Spring is coming, and so are the birds.
With the spring migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds to the Stikine River Delta, the 20th annual Stikine River Birding Festival is taking place from April 27-30. The family-friendly festival takes place in Wrangell and includes birding excursions, photo and art competitions, bird banding demonstrations, guest speakers and more.
The event recently earned a 2017 Mindful Birding Award for promoting “ethical birding guidelines and bird conservation,” per a release. The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer also earned the award.
Among those guest speakers is Dan Ruthrauff from the USGS Alaska Science Center, who will speak about the sandpipers that spend winter in Alaska. Bob Armstrong — the author of “Guide to the Birds of Alaska” — will discuss techniques for responsibly documenting bird behavior and will present nature videos.
The Tongass National Forest, The City and Borough of Wrangell, the Wrangell Convention and Visitors Bureau, the James and Elsie Nolan Center and local Wrangell businesses and organizations are all sponsoring the festival. For more information, those interested can visit www.wrangell.com/birdingfestival.
