. Geological Survey. He will then lead a short field trip to visit a burrowing owl nesting area. Please, do not follow the buses to the locations of the owls. This will allow all to enjoy the wildlife resources of the area while maintaining personal safety and the welfare of the birds as the highest priority.

Paddle and/or float the Birds of Prey Area from Swan Falls to Celebration Park

When: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Where: The park at Swan Falls Dam - 21 miles south of Reed Elemenary

Notes: Sack lunch provided. PROVIDE YOUR OWN TRANSPORTATION - GUIDE WILL PROVIDE SHUTTLE BACK TO SWAN FALLS DAM.

Cost: $75.00 per person

Details: This approx. 10 mile free flowing section of the Snake River has fantastic scenery, lots of wildlife, historic ranch and stone houses, and famous Rock Art. Class I and II Rapids are easy to negotiate as you paddle a canoe or touring kayak (we have high quality Nova Craft, Mad River, Dagger, and We-no-nah boats, or you can ride in our rafts). We stop for lunch at Wees Bar and a short hike to some of the best preserved petroglyphs in the Northwest. Published retail price is $95.00 per person, but we are offering a Special Festival Price of $75.00 which includes all equipment, licensed guides, nice riverside lunch and transport back to put-in. Meet at Swan Falls Park at 10am. All arrangements must be made by contacting www.idahoguideservice.com or calling toll free 1-888-73-IDAHO.

Lecture - Falconry with live raptors

When: 11:00am - Noon

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Join falconers and their birds from the Idaho Falconers Association to learn about the special adaptations of these spectacular hunters. Jesse Woody will make this presentation. He is a life-long master falconer and past president of the Idaho Falconers Association.

Youth Art Contest Award Ceremony and Ross Raptor Choir

When: 11:50am

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details:

Lecture - Wildlife Photography

When: 12:30pm - 2:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Monte Stiles is an award-winning nature photographer who has been capturing images of birds of prey and other wildlife for many years. Monte’s work has been featured on the cover of numerous magazines and in articles about the great outdoors. Monte is also a highly sought-after speaker on the subject of photography, with recent presentations in Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Portland, OR, and Hudson, MA. Monte’s informative and interactive slide presentation will increase appreciation for the magnificent birds of prey and other wildlife, and will include valuable information on photographic techniques that can be used to capture wildlife images. This presentation is suitable for anyone who enjoys wildlife or photography. The information presented will assist photographers, from beginners to the very serious amateur. All are welcome. Monte’s work can be viewed at www.montestiles.com.

Lecture - The Swainson’s Hawk in SW Idaho

When: 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Idaho is the home of a bird of prey in the same family as our familiar Red-tailed Hawk; it is the Swainson’s Hawk, which nests here in good numbers. Each autumn this breeding population leaves Idaho to spend the winter in South America. Bill Mattox will discuss the current population status, nearby nesting areas, threats to the population, and future prospects of this raptor species. He will present photos of capturing and banding the hawks.

Lecture - Merlins in the Treasure Valley

When: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: The merlin, a small migratory falcon, is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in our state. While populations in North America appear to be expanding, little is known about its status and range in Idaho. For the past four years, Bruce Haak from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has been counting, capturing and radio-tagging wintering merlins in the Treasure Valley. Come and see what he has learned.

Lecture - Snake River Raptor Volunteers

When: 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Want to serve and help raptors? Then join SRRV as they assist the BLM in completing various habitat projects within the Birds of Prey Area. This presentation by Leslee Doner will highlight past projects and the need to support BLM’s new emphasis on habitat restoration.

Booths, exhibits, vendors, and children’s activities close

When: 5:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost:

Details:

Banquet & Keynote Address

When: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School cafeteria, outside weather permitting - map

Cost: $20.00 per person

Details: The banquet begins with a live falconry demonstration outside of Reed Elementary (weather permitting). The Barbecue Banquet featuring sliced brisket and pulled pork will be provided by local Caterer Big Daddy’s BBQ, well-known throughout the Treasure Valley. Then join Leon Powers for his presentation of his book Dead Owls Flying which is part memoir, part wildlife adventure and part expose’ of a dark secret. At the heart of this story is Powers’ two-decade study of North America’s largest and possibly rarest owl, the great grey. A celebrity recluse, this huge bird long ago earned such monikers as Gray Ghost of the Woods, and Phantom of the Northern Forests. The embodiment of elusiveness, its rarity only adds to this owl’s mystique-prompting its lofty status among bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts as one of the most sought after birds in North America. Leon’s books, Dead Owls Flying, A Hawk in the Sun, and The Forgotten Expedition, will be available.

Registration Booth Open

When: 7:00am - 4:pm

Where: Reed Elementary School main entrance

Cost: Festival fee is $5.00 per family or $3.00 per individual; children under 12 years free with paying adult.

Details: Staffed by volunteers, the registration booth is open all day.

Lecture and Tour - Raptor Identification

When: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Where: Meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation provided. Maximum 30 people.

Cost: Lecture free with admission; tour $20 Adult, $10.00 children under 12 years

Details: This lecture and tour will be for beginners as well as a great review for experienced bird watchers. Barb Forderhase, an educational specialist for the BLM will provide the lecture: What’s that bird?! It’s big. It’s dark. A golden eagle? Or… maybe it’s a turkey vulture? How do you tell the hawks apart? Particularly the immatures? What kind of owl is that? Want to learn how to identify raptors found in southwest Idaho? The lecture will last about 2 hours followed by the field tour conducted by Tyler Nelson, Morley Nelson’s son, and returning by 1pm.

