The spring is a great time to be out enjoying nature in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. According to Dr. Fred Emerson, “spring is also the best-of-all seasons for bird study, as migrants from the south pass through, wintering birds change plumage and leave, and year-round residents are mating, nesting, and rearing young.” This spring, beginning on April 23, the knowledgeable Dr. Emerson led a birding field course for the Wildling Art Museum.

The course met every Wednesday morning, 8:30-10:30, for six weeks. The initial meeting on April 23 was at the Wildling Art Museum’s Administrative Offices, 2948 Nojoqui Street. Suite 4, in Los Olivos. Subsequent meetings were held in different wildlife locations throughout the Valley, including the Sedgwick Reserve. Identification, habits, ecology, and life histories of birds were covered, as well as the general natural history of the habitats visited. The course is valuable for the novice as well as the experienced bird watcher.

Dr. Emerson has conducted the Wildling Art Museum’s birding classes for seven 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.