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Monterey Bay Birding Festival 2009

Editor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:46:27 +0000

The Monterey Bay Birding Festival 2009, will be held from the 24th to the 27th of September 2009, and will be the fifth successful festival for Monterey. The Watsonville Civic Plaza is the headquarters of the festival where bird lovers can book their guided tours and day trips to various bird watching destinations and activities. A variety of well known guest speakers will be hosting workshops during the festival during the day and in the evenings.

First time bird watchers and avid birding enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this festival that is focused on sharing the spectacular birdlife of Monterey with visitors. For more information, kindly visit the festival website at http://www.montereybaybirding.org/ .

Date: 24 – 27 September 2009
Venue: Watsonville Civic Plaza
City: Monterey
Country: North America

Wings Over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival

Editor — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:20:18 +0000

If you’re looking for a great way to get back to nature early next year, make sure that you stop off at the 16th annual Wings Over Willcox birding and nature festival for some great family fun. Whether you’re an avid bird watcher or you just enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of nature, you’re sure to find something enjoyable to do at this great annual event.

The 16th annual Wings Over Willcox festival is due to get off to a flying start on January 14, 2009. It is a five-day festival that covers various aspects of nature and serves both as a window on the natural world and as a means to educate the general public. The 2009 Wings Over Willcox festival promises to be bigger and better than ever before, with seminars, exhibitions, tours, a massive banquet and both photographic and artistic displays. Some of the new tours will feature rather novel aspects, such as astronomy, while others will focus on the wildlife of the Chiricahuas – perfect for those who love nature in general. The AEPCO power plant has volunteered to open its doors for the weekend so that visitors can learn more about this electric power station, while those with green fingers will no doubt get a kick out of visiting the 100-acre greenhouse in the area. There is also a working ranch filled with farm hands that are ready to show you the ropes. Of course, no visit to the area would be complete without a bird watching tour and you can be sure that there are plenty of those to go around. If you are lucky you will get plenty of chances to see cranes, sparrows and a variety of raptors in their natural habitats. There are also plenty of other birds to see – almost as many as 180 different bird species have been spotted in the area during the last four years of the festival alone, with an average of 135 different bird species being sighted annually.

Some of the seminars will cover diverse topics such as rainwater harvesting or wildlife tracking. There will also be seminars on rarities such Siberian cranes and jaguars. Clearly this is a diverse and intriguing part of the natural world and visitors are openly invited to explore the birds, bats, rocks and plants of the area. The Wings Over Willcox festival will also be targeting schools, trying to highlight the need to protect nature in a way that children can identify with. Birds will be taken to the classroom during the festival and part of the art exhibition will feature various artworks done by a number of school children in the area. However, the more intriguing art will be provided by Anne Peyton who is this year’s featured artist. So make the most of this great annual event by being a part of the 16th annual Wings Over Willcox birding and nature festival!

North West Bird Watching Festival – A Fun Family Outing

Editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:25:31 +0000

If you’re looking for a great weekend’s activity for the whole family, you’ll find that the North West Bird Watching Festival is exactly what you’re looking for. This great event will prove to be both educational and recreational, helping families to reconnect with nature whilst at the same time helping them to buy out time from stressful lives and learning more about how to look after our endangered wildlife.

The North West Bird Watching Festival will be hosted by the Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and promises to be a truly spectacular event. This is a great way to get your whole family out in the open air and to teach them to appreciate nature. It also provides a great setting for building up familial bonds and improving the education of adults and children alike. As a social event, it provides everyone – young and old – with an opportunity to make new friends. Anyone interested in bird watching, photography or conservation should definitely make this festival a part of their plans for the end of the month. In fact, any nature lover – no matter how little or how much you enjoy getting back to basics – can make the most of this festival and enjoy themselves. You’ll be able to relax, unwind and even do a little bit of shopping during the course of your visit to this great birding festival.

So what sort of activities have been planned for the North West Bird Watching Festival? Well, no birding festival is complete without an interesting selection of guest speakers and workshops to help visitors learn more about the natural environment that they are enjoying so much. An emphasis will also be put on photography, with a workshop in photograph manipulation easing a lot of budding photographers into this aspect of modern photography. A number of stands will be set up at the festival and will have clothing, binoculars and second hand books, among other things, for sale. You may even be able to pick up a bargain birding holiday for the family! Those who enjoy a more hands-on experience will enjoy the swan feeds that take place at 3 and 3:30 pm in the afternoons. The North West Bird Watching Festival will take place on November 29 and 30. Make the most of this great event by ensuring that you’re there to enjoy it!

Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival

Editor — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:37:14 +0000

For the last couple of years Southeast Georgia has been home to a wonderful annual birding and nature festival. The event spotlights the numerous bird species that make use of the different Georgian habitats and caters to almost everyone – from causal nature enthusiasts to more experienced birders.

This year will be no different. The plans have been drawn up and the bookings have been made for Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival 2008. Pete Dunne has been chosen as the keynote speaker for the festival and already the birds are arriving, promising birders a great opportunity to see as much bird life as possible. In fact the area is just teeming with life. Salt marshes, woodlands, freshwater wetlands, shorelines, barrier islands, tidal rivers and old rice fields are all home to fascinating and often distinct bird communities that make for fantastic bird watching. The 2008 festival will feature field trips to more than 25 different natural areas, enabling visitors to make the most of this fantastic natural area. When you combine the exciting field trips with the informative seminars and great association, you’ll find that Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival is an unbeatable gem that simply shouldn’t be missed!

Not everyone who attends the festival is strictly a bird watcher. The show caters to nature lovers of all kinds and you’ll find that nature day activities combine birds with other elements of nature to appeal to all kinds of people. Beach and marsh walks provide the perfect way to while away a few hours, while the raptor show will provide ample inspiration for anyone who gives the beginning birding course a try. There will be reptiles, sharks, animal tracking and even a segment that deals with the role that Southern Birds have played in Native American culture. Add to that the bird watching opportunities and field trips and you’ll find you’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do. Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding and Nature Festival will be held on Jekyll Island in Georgia from October 9 to 13, 2008. Book your accommodation now to make sure that you don’t miss out on this great birding and nature event!

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Editor — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:18:11 +0000

Bird lovers looking for a fantastic long-weekend getaway should look no further than the 15th Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. The festival will take place, as always, in Harlingen, Texas, and will provide plenty of great, nature-orientated activities for young and old.

So what can you expect to enjoy at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival? The weekend’s events are a combination of field trips, keynote lectures, workshops, seminars, children’s programs and a trade show, so there really will be something for everyone. What’s more, the programs and activities have been specially designed to cater to the needs of backyard, novice and veteran birder’s alike; so no matter what your skill level you will find the program to be insightful, informative and fun. The Birder’s Bazaar is one of the places where you will be able to while away hours while updating your equipment, having some fun and learning more about the environment. Nature artwork, trusty field guides, new optics and plenty of birding gear will be available from the more than 60 vendors who have traveled to the show from across the nation to participate in the festival. For those interested in photography, the Eagle Optics and Swarovski Optik digiscoping contest that will be held throughout the festival represents the opportunity of a lifetime. There is simply no shortage of great things to see and do at the festival.

Of course the real reason for the festival is the abundant birdlife that is present in Rio Grande Valley. More than 250 species were sighted at last year’s festival – something which proves that the area is a birding hotspot! To help you in your quest to spot some of these amazing birds, there will be a number of world-class guides leading field trips into the valley and sharing their invaluable information with you. Another good reason for attending the festival is the opportunity to surround yourself with plenty of like-minded individuals. There will be many opportunities to make new friends and meet new people. The event will get underway with a Welcome Reception held at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum on Wednesday, November 5, between 5 and 7 pm. The weekend’s activities will wind down to an enjoyable ending on November 9, after five great days of bird-watching excitement. So make the most of this annual event and make sure that you participate in this year’s Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.

OspreyFest 2008 in New Mexico

Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:05:56 +0000

Not many people will try to argue that the sight of a beautiful white and black osprey soaring through the air isn’t beautiful. These stunning birds of prey are widespread in many parts of the United States and thousands of people can easily spot them in their neighborhood. Despite their widespread coverage of other parts of the continent, they have been absent from Northern New Mexico for some time now – until recently that is.

The 2008 Osprey Fest has been created in celebration of the fact that these majestic birds have returned to the northern parts of New Mexico. It will take place at Heron Lake State Park in the breathtaking Chama River Valley and will no doubt see thousands of excited birders in the region making the most of this fantastic opportunity to see these birds nesting and breeding successfully in the area. Heron Lake State Park will be collaborating with the nearby El Vado State Park to ensure that global birders and local residents get the most out of their time here. Not only will visitors most likely be able to see such striking birds as blue heron and bald eagles, but they will get to spy on 13 pairs of nesting Osprey. The festival has been carefully timed to coincide with the nesting osprey’s annual fledge, so there should be plenty of action in the nests! Of course these large protected areas are home to more than just a few bird species and animal lovers will also be charmed by the wide variety of wildlife that is present in the two state parks.

