Birding Festivals

Jack Doyle

Snowy Owl

The following birding festivals are sponsored, in part, by the National Audubon Society and/or Audubon Chapters. Please also check your local Audubon Center or Chapter website for birding events. If your Chapter is sponsoring an event that is not yet listed, please email the date(s), location, website URL for more info, brief description of the event, and contact information to Chapter Services.

2012

MAY

4-6: Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival: Hoquiam, WA. Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip! Tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the open mudflats in the estuary.

5: Heron Festival: Clearlake, CA.  The Heron Festival combines a wide range of individual and family activities for everyone who loves nature and wants to learn more about it. Keynote speaker for 2012 is highly acclaimed photographer Philip Greene, whose photographs are shown in museums in the U.S., England, Canada, Finland, and China. His slides and talk feature mating behaviors, nesting, and fledging of the beautiful herons and egrets he has studied for over 20 years. Live owls and raptors show, childrens activities, nature fair education booths and vendors, and music. Contact 707-263-8030 or email help@heronfestival.org for more information.

10-13: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Annual Convention: Middleton, WI.  Madison Audubon Society is hosting this 73rd annual convention with the following two themes: "Birding in Madison and South Central Wisconsin" and "Soaring Against the Winds", which will help birders focus on good conservation.  Convention includes many great field trips and a banquet.

11-13: Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle: Presque Isle, PA.  Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day and enjoy the height of spring bird migration at Presque Isle, a natural concentration point along the Atlantic flyway where over 320 species of birds have been recorded. Workshops and field trips geared for the beginner and the seasoned naturalist led by experts in the field. Keynote Speaker Julie Zickefoose is a noted natural history author and artist. Call 814-520-9456 or email info@presqueisleaudubon.org for more information.

12: Wings Over Weston: Westin Bend State Park, MO. Enjoy a day of fun and learning about native birds. Activities will include live bird presentations, guided bird hikes, prizes and raffles, a native plant sale, children's games and activities and much more! The activities will be held at tthe open shelter and surrounding areas. A celebration of Weston Bend State Park as an important and accessible link in the Latan/Weston River Corridor Important Bird Area. Call Christine Kline at 816-540-3515 or email birdsecretary@comcast.net for more information.

12: El Dorado Audubon Society Bird Festival: Long Beach, CA. Celebrate the amazing birds that call the Nature Center home! Live education birds from South Bay Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Expert-led Bird Walks by El Dorado Audubon Society. Interactive educational displays and fun crafts and activities. Binoculars, birding books and gifts for sale. For more information, call El Dorado Nature Center at 562-570-1745.

17-20: Leavenworth Spring BirdFest: Leavenworth, WA.  Celebrate birdsong and explore the natural world. Keynote speaker David Craig PhD. Features many guided hikes and field trips, birding by pontoon boat, birding by raft and birding trips and programs in Spanish. Email Gail Roberts at groberts@barnbeachreserve.org for more information.

17-20: Great Salt Lake Bird Festival: Farmington, UT.  The 14th anual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival will spotlight the many great birding areas in Northern Utah and around the world-famous Great Salt Lake. Workshop programming focuses on interacting with live birds, involving youth and families in birding, and providing detailed information for serious birders. Keynote speaker is "The Big Year" birder, Greg Miller. Contact 801-451-3286 or  email tour@co.davis.ut.us for more information.

17-20: Tawas Point Birding Festival: Iosco County, MI.  Enjoy some of the best birding in the Great Lakes region.  Tawas Point is recognized as a top destination for observing spring migration and is well known for high concentrations of migrating warblers.  Many field trips and guided tours of the area, photography workshop, bird banding demonstrations.  Features Key Note Speakers: Jon Dunn, Bill Rapai, Harry Hussey and Caleb Putnam.  Conact Wendy Tatar at 517-641-4277 for more information.

18-20: Spring Wings Bird Festival: Fallon, NV.  A celebration of shorebird and waterfowl migration through the Lahontan Valley of north-central Nevada. Tours for birders of all levels. Beginning birding class. Release of rehablitated raptors back into the wild. Contact Susan Sawyer at 775-423-5128 ext. 228 for more information.

31-June 3: Acadia Birding Festival: Mount Desert Island, ME.  Acadia's birding community invites you and your family to celebrate the ecological wonders of the birds of the Gulf of Maine. Explore Mount Desert Island and its birds through numerous events and venues. Greet our warblers on early morning birding walks, visit with puffins and pelagic birds at sea, and observe Peregrine Falcons at an active breeding site in Acadia National Park. Our combination of lectures, walks, and adventures will connect you to Downeast Maine's many bird species, diverse habitats and local birding experts. For more information call 207-233-3694 or email info@acadiabirdingfestival.com.

JUNE

1-3: Cerulean Warbler Weekend: Barry County, MI. Held at the Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary features trips to find Cerulean Warbler and other woodland species, Henslow's Sparrow and other grassland species and a special presentation by Jeff Hoover. For more information contact Wendy Tatar at 517-886-9144 or by email at wendy@michiganaudubon.org.

