Just as birds migrate to the Blaine and Birch Bay area, birders across the region are expected to flock to Blaine for the 23rd annual Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15.
This year’s festival will have a full slate of events, from a Skagit County field trip to an all-day birding exposition and photography lessons. Kids activities have also expanded this year, creating more hands-on experiences for children this year.
Festival Coordinator Debbie Harger said the festival is a volunteer-run nonprofit focused on providing free events to share the love of bird-watching, with ticketed events priced only to cover expenses.
“It’s a happy place,” Harger said of the festival. “Being with the birds, being outside, being in our beautiful area, it doesn’t get any better.”
The festival kicks off at 8 a.m. March 13 with the chartered bus trip to Skagit County. A few $50 tickets are still available for last-minute bird-watchers who want to learn about avians found in Wiley Slough and Hayton Reserve on Fir Island.
An opening dinner and artist reception will ring in the festival at 6 p.m. at Blaine Community/Senior Center, 763 G Street. Tickets cost $45 for the event including a catered dinner.
Festival Artist Rebecca Ledger, who shows her nature-inspired watercolor at the Ebb Tide Gallery in Gig Harbor, will display her art during the opening reception. Author and Bird Photographer Peter Cavanagh will give a presentation on how birds take flight, using information from books he’s published including, “How Birds Fly: The Science and Art of Avian Flight.” A silent auction will be part of evening entertainment.
If there’s a day not to miss, it’s Saturday. Event volunteers will man the information table starting at 8 a.m. in the Blaine Community Pavilion, 635 8th Street, ahead of the jam-packed day.
The free Birding Expo, which attracts the festival’s largest crowd, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the pavilion, providing a variety of activities, from a vendor fair to a hub for kids entertainment. One of the main attractions of the expo, Sardis Raptor Center, will showcase rescued birds with its popular “Hunters of the Sky” presentation at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Next door to the expo, artist Jason LaClair will give a presentation on the sacred role of birds and wildlife in Lummi and Nooksack cultures at 9:30 a.m. in the community center. The presentation is free and no registration is required.
Following LaClair’s presentation, Cindy Easterson, of the Puget Sound Observatory Board, will discuss the board’s study that uses citizen scientists to monitor 200 wetlands and the species living in them. The presentation starts at 11 a.m. in the community center.
Craft and activity stations and storytelling nooks will be set up for children in and near the expo. There will also be a guided storywalk for children around Blaine Marine Park at 3 p.m. and self-guided scavenger hunt throughout the day at the park.
North Cascades Audubon Society members will have viewing stations around the Blaine area where they will help attendees of all ages spot birds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Maps with station locations will be available at the expo.
At Semiahmoo Resort, Western Washington University Professor Gregory Green will lead a macrophotography workshop (free, no registration required) at 9 a.m. and a five-hour nature photography class ($50, space is limited) at 10:30 a.m. For those eager to get on the water, a two-hour birding and wildlife cruise will depart from Semiahmoo Marina at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $70.
The day will wind down with wildlife biologist David Drummond’s free presentation on Pacific Northwest owls at 3 p.m. in the community center, followed by a free keynote speech on woodpeckers from award-winning photographer and author Paul Bannick at 5 p.m., also in the community center.
The festival will wrap up with a “Treats and Tweets” continental breakfast and presentation by biologist Chris Templeton on birds’ melodies at 9 a.m. at the community center. The breakfast is $21, and space is limited.
For attendees wanting a post-breakfast history lesson to round out the weekend, the Alaska Packers Association Museum on Semiahmoo Spit will be showcasing Blaine maritime history. The museum will be open throughout the festival: 1-5 p.m. Friday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The museum is located at 9261 Semiahmoo Parkway, and admission is free, though donations are welcome.
Harger said she’s looking forward to welcoming festival-goers of all ages, both veterans and first-timers.
“What is so rewarding is people who say they love it and come back, year after year,” Harger said. “That’s why we do it.”
For more information on Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival, visit wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com.
