| MALHEUR OREGON PHOTO WORKSHOP April 27-May 1, 2011 |
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: 1,595 per person. This includes all lodging, instruction, guiding and permits. It does not
include 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. The nearest airport to Burns is Boise,
Idaho, about a 3 hour drive. 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 participants.
include 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. The nearest airport to Burns is Boise,
Idaho, about a 3 hour drive. 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 participants.
April 27, 2011 - Arrive in Burns, Oregon. Meet at the hotel at 6pm. After dinner Nate will give his
presentation, photographing birds in the wild. Lodging: a nice hotel in Burns, Oregon
April 28, 2011 - 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. 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: Drovers Inn, Frenchglen Hotel comfortable
accommodation.
April 29, 2011 - In the morning we will drive down south of the refuge looking for wild horses and
then to an area where there has been a reliable close Great Horned Owl nest the past few years. In
the afternoon we will photograph waterbirds from the central refuge road. This road is excellent for
Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Pheasant and many other birds.
We will be shooting from our vehicles this afternoon, so a beanbag for support is very helpful.
After dinner Nate will give another presentation. Lodging: Drovers Inn, Frenchglen Hotel.
April 30, 2011 - This morning we will visit a Sage Grouse lek This is a spectacular experience with
male birds often fighting near the cars. In the afternoon we will visit the refuge headquarters. At
this time of year the Belding's Ground Squirrels have just had their young and they make for great
photo opportunities. All of those ground squirrels also attract predators, on the 2010 workshop we
had a Prairie Falcon make several passes through the visitor center before grabbing a ground
squirrel. There was also a Red-tailed Hawk nest there and many birds at the feeders. After dinner we
will review and critique images. Lodging: Drovers Inn, Frenchglen Hotel.
May 1, 2011 - After an early morning breakfast we will go the Sage Grouse lek again and then stop at a
few good waterbird areas in the northern part of the refuge and areas south of Burns. We will return
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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