Tim's passion for birds began at 10 years old while flipping through the Golden Guide to Birds in his dad's pickup truck, as his family spent weekend camping in the Uinta Mountains. Though his father wasn't a birder, he could identify Herons, Ospreys, Kingfishers, and other common species. However, it was the sight of a Western Tanager perched in a Ponderosa pine that truly captivated Tim, igniting his love for birding. Between 2003 and 2005, he honed his birding skills as a field technician for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, contributing to the Monitoring Wyoming Birds project and photographing Wyoming's first Flammulated Owl.

In 2007, he started Mountain West Birding Company, guiding visiting birders on their quest to spot a Flammulated Owl. Since then, Mountain West rebranded to Pitta Tours, with the motto, “We. Find. Birds.” Tim and his fellow guides have been sharing incredible bird-watching experiences and wildlife tours with nature-minded people all over the world. When not guiding, Tim provides strategic design direction and leadership in the software industry.  Besides birding, he spends his free time with his family, collecting baseball cards, cooking, woodworking, coaching little league baseball, traveling the world to see the incredible sights and cultures it has to offer, photographing anything and everything wild, and numerous other hobbies that there just isn’t enough time for.

John Bellmon is a lifelong birder and has been an active member of Audubon for over 40 years. He earned degrees in both Zoology and Botany from Weber State University. In 1980, he organized the first Ogden, Utah Christmas Bird Count and has been the compiler for the past 43 years. He is also the organizer and compiler of three other Christmas Bird Counts in the area. John has participated in many bird surveys in northern Utah for state and local organizations. He has also led many field trips in the area for Audubon, the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, and American Birding Association Conventions in Utah. He has birded throughout the United States, Central and South America, South Africa, the South Pacific, and Cuba. John has been a resident of Northern Utah for the past 48 years.

Adam Blundell is an Ornithologist and Wildlife Biologist.  He has the coolest job in the world…teaching Ornithology.  No really, he does.  The Ornithology program at Farmington High School may be the only year-long Ornithology science class in the entire nation!  Adam has a strong interest in biodiversity, ecology, conservation, and avian adaptations.  His class at Farmington High School is field-based, with students spending a great amount of time outside observing the local avian life.  His class is where birders are hatched and fledged with a lifelong love of our feathered friends.

Alyson DeNittis became enchanted by the incredible landscapes of the West and the creatures that rely on them during her time doing natural resource work across Utah. As the Senior Land Management Coordinator at the National Audubon Society’s Gillmor Sanctuary on the south shore of Great Salt Lake, she works with a dedicated team to protect habitat for shorebirds and other nesting and migratory bird species. While her specialty is in identifying plants, Alyson is always excited to keep discovering the expansive world of birds with her colleagues, community, and partner.

Melissa Halvorsen can't remember a time when she wasn't interested in the natural world. She grew up following her biologist father around in the field whenever she was out of school. She currently serves as the Education and Outreach Director at HawkWatch International. In her free time, Melissa enjoys exploring the outdoors, reading, playing games, and starting craft projects she never intends to finish.

Dallin Henderson is an avid bird watcher and outdoorsman. He first fell in love with bird watching while attending college in Eastern Idaho and enrolling in a Western Bird Study class. He has been watching birds ever since. Dallin is a contractor by trade and birdhouse builder by profession.

Heidi Hoven is the Senior Manager of National Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary on the south shore of Great Salt Lake. She has conducted more than 20 years of research on GSL wetland ecology, obtaining a broad understanding of the inter-relationships of habitat conditions and the flora and fauna that thrive in the wetlands. She brings this background to help improve and protect the habitat for birds of GSL. She also serves on the board of the Dark Sky Utah Chapter, where she chairs the lighting ordinance committee, working with others to reduce light pollution for people and migratory birds. When not “working for birds”, she enjoys discovering birds in new and old places.

Ashley Kijowski has been a biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for over 10 years. The majority of that time she worked for the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program with a team of other biologists who researched and managed the brine shrimp harvest and conducted bird surveys on the lake and the wetlands.

She is currently the Coordinator for the Eccles Wildlife Education Center, which is a dream job for her because educating the public about the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem is one of her favorite things to do. She loves and appreciates the lake, the birds, the shrimp, and even the smell of the lake. She got married on the shores of Great Salt Lake in 2021 and it will always hold a special place in her heart.

Max Malmquist fell in love with birds while performing a wide variety of bird surveys for a consulting firm after college.  He is the Engagement Manager for National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Program, focused on protecting saline lakes and their associated wetlands, like Great Salt Lake, for future generations of birds and people.  Max is a voting member of the Utah Birds Records Committee, lead coordinator for the Intermountain West Shorebird Surveys, and regional editor for the state of Utah’s Christmas Bird Count Circles. He is an avid birder and wildlife photographer who enjoys sharing his passion for birds with others.

Don Paul is a career wildlife biologist, having served 34 years in several positions for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources including GSL avian biologist. He then served four years as the Great Basin Bird Conservation Region Coordinator. Don is also a founding member of the Linking Communities initiative, an international shorebird conservation program that includes the GSL. He is also an original member of the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival planning committee.

Tori Sohm was interested in birds while watching the feeders at her childhood home. She has worked in informal education as well as out in the field, volunteering with Tracy Aviary, Hawkwatch International, the Ara Project in Costa Rica, and Australian National University, and working for the State of Utah to conduct breeding bird surveys. She has a broad range of interests and particularly loves the Great Salt Lake and all the birdlife it supports.