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a large, eagle-like bird of prey that eats fish and so is always found near water. Sometimes called sea hawks or fish eagles, these magnificent birds can be found on almost every continent on the globe. Their wings span an impressive six feet and their white and black speckled markings are unmistakable. OspreyFest2008 provides bird lovers with the perfect opportunity to get close to and learn more about these fabulous birds. Guided small-boat excursions will no doubt prove to be a highlight for many visitors as it provides a somewhat unique way of viewing nests that may otherwise be impossible to see clearly. So make the most of OspreyFest2008 and book your stay at nearby Chama where you can also enjoy restaurants, gift shops, craft galleries and a supermarket.

Monterey Bay Birding Festival

Editor — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:30:41 +0000

Birders living near the Central Coast of California simply have to make the most of the Fourth Annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced bird watcher, young or old, local or not, you will find that this great annual event has something for everyone. This year’s festival will be offering a lot of opportunities for beginners. But there will still be plenty on offer for experienced birders.

The main appeal of every bird festival is, of course, the birds. The Monterey Bay Birding Festival is no different and birders will find that vast majority of the more than 600 bird species to be seen in California can be spotted in the Monterey Bay area. The Monterey Bay region and the nearby Pajaro Valley have a wonderful variety of habitats which house an incredible variety of birds. Habitats found here include beaches, ocean, forest, rivers, sloughs and wetlands – no wonder there are so many birds living in this area! However this is not all that the Monterey Bay Birding Festival has to offer visitors. Beginner birders stand the chance to learn from a number of skilled and knowledgeable birders who will act as team leaders on birding trips and help you to find, identify and learn more about the birds living in the area. There will also be workshops, vendors and lectures for more advanced birders. In total more than 70 different activities have been planned for the three days of the birding festival so you can be sure that there will be plenty of interesting things to see and do.

The Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center at Ramsay Park will also feature during the festival as it will be offering free, bilingual family days on both Saturday and Sunday for the whole family. This is the perfect compliment to the weekend’s activities and should definitely be taken advantage of. Pajaro Valley and the Monterey Bay region is well known for being the biggest bird hotspot on the Central Coast of California and fall is the perfect time to visit this fantastic area as this is when a number of shorebirds choose to winter here. The festival will be taking place on 26-18 September 2008, so register for the Monterey Bay Birding Festival now to make sure that you don’t miss out!

Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival

Editor — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:15:21 +0000

Each year the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival gives bird lovers the opportunity to become better acquainted with various bird species. This year will be no different and the festival theme for 2008 is “Shorebirds as International Ambassadors: Connecting Birds, Habitats and People.”

The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival takes place each year in Homer, Alaska, where more than 25 species of shorebirds make their migration to Kachemak Bay in time for the arrival of spring. Here they join thousands of resident waterfowl, woodland birds and seabirds. This abundance of birds provides the perfect setting for the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. The festival is family friendly and caters to beginner, intermediate and advanced birders and even non-birders and the focus is on a fun, nature-orientated weekend celebration.

This year’s festival will give birders an opportunity to expand their knowledge of birds in both Kachemak Bay and in other places around the globe. If you are excited at the prospect of birding elsewhere in the world, you may be able to book your place in a birding trip to Bolivia or Taiwan. However, if you are only planning to keep it local, you will certainly not miss out! Birders attending the festival will be treated to speeches by a variety of expert naturalists, birders and guides, who will share their extensive knowledge and also guide you through the various field events and workshops. Presentations and boat tours will also be on offer, and participants can choose between shorebird viewing stations, hiking, guided bird walks, nature writing worships, kayaking, an educational workshop on optics and digiscoping, courses on shorebird identification through sound and sight, live bird presentations and tours of Homer’s Hot Spots.

But the fun and entertainment doesn’t end there! Once you have taken in all the sights and sounds of nature, you can settle down, relax and enjoy an evening of great entertainment. Live concerts, fashion shows, an art and education fair, multimedia performances, beer bashes, bird calling competitions, poetry readings and solo singing performances are just some of the great evening entertainment on offer at the Kachemack Bay Shorebird Festival. The 2008 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival will take place from 8 to11 May, so book your spot now and make the most of this impressive bird watching festival.