Tour - Raptor Banding in the NCA

When: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Where: Various locations in the NCA - meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation and Sack lunch provided. Maximum 15 people.

Cost: $30.00 Adult, $20.00 students 12-17 years

Details: This will be an all day activity and due to safety issues, the field trip is geared toward students 12 and older and adults. Help band nesting western screech owls and possibly Saw–whet owls. John Doremus, recently retired from the Bureau of Land Managemen, will provide information about the productivity, food habits, movements, fidelity to nest site and mate, and annual weight cycle of these raptors.

Tour - Ecology of Golden Eagles in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA

When: 9:00am - Noon

Where: Various locations in the NCA - meet in front of Reed Elementary School

Notes: Transportation provided. Maximum 15 people.

Cost: $20.00 Adult, $15.00 children under 12 years

Details: Join Mike Kochert, Emeritus Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, on an exciting tour which will consist of viewing 2 to 3 Golden Eagle nests in the NCA and interactive field lectures dealing with the life history, behavior, nesting ecology, predator-prey relationships, and responses to habitat alteration of Golden Eagles nesting in the NCA. Plan to bring your binoculars – a limited number of spotting scopes will be available.

Education booths, Exhibits, and Children's activities

When: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School Gym

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Festival attendees will have the opportunity to view wildlife, birding, and NCA related informational exhibits and commercial displays. Also, learning is fun and this year’s children’s programs are no exception. Children will enjoy origami, a variety of crafts, other creative projects, and much, much more! These events are all free to children, with adult paid admission, attending the Birds of Prey Festival.

Lecture and Tour - Burrowing Owls

When: 10:00am - 1:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary

Notes: Transportation and Sack lunch provided. Maximum 20 people.

Cost: Lecture free with admission. Tour $20.00 Adult, $15.00 children under 12

Details: Burrowing owls are a declining species across the west and a species of greatest conservation need in Idaho. Learn about these little diurnal owls with Ecologist Justin Welty from U.S. Geological Survey. He will then lead a short field trip to visit a burrowing owl nesting area. Please, do not follow the buses to the locations of the owls. This will allow all to enjoy the wildlife resources of the area while maintaining personal safety and the welfare of the birds as the highest priority.

Paddle and/or float the Birds of Prey Area from Swan Falls to Celebration Park

When: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Where: The park at Swan Falls Dam - 21 miles south of Reed Elemenary

Notes: Sack lunch provided. PROVIDE YOUR OWN TRANSPORTATION - GUIDE WILL PROVIDE SHUTTLE BACK TO SWAN FALLS DAM.

Cost: $75.00

Details: This approx. 10 mile free flowing section of the Snake River has fantastic scenery, lots of wildlife, historic ranch and stone houses, and famous Rock Art. Class I and II Rapids are easy to negotiate as you paddle a canoe or touring kayak (we have high quality Nova Craft, Mad River, Dagger, and We-no-nah boats, or you can ride in our rafts). We stop for lunch at Wees Bar and a short hike to some of the best preserved petroglyphs in the Northwest. Published retail price is $95.00 per person, but we are offering a Special Festival Price of $75.00 which includes all equipment, licensed guides, nice riverside lunch and transport back to put-in. Meet at Swan Falls Park at 10am. All arrangements must be made by contacting www.idahoguideservice.com or calling toll free 1-888-73-IDAHO.

Lecture - Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA with live birds

When: 11:00am - Noon

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: The Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area was established by Congress in 1993 to protect a unique desert environment that supports one of the world’s densest concentrations of nesting birds of prey. Learn about the falcons, eagles, hawks, and owls occurring here in unique profusion and variety with Larry Ridenhour, BLM’s Outdoor Recreation Planner. Larry will bring along a few feathered educational ambassadors to complete his lecture.

Lecture - Bats of Southwestern Idaho

When: Noon - 1:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Dr. Rita Dixon, Biodiversity Program Leader for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and Bill Doering, an environmental scientist with Power Engineers, Boise, will give an introduction to the bats of southwestern Idaho, including an overview of their natural history, unique aspects of their ecology and physiology, bat migration, echolocation and foraging ecology, as well as emerging conservation issues such as wind energy and white–nose syndrome.

Lecture - Raptor Migration in the Intermountain West: an 18-year Study of Raptor Banding at the Idaho Bird Observatory

When: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: Greg Kaltenecker, Executive Director of the Idaho Bird Observatory, will explore raptor migration patterns in the Intermountain West based on banding results from Idaho Bird Observatory’s raptor migration monitoring work on the Boise Ridge from 1993-2010.

Lecture - Transmission Lines, Greater Sage-grouse, Ravens, and Raptors in Southwestern Idaho

When: 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: The Gateway West Transmission Project plans to construct new electrical transmission lines in and near the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. Research Wildlife Biologist, Karen Steenhof, has studied raptors and their responses to transmission lines in the NCA. Steenhof will discuss how each of the BLM alternatives for Gateway West will affect raptors as well as Greater Sage-Grouse in southwestern Idaho

Silent auction closes

When: 3:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details:

Booths, exhibits, vendors, and children’s activities close

When: 4:00pm

Where: Reed Elementary School

Cost: Free with admission

Details: