Subject: Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Date: Feb 18 11:57:29 1999
From: randy_hill at mail.fws.gov - randy_hill at mail.fws.gov


The details are pretty much done for this year's Crane Festival, to be
held on March 27-28. Local internet problems should be worked out
soon, and when that happens the registration form will be on the
Othello Chamber of Commerce website www.othello-wa.com or via email
message to the Chamber info at othello-wa.com. Local phone 509-488-2683,
1-800-684-2556, or fax 509-488-3123. State Audubon is also sending
out information to all chapters in the state.

A few hilites this year include a banquet with featured speaker Dr.
George Archibald, founder and director of the International Crane
Foundation. There is a general registration of $5 ($15 family) that
covers entry to all speaker sessions and is required to ride the
busses for field trips. Field trips are $5 each (a bargain for a
guided tour). Crane viewing field trips will run on the 1/2 hour 8-10
and 3-5 and will last 2-3 hours. All will be back in time for the
7:00 pm banquet. One more field trip on local geology leaves at 11:00
am. Speaker sessions/workshops are each less than an hour and start
at 10, 11, 1, and 3. Tom Hoffmann, Seattle resident and member of the
Board of the International Crane Foundation, will speak at 2 pm.

Sunday morning field trips have been added this year and they should
not disappoint. Non-bird trips include local history led by Ron
Anglin, who wrote "Forgotten Trails" and will talk and have a
book-signing on Saturday. There will also be a tour of local farming
that will tie irrigation, agriculture, and wildlife as inter-dependant
activities. Birdwise, Andy Stepniewski, with a little help from Bill
and Nancy LaFramboise, will lead a morning outing to the Wahluke Slope
including Saddle Mountain NWR (an area closed to the general public).
Expect to see Long-eared Owls and shrub steppe species such as Sage
Sparrow, plus migrants on the Columbia River. That trip is likely
limited to 15. Mike Denny, with help from a few locals, will lead a
tour of Columbia NWR and the Potholes area. Expect waterfowl, some
shorebirds, a few owls and a great diversity of habitats that attract
whatever is already here or passing through late in March. As most of
you know, Andy, Bill and Nancy, and Mike and Merry Lynn have a habit
of finding some interesting things whenever they go afield. We plan
to stake out a few birds too.

Pre-registration for the Festival and field trips is not mandatory,
but space is limited and most times will probably sell out before the
27th. Seating is very limited for seminars. I also suggest that you
get your motel reservations taken care of as we expect to run out of
rooms in Othello by the end of February. The Cabana 509-488-2605 and
Best Western Lincoln Inn 488-5671 are both nice places to stay.

Randy Hill, Othello