Wings Over Water returns for third year

By Ruth Lauman and Joe Meche

Come and join the celebration at this year’s third annual “Wings over Water” Northwest Birding Festival, April 2-3, in one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier bird viewing areas.

Originally known as the Washington Brant Festival, this year’s festival takes on a new look and a new name focusing on the thousands of brant geese and other birds that visit these pristine shores on their annual migration. Many events are free of charge and include bird viewing stations, seminars and exhibits, live raptor displays, walking field trips of Semiahmoo spit and Blaine’s Marine Park.

The festival highlights include a banquet with live and silent auctions at Semiahmoo Resort on Saturday evening. Banquet tickets are $40 per person or $70 per couple and can be purchased at Pacific Building Center in Blaine, 332-5335, or by calling 360/445-6681 or 360/466-4749.

This year, the festival brings new and exciting activities for the entire family on Saturday, April 2, including:
• Birder’s Breakfast at Stephani’s Restaurant in Birch Bay. Stefani’s will be serving cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, coffeecake, and fresh fruit from 9 to 11 a.m.
• Sketching classes will be held at the Blaine Harbor building by award winning wildlife artist Lex Hedley. Children’s sketching classes are from 9 to 11 a.m., cost $15. Adult sketching classes are from 1 to 4 p.m., cost $40. Space is limited to 20 individuals per class. To make reservations, call Debbie Harger at 332-8311.
• Nest box building will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Blaine Marine Park, for kids of all ages. Donations of $15 per nest box will be accepted.
• Wildlife cruises will run continuously aboard the historic Plover foot passenger ferry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., connecting Semiahmoo Resort to Blaine Harbor. Donations will be accepted.
• A courtesy limo will be provided by Smuggler’s Inn Bed & Breakfast from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The limo will shuttle visitors between uptown Blaine restaurants and shops, and back to the Blaine port building dock. Donations will be accepted.

The festival will be headquartered at Semiahmoo Resort, located at the tip of a 1.5 mile-long natural sand spit that separates Drayton Harbor from Semiahmoo Bay. Recent declines in the wintering brant flock have drawn attention to problems with habitat loss and displacement, major threats to many species. The Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival celebrates our wildlife legacy, and points to the importance of this area for their future survival.