Festival of the Birds

Hosted by Presque Isle Audubon Society and PA DCNR

2017 Festival of the Birds
Keynote Speaker: Scott Weidensaul

All registrant receive a copy of Scott Weidensaul's
Return to Wild America

Festival dates: May 5, 6, and 7, 2017

Author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul has written more than two dozen books on natural history, including Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; The Ghost with Trembling Wings, about the search for species that may or may not be extinct; and Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding. His latest birding book is His latest book is the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean, which was published in 2015.

In addition to writing about wildlife, Weidensaul is an active field researcher whose work focuses on bird migration. He is a co-director of Project Owlnet, a collaborative effort among nearly 125 banding and research stations across North America studying owl migration, and is a co-founder of Project SNOWstorm, which uses cutting-edge tracking technology to study snowy owls.
http://www.scottweidensaul.com/

Keynote:
Scott Weidensaul will share the story of Project SNOWstorm – how a huge, collaborative research effort focused on snowy owls came together in a few frantic weeks, funded with the help of people from around the world, and continues to make discoveries and unexpected insights into the life and ecology of this great white raptor.

Fun Festival Reception
with live music by Frank Singer,
good food and great friends!

Festival Registration

Good Times:

Friday:
Fun Festival Reception with live music by Frank Singer, good food and great friends!
Saturday:
Bird Tally, Dinner and Keynote Address.
Keynote Program:
Scott Weidensaul
Project SNOWstorm
Sunday:
Casual Pizza Party Lunch & Final Bird Tally

Workshops:

Saturday: 1:00 & 3:00 pm

Birding for Beginners
Waterfowl od Presque Isle
Creating Stopover Habitats and Bird ID
Shorebird ID
Bird Photography

Workshops subject to change

Workshops

Field Trips:

Field Trips to Presque Isle's Hottest Birding Spots.

Friday Afternoon
Saturday
Sunday

We like to keep out festival cozy,
12 - 15 people per trip.

Trips leaving simultaneously
from 6 am - 9 am.
Each trip will visit multiple locations throughout the park.

Field Trips

Plus...

Special Oportunities:

Do Lagoon Birding from a Pontoon Boat
Visit the Bird Banding Station
Special Birds of the Night Field Trip on Friday
Trek to Gull Point, a sanctuary for migrating shorebirds and terns

2017 Sponsors
Great Blue Heron
Tom Ridge Environmental Center Foundation

Red Headed Woodpecker
Janet Price

Baltimore Oriole
Kal Darres

Black-throated Blue Warbler
Marion Gallivan
Mary Birdsong and Mike Plyler
Marty Pastore
Wild birds Unlimited
Paul Burroughs
Line-X Krown Erie

Yellow Warbler
Sue Murawski
Pat Howell
Ken Andersen
Dolores Tavares
Joao Tavares
Channellock Inc.
Nancy and Ken Andersen

What to Bring:
Be sure to bring comfortable shoes or boots for walking and any birding gear you desire. The average high temperature in Erie in May is 56 and temperatures at Presque Isle are often lower than on the mainland. Be prepared for cold & rainy weather. Presque Isle is home to deer ticks so you may want to bring insect repellent and plan to tuck your pants into your socks when using the trails on the park.

Sponsor the Festival

Festival Gallery 2016

Bird Gallery

Festival Contact

Festival Brochure