Home : "Gathering of Wings" Banquet & Silent Auction

11th Annual Snow Goose Festival: January 28-31, 2010
"Gathering of Wings" Banquet & Silent Auction

Banquet & Silent Auction

Saturday, January 30, 2010
5:30 pm - 10 pm
Bell Memorial Union Auditorium
CSU, Chico
Corner of 2nd Street and Chestnut Street, Chico, CA

Cost per Person: $37 Adult, $20 Youth (17 years and younger) and students with ID

Beer & Wine (No Host)

Free Saturday Parking at Chico State’s parking structure and on lots across the street from the BMU.

Featured Speaker:
Stephen Shunk: Professional Birder, Author, Tour Guide
"Birding through the Veil of Winter"

As the snow falls in the mountains and the darkness of winter takes hold, the outside world seems to sleep. But the rising sun of each winter day signals the start of the brief daily feeding period for all our wintering birds. Many species, like the Nuttall’s Woodpecker and Spotted Towhee, reside permanently in the region, adapting to winter with simple changes in behavior. Other birds, such as the Snow Goose and Rough-legged Hawk, travel thousands of miles to enjoy our relatively mild winters, while their arctic breeding grounds are shrouded in ice.

Join Oregon naturalist and author Stephen Shunk as he shares stories of winter discovery in his life as a professional birder. Steve will tell of the invasions of winter finches and wood-boring woodpeckers. He will tell of waves of Bohemian Waxwings and “white” geese, and he will discuss the seasonal movements of northern raptors and waterbirds. You will gain a new appreciation for our wintering avian visitors as Steve shares his favorite winter birding experiences from Northern California and beyond.

Stephen Shunk started birding in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989 and moved to Sisters, Oregon, in 1997. For over 10 years, Steve has led birding tours and classes throughout western North America with his company, Paradise Birding. He co-founded the East Cascades Bird Conservancy and served as its first President; he also co-founded the Oregon Birding Trails program and coordinated its flagship project, the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail. Steve currently leads bird surveys in the Central Oregon Cascades, with an emphasis on woodpeckers, and he recently completed the Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America, available in fall of 2010.

Silent Auction & Raffles!

Silent auction begins at 5:30 pm

The vibrant Silent Auction tables will accompany us while we dine in the auditorium. The Silent Auction will include a variety of exquisite items including works of art, wine, and services. Your financial participation directly affects our ability to ensure that the Snow Goose Festival remains the North State’s premier birding event, so enjoy the evening bidding for an event or item that you love. You won’t be disappointed!

Two Raffles!!

1 ticket $5
5 tickets $20

Owl Night Out

You and 5 of your friends can learn about the migratory ecology of the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) in the Sierra Nevada foothills with licensed bird bander Dawn Garcia and Mike Fisher. Guests will observe and may assist with data collection, banding, and release of the petite owls. The banding will be conducted at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve where Dawn is researching owl migration, now for the 6th season. A specific date between October 15 and November 15, 2010 will be arranged between the parties as the owl migration season approaches.
Boat Ride on the Mighty Sacramento River

See birds and other wildlife up-close and personal on a jet boat ride on the Sacramento River. Join Jim Chakarun, boat operator, and Jennifer Patten, bird guide, as you and a friend spend a few hours exploring a section of River of your choice. Lunch and beverage will be provided. A specific date in late spring, early summer will be arranged.

Raffle tickets will be for sale at the Snow Goose Festival’s boothChico Farmers Market, January 9, 16, 23, Saturday night’s banquet and Chico Masonic Family Center, Sat-Sun, January 30-31. The winning tickets will be drawn at the conclusion of the Snow Goose Festival, Sunday, January 31.