Wilderness Wildlife Week

•





Cabin fever?

This year, Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge runs from January 12 through January 19. During that time, visitors choose from more than 100 presenters sharing their knowledge of the outdoors and Smokies' culture in more than 175 seminars, lectures and workshops. (Pack your lunch, Sunday, January 13 has 33 sessions alone.)

So much is crammed into the event’s eight-day run that it’s impossible to do it all. Perhaps this is what keeps people coming back year after year.

And even though it’s in January, all of the activities are not indoors. This year’s schedule offers many guided walks and hikes.

This will be the 23rd year of the event that has no equal in the country.

Below are a list of my talks, all programs are free:

Sun. Jan 13, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. 
Chickadee: Bringer of Truth: 20 plants and animals important to the Native Americans of the Tennessee Valley.

Mon. Jan 14, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. 
The making of John James Audubon's monumental Birds of America 

Tues. Jan 15, 3 - 4 p.m.
Identifying Local Birds of Prey 
Is that a hawk or a falcon, a golden or bald eagle? How many species of owl can be found in the Tennessee Valley? Join me for some quick tips on how to identify the local birds of prey.

Plus, attend the talk by my friend, Paul James.

Sun. Jan 13, 5 - 6 p.m.
Explorers of the Smokies in the 1920s. H.P. Ijams, Carlos Campbell, Dutch Roth, Paul Adams, Jim Thompson, Brockway Crouch and Camp Margaret Townsed, all had a role in the early days of the national park. Want to learn more?

All four programs are at the Music Road Hotel Convention Center in Pigeon Forge.

Don't forget to stop by the Ijams table in the Exhibit Hall. For a complete list of all programs go to: WWW.

- Photo of a red-tailed hawk

•

wilderness wildlife week

•

Wilderness Wildlife Week begins today in Pigeon Forge at the Music Road Hotel Convention Center. There will be more presentations than ever.

On Monday, January 10, 11 a.m. until noon, join Ijams Executive Director Paul James for a program titled The Ijams Family Legacy in the Smokies.

Paul’s book is a look into the Ijams family’s role in the Smoky Mountains, including hiking, bird watching, camping on Mt. LeConte, the creation of Camp Margaret Townsend for Girl Scouts, and H.P. Ijams’ role promoting the new national park in the 1930s. Also featured is an account of H.P. Ijams’ famous passenger pigeon and the extinction of this once prevalent species.

Tuesday, January 11, 9 until 10:30 a.m., I’ll be speaking about Ghost Birds: Jim Tanner and the Ivorybill. The legendary ghost bird of the South, the ivory-billed woodpecker has been popping in and out of existence for the past century. Is the species extinct or not? It’s a question that remains unanswered. However, in the late 1930s, the species was very much alive and photographed. For three years, Jim Tanner studied the most documented population in northeast Louisiana. What did he learn?

Is that soaring bird a hawk, vulture or eagle? Which owls do we hear hooting in the night? On Thursday, January 13, Noon-1:30 p.m., I’ll speak on Identifying Local Birds of Prey providing quick tips on how to identify the various species of falcons, hawks, eagles, owls and vultures found in the Tennessee Valley.

For a complete listing of all WWW programs go to: schedule.

Please join us.



•

hidden

•



I ask you: Is this fair? Can you spot the bird of prey?

Talk about camouflage, if you were a mouse crawling through the leaves how could you possibly see this red-shouldered hawk perched above you?

I'm surprised I spotted it, my eyes are not that much better than a mouse's. They are bigger but they're older. I just happened to notice the brick-red Buteo fly into the trees. I also know that red-shoulders like to frequent woods near water and there was a small creek flowing below the perched raptor.

For more information about hawks, I'll be teaching a workshop on "Identifying Birds of Prey" next week on Thursday, January 13 (Noon to 1:30 p.m.) at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge. The program is free.

•

WWW

•
Wilderness Wildlife Week begins tomorrow in Pigeon Forge and runs for eight days. It's one of the most remarkable events in the country with dozens of nature-related speakers and activities planned throughout the week.

I'll be doing two programs:

Sunday, January 11 at 10 a.m.
"Natural Histories" a talk about my book published by UT Press.

Monday, January 12 at 3 p.m.
"Identifing Local Birds of Prey"

Friday, January 16 at 2:15 p.m.
Paul James, executive director of Ijams Nature Center
will do his talk about "Lost Species" looking at the passenger pigeon and other extinct species

•