This coming weekend is Memorial Day Weekend and time for Warblers on the Water — BIA’s annual Birding Festival. All of the field trips are sold out, but there is still room to attend the presentations that are part of the Festival. They are all available without charge, but free will donations to support Warblers on the Water are very much appreciated. Here’s a look at the presentations:
On Saturday, May 28th from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Dr. Nancy Seefelt presents: The Butterflies of
the Bird World: A Primer for Warbler Identification. This presentation will review helpful tips on warbler identification in the field and in the hand, with special emphasis on warblers found during spring migration and breeding on Beaver Island. We will also discuss and explore different resources that aid in warbler identification by both sight and sound. Participants will also get a chance to see a sampling of warblers up close using study skins provided by the CMU Museum teaching collection. Reserve your seat and make a freewill donation at https://store.biccenter.org/product/presentation-1-the-butterflies-of-the-bird-world-a-primer-for-warbler-identification/.
On Sunday, May 29th at 1:30 p.m., Bill Parsons will begin the presentations: Tribal Bald Eagle research along with the Piping Plover status and recovery for the Beaver Island Archipelago. Bill Parsons is an Inland Fish & Wildlife Biologist with the Natural Resource Department of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians who has extensive involvement around the archipelago with eagle research, piping plover management on High Island, and conducts annual winter duck surveys. Bill’s photography is legendary and his passion for preserving the area’s natural resources will provide for an engaging event not to be missed. Reserve your seat and make a freewill donation at https://store.biccenter.org/product/presentation-2-eagles-and-piping-plover-recovery-on-the-beaver-island-archipelago/.
Linnea Rowse follows at 2:30 p.m. with Forestry for Michigan Birds. Linnea is the Great Lakes Private Lands Director for the American Bird Conservancy. In the last 50 years, more than 2.9 billion birds have been lost. This dramatic decline in population drives the work of conservation biologists, including habitat management to improve forest health in the Great Lakes region for birds of conservation concern. Learn more about forest management strategies for birds such as Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, and several other target species in Michigan. You’ll hear about what the ABC team and partners are accomplishing in the Great Lakes states and also learn about what you can do on your land. Reserve your seat and make a freewill donation at https://store.biccenter.org/product/presentation-3-forestry-for-michigan-birds/.
