A portal to birding Oregon --

Audubon Birding Weekends 2012

 

by Don Roberts

Paul Sullivan & Carol Karlen plan to continue to lead Audubon Birding Weekend trips in 2012.  There will likely be fewer trips than in previous years and trips will not be announced more than two months ahead of time.  Please read below for more information and note there is a new cancellation policy in effect.

 

 

 

Schedule

28-29 January -- Wallowa county

We will look for the winter specialties of this beautiful corner of Oregon: Bohemian Waxwings, Rosy Finches, Redpolls, Snow Buntings, as well as the Gray Partridge, raptors, and waterfowl.  The Wallowa Mountains are beautiful at this time of year. 

Base: Enterprise.

 

25-26 February -- Interior Valley Refuges

We will look for raptors, waterfowl, and wintering passerines from the Tualatin River NWR, to Baskett Slough, Ankeny, and Finley NWRs, with E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area thrown in.  Base: Salem.

How it works

We travel to the location on Friday and stay in the same lodging two nights.  We meet at a restaurant for breakfast on Saturday.  We carpool and bird all day Saturday.  We bird half of Sunday, then break up and head home.  Participants are responsible for their own transportation, food, and lodging. 

 

About 10 days before the trip, I send a letter to participants, giving details like rendezvous, lodging options, schedule, possible birds, etc.

Registration for Audubon Birding Weekends is $35 per person for each weekend.

• If you want to claim a spot, send in a registration. 
• Please make your check payable to Audubon Society of Portland.
• Please send separate checks for each trip. ($70/ couple, $35/ individual)
• Please come prepared with lunch, appropriate clothing, insect repellant, sunscreen, etc.
• Please provide the information requested for registration:
• Trip you wish to join
• Number of attendees and amount enclosed
• Your name, address, phone, and email 

Please send the registration information & check to:     

Paul T. Sullivan, 1014 SE Rummel St., McMinnville, OR  97128

Questions?  Email Paul at paultsullivan@onlinenw.com or call (503) 472-5306.

 

A special note about cancellations

Each trip is limited to 20 participants.  Last year the entire schedule was subscribed before the year even began.  Several trips drew over 30 registrations. However, 35 % of those who signed up cancelled! 

Last minute cancellations make a lot of extra work for the trip leader.  Hopeful people are hanging on a waiting list.  Wait-list people are offered last minute openings they can’t take.  Potential participants are told a trip is full.  And still, slots go unfilled.  In an attempt to mitigate this cancellation problem, the 2012 trips will only be announced a month or two in advance. 

CANCELLATION POLICY

 Full payment is expected for a trip upon registration.  If participants need to cancel, their enrollment cancellations must be received by Paul Sullivan in writing (email ok) TWO WEEKS prior to the trip in order to receive a full refund.  If cancellation notice is received less than 2 weeks from the trip date and the vacancy can be filled from the waiting list, then a full refund minus $10 processing fee can be given.  If the vacancy cannot be filled from the waiting list then the entire amount is forfeited. 

If the Audubon Society of Portland needs to cancel a trip due to low enrollment, participants will be given as much advance notification as possible and a full refund.  The Audubon Society of Portland reserves the right to cancel trips due to inclement weather or instructor illness up to the date of the trip, in which case a full refund will also be given.