Legends of the Cliffs: Nesting Raptors with Don Paul
June 14 @ 8:00 am - 3:00 pm MDT
Spend a field trip exploring the ecology of some of Utah’s most charismatic raptors. Explore areas along the Weber River and the surrounding landscape in Morgan and Summit counties. Our primary interest will be observing nesting and foraging diurnal and nocturnal raptors in their habitats. Bald and Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, American Kestrels, and Great Horned Owls will be our primary focus. We will be on the lookout for Prairie and Peregrine Falcons, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, and the Northern Harrier. The guides will explain and help identify nesting strategies, behavior, and predator/prey relationships as we observe them in the field.
Meeting Location: South Weber Park and Ride
Time: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (please arrive 10–15 minutes early)
What’s Included: Boxed lunch and transportation
Ticket Price: $120
Your Guides
Don S. Paul
Don is a career wildlife biologist having served 34 years in several positions for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and five years as Great Basin Bird Conservation Region Coordinator for the Intermountain West Joint Venture. He served five years on the Waterbird Conservation Council of the Americas. He is a past president of the Utah Chapter of the Wildlife Society and past Chair of the Linking Communities Project. He is published in both scientific and popular conservation literature. His career emphasis takes two directions, conservation biology with emphases in international community conservation linkages and avian conservation with experience in large-scale landscape bird monitoring. He is currently President of AvianWest Inc., an avian conservation consulting business.
Melissa Halvorsen
Melissa credits her love of animals to early years spent following her biologist father around in the field whenever she wasn’t in school. After pursuing a B.A. in English from Weber State University, she began working as an interpretive ranger for the National Park Service. It was doing this work that helped her realize she could unite her love of storytelling and the natural world by working as an informal environmental educator. Since then, she has worked for Utah State Parks, Ogden Nature Center, Alpine School District, and most recently, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium as the Engagement and Learning Manager. Melissa has certifications in Environmental Education from Utah State University and Instructional Design from the University of Utah. Melissa is excited to share HawkWatch’s mission with the world and hopes to reach new audiences with creative approaches to teaching and learning.
Are You a VIP (Very Interested Person)?
This field trip is offered as part of Wings Across the World and can be purchased as a stand-alone experience or as part of our Very Interested Person (VIP) Package, which includes:
- One field trip on Thursday, 6/12
- One field trip on Saturday, 6/14
- A ticket to the Wings Across the World Fundraiser on Friday, 6/13
Purchase your $550 VIP pass here.
Terms & Conditions
1. Full payment is required to reserve your spot and is subject to HawkWatch International’s Field Trip and Tour Policies.
2. This tour is limited to 8 people to ensure an intimate, high-quality experience for everyone.
3. In the event of poor weather or other suboptimal conditions in the area, we may choose alternate locations for the field trip as a substitute. Refunds are not available.
