| MALHEUR OREGON PHOTO WORKSHOP April 28-May 2, 2010 |
Join professional photographers Nate Chappell and Ken Archer for an exciting 5 days of
photographing birds and wildlife at one of the top breeding bird locations in the US. This trip is
limited to 4 students to ensure a lot of personal instruction for each of the attendees. Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Oregon attracts large numbers of nesting and migratory
birds, along with quite a few mammals. Large numbers of curlew, avocet, snipe, stilt, phalarope and
willet all nest on the refuge. Other avian highlights include several nesting pairs of Great Horned
Owls, displaying Sage Grouse and nesting waterbirds of many varieties. The shorebirds, waterbirds
and horned owls provide consistently excellent photo opportunities. As far as mammals go
Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer and Black-tailed Jackrabbit are common, while it is also a good area
for smaller, more elusive predators such as weasel, badger and bobcat.
Nate and Ken will provide in field instruction and answer any photographic questions that you may
have. Nate will also be giving digital presentations on photographing birds in the wild and technical
photography discussions featuring his images. In the evenings we will do some image review and
critique of photos for whoever wishes to participate.
photographing birds and wildlife at one of the top breeding bird locations in the US. This trip is
limited to 4 students to ensure a lot of personal instruction for each of the attendees. Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Oregon attracts large numbers of nesting and migratory
birds, along with quite a few mammals. Large numbers of curlew, avocet, snipe, stilt, phalarope and
willet all nest on the refuge. Other avian highlights include several nesting pairs of Great Horned
Owls, displaying Sage Grouse and nesting waterbirds of many varieties. The shorebirds, waterbirds
and horned owls provide consistently excellent photo opportunities. As far as mammals go
Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer and Black-tailed Jackrabbit are common, while it is also a good area
for smaller, more elusive predators such as weasel, badger and bobcat.
Nate and Ken will provide in field instruction and answer any photographic questions that you may
have. Nate will also be giving digital presentations on photographing birds in the wild and technical
photography discussions featuring his images. In the evenings we will do some image review and
critique of photos for whoever wishes to participate.
Fees: 1,495 per person. This includes all lodging, instruction, guiding and breakfasts. It does not
include other meals, snacks, beverages or transportation. The fee for a nonphotographer spouse or
companion to join the trip is $200. For transportation you will typically need to arrange your own
vehicle although there may be an opportunity for some participants to carpool from the
Seattle/Tacoma area. We will carpool locally around the refuge. To reserve your place on the tour we
are requesting a deposit of $400.
Number of participants: Maximum of 4 photographers
Equipment needed: The longer the lens the more opportunities you will have at Malheur. The
minimum size lens that you would want to have would be 300mm. We have one Nikon and one Canon
lens of about 400mm each that are available to be lent out to a participant.
include other meals, snacks, beverages or transportation. The fee for a nonphotographer spouse or
companion to join the trip is $200. For transportation you will typically need to arrange your own
vehicle although there may be an opportunity for some participants to carpool from the
Seattle/Tacoma area. We will carpool locally around the refuge. To reserve your place on the tour we
are requesting a deposit of $400.
Number of participants: Maximum of 4 photographers
Equipment needed: The longer the lens the more opportunities you will have at Malheur. The
minimum size lens that you would want to have would be 300mm. We have one Nikon and one Canon
lens of about 400mm each that are available to be lent out to a participant.
April 28, 2010 - Arrive in Burns, Oregon. You can arrive anytime the afternoon or evening of the 28th.
At 5pm we will meet at the hotel in Burns, Oregon and head out to some ponds that are near town.
These ponds attract many avocet, stilts and waterfowl. If your schedule does not allow you to arrive
by 5pm, no problem you can meet us that evening at the hotel. At sunset we will return to the hotel.
After dinner Nate will give his presentation, photographing birds in the wild. Lodging: a nice hotel in
Burns, Oregon
April 29, 2010 - We will have an early morning breakfast at the hotel and head out toward Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge. The agricultural fields southeast of Burns attract lots of curlews, avocets,
ibis and other species such as Yellow-headed Blackbirds. On the way to the refuge we often get
raptors including Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks. We will stop at the Malheur Field Station to
check the status of a Great Horned Owl nest that was excellent for photography in 2009. If they are
not nesting there in 2010 I know of 3 other sites on or near the refuge for nesting horned owls. After
lunch we will drive through the central and southern part of the refuge (about a 40 mile drive)
stopping at a few of the better ponds on the way. That evening we will stay at the historic and
comfortable Frenchglen Hotel. After dinner we will review some images from the day. Lodging:
Frenchglen Hotel
April 30, 2010 - In the morning we will spend our time in the Diamond area, another area of farmer's
fields which are adjacent to the refuge and flood in the spring, attracting large numbers of
waterbirds. For those wanting to work on flight photography skills there are numerous opportunities
here with large numbers of breeding Franklin's Gulls and Black Terns to practice on, among many
other species. After lunch we will head to the Malheur Field Station, where we will be staying for the
next 2 nights. In the afternoon we will photograph waterbirds at the ponds near the field station.
This is often a good spot for Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe and rails. We will also check the refuge
headquarters area in addition to working the owl nest at the field station. After dinner Nate will give
another presentation. Lodging: Malheur Field Station, basic but comfortable.
May 1, 2010 - If there are still birds on the lek we will visit a Sage Grouse lek this morning. This is a
spectacular experience with male birds often fighting right next to the cars. In the afternoon we will
visit the OO area for nesting avocets, curlews, willet and stilt. After dinner we will review and
critique images. Lodging: Malheur Field Station, basic but comfortable.
May 2, 2010 - After an early morning breakfast we will stop at a few good waterbird areas in the
northern part of the refuge and areas south of Burns before returning to Burns about noon so that
everyone can head home.
You can take a look at a few of my favorite Malheur images in my Malheur Gallery
Wilson's Snipe
Young Great Horned Owl
Long-tailed Weasel
To make a reservation for this workshop, please contact Nate Chappell at 253-512-1060 or email him
at nchappell@trogontours.net
at nchappell@trogontours.net
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| MALHEUR APRIL 16-20, 2010 |
Join Nate Chappell and Ken Archer on this photo workshop for a maximum of 4 people.
The itinerary, cost and details are basically the same as the trip details listed above for April
28-May 2. The major difference is on 3 mornings we will try to photograph the Sage Grouse
on the lek. This is prime time for activity on the lek, so we should get some excellent
opportunities. You can see from Ken's gallery that the grouse are often quite close to the
road. Ken Archer's Malheur Photos
The itinerary, cost and details are basically the same as the trip details listed above for April
28-May 2. The major difference is on 3 mornings we will try to photograph the Sage Grouse
on the lek. This is prime time for activity on the lek, so we should get some excellent
opportunities. You can see from Ken's gallery that the grouse are often quite close to the
road. Ken Archer's Malheur Photos
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