November 17-20 – The Ninth Annual Central Valley Birding Symposium will be hosted by The Central Valley Bird Club at the Radisson Hotel in Stockton, CA.  There will be field trips, workshops, and a Birding Nature Fair and Art Show with over 25 vendors selling nature-related items.  Legendary birders are convening from all over the state to hobnob with the rest of us, so register before the cutoff point is reached and before you miss your chance to share a meal and a conversation with the "greats".  Keynote speakers include: "The Birds of the Central Valley" by naturalist Jules Evens, using master photographer Ian Tate's photos; "Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker" by Bobby Harrison and John Tochet; "The History of California Birding" by Don Roberson.  Workshops include: "Parts is More than Parks: Boning up on Bird Identification" by Kimball Garret; and "Shorebird ID Workshop" by Joe Morlan.  For more information, consult http://cvbs.org, or call Frances Oliver at (209) 369-2010.