Places filled up quickly for the Wildling Art Museum’s popular fall birding field course, “Birds of the Santa Ynez Valley Region”, led by wildlife biologist, Dr. Fred Emerson. This course, limited to 20 students, is designed both for novices and experienced birders alike, and many enroll more than once. The six-week course met on Wednesday mornings, 8:30-10:30 a.m. The first class meeting was at the Museum’s administrative offices, 2948 Nojoqui Street, Suite 4, in Los Olivos. The following five sessions were held at different locations in the Valley, such as Hans Christian Anderson Park in Solvang, Nojoqui Falls Park, River Park in Lompoc, and UCSB’s Sedgwick Reserve, so that students could learn about the birds that frequent different habitats.

Dr. Emerson has conducted the Wildling Art Museum’s birding classes for the last six years and has a wide following of enthusiastic birders. He is broadly trained and experienced in biological sciences with a Ph.D. from Cornell University in wildlife management and an M.D. from Vanderbilt University.