Birds of a feather
Published 1:43 pm Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The San Juans draw people in with pristine beaches, sparkling waters and fascinating animals like killer whales. But high in the tree tops and floating through the sky are hundreds of creatures that inspire wonder and awe.
To encourage others to find out more about the many winged species in the islands, the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce is presenting the Birds and Wildlife Festival from April 10 to 12. BirdFest offers walks, talks, workshops, and activities are ideal for all ages and experience levels.
“Birding is one of the best excuses to travel,” said biologist Kim Middleton. “You can bird anywhere and it’s truly an excuse to get out into nature.”
According to Middleton the Puget Sound Basin has the best year-round birding locations because of the temperate climate.
“I was blown away by the number of birds on the island,” said Festival Director Michell Marshall.
There are about 200 common birds in the San Juans, split between the winter and the summer. For instance, waterfowl and raptors nest in the arctic in the summer and tropical birds come to our region for the warmer months.
The swapping period for these two groups occurs in April, so it’s the perfect time to see arctic and early tropical migrant birds.
The spring is also the time to see bald eagles, black oyster catchers, murres, aucklets and alcids. Specialty birds that will be gone by April are varied thrush and golden crown sparrows.
For Middleton, it’s not just the birds, but also the birders that create a fascination.
From a behaviorist and an animal trainer perspective, Middleton said the brain craves random reinforcements. A great example of this type of reinforcement is bird watching because you never know when or where you are going to see a bird.
“It’s also the challenge of identifying a species … you never know what you are going to identify,” said Middleton about what draws people to birding. “It makes us want to work harder.”
BirdFest events
BirdFest will kick off with an opening night dinner and reception on Thursday, April 10 at Rosario Resort. The featured speaker will be noted conservation biologist Thor Hanson. Author of the book “Feathers,” Hanson will share his knowledge of all things “wild” on Orcas Hanson’s topic is “Touchstones: Feathers, Seeds, and the Nature of Everyday.” There will also be a silent auction with lodging, dining and gifts.
Festival events get underway on Friday and Saturday (April 11 and 12), and will include: bird/nature walks with local birding experts, including Middleton; kayak and boat trips; workshops on birding and wildlife painting and photography; and a community parade featuring bird and wildlife costumes. Friday and Saturday evening conservation lectures from prominent scientist and wildlife experts include: “Bluebird Reintroduction in the San Juan Islands” with Kathleen Foley of the San Juan Preservation Trust; “Salmon: A Keystone Species: Stories About Salmon, Eagles, Orcas and more” with Barbara Rosenkotter, San Juan County Salmon Recovery Coordinator; and “Raptor Research” with Bud Anderson of Falcon Research Group.
Tickets for opening night dinner, and select other events are on sale now. Complete festival details can be found at www.OrcasIslandBirdFest.com.
