Kelly (and all interested Tweets; Kelly's message below this),
Yes, heavenly is a good description; the Wintering Sparrows Workshop to be
held Jan 4-10, '98, in Sierra Vista, AZ, is already full with a long
waiting list (next session to be held in Jan, 2000, and people are already
trying to sign up!). The other UMM birding workshops given primarily in
the NE USA are held annually. The Summer, 98, Warblers Workshop will
probably start taking reservations later this Fall. The University of
Maine at Machias Institute for Field Ornithology can be reached:

Email: ifo at acad.umm.maine.edu
Phone: 207-255-3313, ext 289 (Naida, the admin. asst, answers most of the
time; remember the 3 hr time difference) FAX: 206-255-4864
Postal Address: UMM Institute for Field Ornithology
9 O'Brien Avenue
Machias, Maine 04654

Contact 'em right away as the word is spreading about how good these
workshops are. Also check their WEB site (NetScape 3.0 is best, but can
get text version); use a search engine to find the University of Maine
system then link from there.

I am fortunate enough to be going to the Sparrows Workshop again and
with another Tweeter this time as a roommate....saves the single
supplement fee. However, the Institute will assign roommates on request
for lone attendees. I did that for the first Sparrows Workshop in Jan,
'96; my assigned roommate was a very nice lady from the NE who had been to
other workshops and commercial bird tours, gave a wealth of info. I'm just
beginning to have enough resources, in middle age, to enjoy this kind of
lifestyle, to plan for a trip like this every one or two years. YAHOO!

Birders to the UMM workshops (16 people is usually the max allowed for
workshops where housing is included) develop into a "family" pretty fast.
After the first couple of 5AM (we did this for 6-7 days in a row!)
breakfasts together then off to the field, we all essentially became a
single unit of eyes and ears to see, hear, and learn about target birds.
Making certain everyone felt welcomed and included was the norm. I'm
already planning future shorebird, seabird, and warbler (again!) workshops
starting in the Summer, 2000......and beyond. Good luck in being able to
schedule the workshop you want. Budget $1500-$2000 total cost from
Seattle including airfare and incidental expenses, but can probably get
by for less. I factor in to-from SeaTac shuttle van and a daily
stop-by pet sitter service, etc. For the Warblers Workshop, three of us
rented a car at the Bangor, ME airport for the week (about $90 each
including gas), not absolutely necessary, but we were able to do some
great side trips on our own!)

Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA
(Will post a couple of more Warbler Workshop Reports in next few days)
*************************Kelly's Message Below***************************
On Wed, 23 Jul 1997, Kelly A. Bettinger wrote:

> Hi! Do you have a flyer, brochure, phone
> number or the like you could send me
> regarding the Institute For Field Ornithology's
> courses? An expired one is fine, just so I
> could get in touch about what's being offered
> next year. Your trip sounded heavenly!
> Thanks, Kelly Bettinger, 401 Sumner Ave,
> Sumner, WA 98390
>