1-3: North Central Washing Audubon Spring Bird Festival: Wenatchee, WA.Events, programs, local artists, bird walks, and more weekend festivities celebrate the return of songbirds to the Methow Valley. NCWAS will be there with our popular "What's That Bird?" -- a fun activity using carved, life-sized "analog" birds to help birders of all ages recognize and identify some of our favorite local species! For further info, or to pre-register for field trips and classes:
Email info@northcascadesbasecamp.com or call the Basecamp at 509-996-2334.

8-9: Roger Tory Peterson Festival: Jamestown, NY. Events designed to appeal to novice birders and to those who simply wish to enjoy and learn more about nature. While many field trips and sessions are planned for serious intermediate and hard-core birders, on Saturday June 9th children and their parents are invited to to participate in hands-on experiences and beginner field trips. Vendors and experts will be available to help with binoculars, advice on backyard bird feeding, and other bird related interests. A live raptor exhibit and a bird-banding demonstration will enable all to get up close and personal with these creatures usually seen from a distance. For more information call (716) 665-2473 x225 or email birdingfestival@rtpi.org.

8-10: Wings Across the Big Sky: Kalispell, MT. Join Montana Audubon in Northwestern Montana for this year’s annual bird festival among towering mountains, beautiful coniferous forests, and the abundant wetlands of the Rocky Mountains and Flathead Valley. This year’s theme, Birding and Conservation: The Crown of the Continent, will feature pre-festival workshops, expert speakers, and guided field trips into nearby Glacier National Park (popular for Harlequin Ducks, American Dippers, Northern Hawk Owls among many other species) and Flathead Valley’s wetland and riparian areas with a large variety of migrating waterfowl and neotropical visitors.

13-17: Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival: Carrington, ND. Four days on a prairie wild with wetlands and wavy, open meadows. Here is your chance to visit some of the world's most remote birding hotspots. Join your peers, bring your lists and be ready for four full days of guided tours, hands-on workshops, wonderful people, distinctive culture and wild country. For more information call 888-921-2473 or email info@birdingdrives.com.

15-17: Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua: Lee Vining, CA. Over 325 species of birds have been observed within the Mono Basin. Islands within Mono Lake supports 70-80% of California's nesting population of California Gulls, the second-largest rookery in the world after Great Salt Lake. Over 40 presenters will be at this festival, there will be numerous field trips and workshops and a Gala dinner on Friday. Contact chautauqua@monolake.org for more information.

JULY

21-22 Audubon Art and Craft Festival: Hawley, PA. Known regionally as the finest Art and Craft show in the Poconos, this non-profit event raises funds for student scholarships and environmentally threatened areas in the Northern Poconos. Some of the best wildlife artists from America and Canada will be displaying and selling their original art and prints at the Wildlife Art Show held in conjunction with the Festival. There will also be live raptors and other animals on site, courtesy of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and the Binghamton Zoo. The Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society will have an education table with free items for the family and a program on the NAS Forest Campaign.

AUGUST

1-4: Southwest Wings Festival: Sierra Vista, AZ Over 50 free events will be held at the 21st annual Birding and Nature Festival. Southwest Wings is an educational celebration of the diversity of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects, in their unique environment; the sky islands in southern Arizona. Three day writers workshop, special children's day program on Saturday August 4th. Speaker Paul Bannick is a wildlife photographer specializing in the natural history of North America with a focus on birds and habitat. And speaker Sergio Avila-Villegas will speak about the recent and historic sightings of jaguars and ocelots in southern Arizona and some possible explanations for their increase in recent years.

17-18: Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival: Tucson, AZ. This event celebrates the unique biodiversity of southeast Arizona with exciting educational opportunities for birders and nature enthusiasts to discover and enjoy the Sonoran Desert and Sky Islands. Featured speakers: Rick Taylor and Richard Crossly. Contact Erin Olmstead at 520-629-0510 x7009 for more information.

SEPTEMBER

7-9:  Hummingbird Migration Celebration & Nature Festival: Holly Springs, MS. Enjoy hummingbird viewing and banding, guided wagon rides, nature walks and great speakers at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center’s 2,600-acre nature sanctuary.  Other activities include live animal shows, Kids’ tent, native plant sale, local artists and nature vendors from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day.  This is a sustainable festival.  Our address is 285 Plains Road, Holly Springs, MS 38635.  Call 662-252-115 for more information.

8: Chelan Ridge Hawk Migration Festival: Wenatchee, WA. Make plans to be at Pateros' Memorial Park for the all day affair with shuttles to the ridge, vendors, analog (and real) birds and many other activities.

28-30: Florida Keys Birding & Wildlife Festival: Enjoy a diverse selection of environmental programs, informative field trips, and educational speakers at locations throughout the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West. The opening reception at Marathon Garden Club on Friday the 28th includes appetizers, a book signing, and a talk by Keynote Speaker, Bill Thompson III, editor/co-publisher of Bird Watcher's Digest and author of many birding books. Saturday, the 29th features an all-day environmental fair, hawk watch, and hands-on activities for the entire family. Sunday, the 30th, you'll have options to attend guided birding field trips, learn how to take better wildlife photos, or snorkel the beautiful coral reefs.