27th John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival

Editor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:43:37 +0000

Bird-lovers are invited to spend a weekend witnessing the magnificent spring migration at the 27th annual John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival in the Harney Basin of Oregon. The festival is set to take place on 4, 5 and 6 April 2008, with the base of activity being in the city of Burns, Harney County.

Visitors can expect to see thousands of migratory birds – from waterfowl to shorebirds, wading birds to songbirds and raptors to cranes – as they rest and feed in the expanse of Oregon’s high desert. The festival schedule is packed with birding activities as well as cultural and historical information, which are sure to educate and entertain the entire family – beginners and experienced birders alike.

One of the highlights of the John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival will be the art show and sale which will run the duration of the festival in the Burns High School Gymnasium. Visitors will have plenty of opportunity to view and purchase original wildlife paintings, sculptures, photographs and much more. Paintings by renowned wildlife artist Steele Roberts-Ross will be a special feature of the art show and sale.

The kickoff celebration on Friday night will include the presentation “Milestones in Raptor Conservation” by Trish Nixon, a raptor specialist from the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Her talk will focus on raptors that have been rescued from the brink of extinction as well as those which are still endangered and what can be done to help them. Trish will also introduce the audience to one of her favorite raptors and will be available to answer questions related to birds of prey.

Audiences at the Saturday night banquet will hear (from a Theodore Roosevelt impersonator) how Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was established 100 years ago. They will learn how migratory birds in the Harney Basin were in dire straits at the turn of the 20th century, a situation which was turned around through the dedication of a few individuals – to the benefit of following generations right through to current times.

The John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival program has a host of birding tours and activities to choose from. These include Birds of Sagebrush Communities, Birding British Style, Birding the Neighborhood, Mysteries of Juniper Woodlands, Owl Prowl, Brunch with the Birds, and Sage Grouse Early Bird Tour. Workshops include The Art and Science of Bird Photography, Building Bird Houses, Dark Sky Discovery and BLM Burns Wild Horse Corrals.

Bird watching enthusiasts will not want to miss the opportunity of spending a weekend engaged in their favorite activity. So start planning now to enjoy the John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival to the full.

International Festival of Owls in Houston, Minnesota

Editor — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:50:24 +0000

The International Festival of Owls came about as a result of the popularity of Alice, a Great Horned Owl. Alice is a well-known and much-loved resident at the Houston Nature Center in Houston, Minnesota. The Festival of Owls started out as a fun event celebrating Alice’s “hatch-day”. The festival was a huge success and soon developed into an international event. The 6th annual International Festival of Owls is set to take place on the weekend of 29 February to 2 March 2008 and has a host of activities lined up to educate and entertain each member of the family.

Alice fell out of her nest early in life and broke her left wing which, despite the best efforts of wildlife rehabilitator Marge Gibson, didn’t heal well enough to allow for flight. Alice was raised in the Gibson’s home and is used as an education bird. As such she is comfortable around people and there is little doubt that Alice lives a privileged life. She commutes to work perched on the backseat of a car, eats her favorite food every day and enjoys the freedom of an entire house. She even likes the air conditioning set to her comfort level and lets her people know when it is not just right. Most owls, however, are not as fortunate as Alice and sometimes become victims of man’s encroachment on their habitat. The International Festival of Owls invites visitors to get to know these enigmatic creatures and the role they play in the environment.

The schedule for the weekend starts off on the Friday at 5:30 with some time for visitors to socialize before the banquet begins. After an introduction to Alice and the banquet meal, multi-award winning ornithologist Dr. C. Stuart Houston will deliver his keynote address “Adventures with 7,000 nestling Great Horned Owls: Eaters of Snowshoe Hares”. The evening finishes off with the World Owl Hall of Fame awards and an auction of owl-related items.

The rest of the weekend is packed with interesting activities and events. Children’s activities include owl face painting, being banded like an owl with a wristband, owl origami and other owl crafts. Carefully supervised owl nest box building is a popular activity and participants get to take their box home with instructions on correct placement to attract owls.

Owl pellet dissection is a surprisingly popular activity which is handled by author and radio show producer Laura Erickson. It is an interesting, educational and entertaining activity as participants attempt to identify what the owls have eaten by dissecting the pellet of indigestible matter that they throw up. Alice’s “mother” Marge Gibson will present live owl programs during which spectators get to interact with the owls. Other interesting activities include the Saturday night Owl Prowl and the Hooting Contest, as well as an owl photography session.

Owls are often misunderstood and are even sometimes looked upon as a bad omen. Visitors to the International Festival of Owls will gain a clear understanding of these fascinating birds of prey.