DAY ONE REGISTRATION OVER!

As of today, April 22, 2013, we can't accept any more registrations for Day One.  We do have spaces available for Day Two in Nipigon, so don't miss out.
Hope to see you!

2013 Festival Time is Arriving!

It's March already, and registrations have started to come in.

We are excited to announce a wonderful addition to this year's Festival.  Ethan Meleg will be our guest speaker on Saturday and Sunday.

Ethan is a freelance photographer from Ontario, Canada. He specializes in photos of outdoor recreation, landscapes, ecosystems, birds and wildlife. He is represented by major stock agencies and has been published by National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Forbes, Ontario Tourism, Lonely Planet, Popular Photography and many more. Ethan is a popular keynote speaker, workshop leader and magazine columnist. He writes the humor column in every issue of Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine. Ethan is sponsored by numerous camera-gear companies including Singh-Ray filters, Sigma Canada and F-stop packs.

Growing up near world famous birding hotspot Point Pelee National Park, Ethan often skipped school to watch songbirds during migration. By the time he was a teenager, he had developed an in-depth knowledge of nature. At 19, he received a hand-me-down camera from his parents and began to learn the basics of nature photography. In between watching birds and taking photos, he completed a degree in Environment and Resource Studies at Trent University. Before becoming a pro photographer, Ethan had developed a career as a nature guide and communications specialist in national parks.

Ethan is 39 years old and lives in the Georgian Bay area of Ontario. His greatest passion in life is exploring the natural world through his camera, whether on exciting trips or in his own backyard.

Hi!
Well here we are in May, and just a few weeks until the 4th Festival!
We are very excited, and may have to announce that we have reached our maximum number of registrants!!!  What a great way to start off the month.
We hope that if you are reading this, you have registered already!  If you haven't, well, we may have room for a couple more birders....keep your eye on the website.

Spring has definitely sprung here, and we are seeing new arrivals everyday.  Yesterday, Savannah Sparrows were the latest to be seen.
Shorebirds and Warblers are trickling in ever so slowly.  There were Palm Warblers sighted yesterday at Hurkett Cove, and the Yellow-rumped Warblers have been here for over a week.

 A waterfowl viewing night on the Nipigon River Trail

 Killdeer

 Chipping Sparrow

 White-crowned Sparrow

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

The Festival weekend should turn out to be wonderful, and we hope we can surpass our totals from last year!

2012

Hi, and apologies for being so slow to update the blog!
We are once again getting things planned for the upcoming Festival...May 26 & 27.

This year, we are, with the help of Nick Escott, introducing a wonderful new birding experience on Day One.
At 6 am, anyone wishing to do so, will meet at Hurkett Cove Conservation Area. Birders will be able to greet the day, and hopefully some great birds.
Birders are responsible for their own transportation, and will be required to return to the Dorion Community Centre for the 8 am Registration, Breakfast, and Festival Introduction.

The Countdown is On!

Just 26 more days! We are very excited about the response this year, but there is still space for more birders! Don't wait much longer. And remember the deadline for registration is the 16th.

We are finally able to access Hurkett Cove Conservation Area, and the birds aren't disappointing us. Waterfowl and shorebirds have arrived and the photo opportunities are many.

Taking off!

Over 70 American White Pelicans were spotted a couple days ago. Of course, once the inland lakes open, and it could be a few weeks yet, they will travel to them.

We are enjoying many species of ducks, Double-breasted Cormorants, Bald Eagles, and Greater Yellowlegs.

A pair of Common Mergansers

Look at All the Birds!

FOX SPARROW

Happy to report that we are seeing a lot of returning species to the area! The trees are alive again with singing and birds flitting about. The Tree Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and White-throated Sparrows are here. We are seeing more Bald Eagles, and the Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Broad-winged Hawks are here too.
There are many Slate-coloured Juncos! They seem to be everywhere! The American Goldfinches that have been here all winter, are getting their vivid yellow colours back, and are certainly beautiful.

We still have some snow, but it is melting very quickly. Can't wait to see the bay open up, and allow for the return of the American Pelicans, Canada Geese, etc.

Hope you are going to be able to attend the Festival. Our numbers are increasing every day, and we look forward to the weekend very much!

SONG SPARROW

REGISTRATIONS HAVE STARTED

So happy to report that we have received the first of the registrations for this year's Festival! So excited. Plans have been made, and there are just a few loose ends to tie up. We will be picking up our new brochure from the printer this week, and our organizing committee will be sporting new shirts.
New this year will be t-shirts for sale, at the Festival. We are having so much fun with the new things we can do each year.
This weekend is the Home and Garden show at the CLE grounds in Thunder Bay, and we will be set up at the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority's booth. Drop by and register!!!

Hope to see you at the Festival.