Maureen--

Many thanks for sending this along, and for the very generous plug for our
programs. Much appreciated.

Yes, we will use the Windemere Hotel in Sierra Vista. Very cooperative.
Full buffet breakfasts at 5:30 am, rather better classroom setup. Even free
use of the fitness center next door. Slightly more expensive but only slightly.

best,

--c



At 12:18 01/30/1997 -0800, Maureen Ellis wrote:
>
>Folks, I searched our archives to see if this had been posted on
>our newsgroup, and there was only one report of a Stygian Owl
>anywhere......from a Mexico trip over the holidays.
>
>The American sighting was in south Texas also during the Christmas
>holidays and was well documented/photographed. Though the first reliable
>sighting of this South American species within our borders, it is not
>common even in its home range. Peruse a beautiful photograph of this
>owl on Charles Duncan's (Director of the University of Maine at Machias
>Institute for Field Ornithology) WEB site. This is in the category of the
>mother-of-all-life-birds; I'm still looking forward to seeing a Snowy Owl!
>
>See owl at: www.umm.maine.edu/~cduncan/stygian
>
>Enjoy, and I'll put in a little plug here for the Institute's wonderful
>birding workshops. Well worth saving a year for, I've already reserved a
>spot for the Warblers Workshop to be held in Machias, ME this summer.
>This group hosted the Sparrows Workshop at Sierra Vista, AZ in Jan 96 (and
>I've already signed up again for the Jan 98 session, yikes, 4:30AM
>mornings again! These are "serious-birder" within-USA workshops at select
>locations, a fine value for the money, with great field-trips, high-level
>class instruction, and patient expert leaders. Check out all the info on
>the Univ of ME at Machias' WEB site, www.umm.maine.edu/ifo.
>
>Maureen E. Ellis me2 at u.washington Univ of WA and Des Moines WA
>
>