Events and Outings

Birds of a Feather: 4 avian events for February

Purple Martin Chick, by OakleyOriginals, used under a Creative Commons license
Erin Crouch

Spring is almost here! Kids are growing, flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping. If there’s no birds in your yard yet, here are some great ways to see what they’re all up to. Find out where they live, what they eat and even what their chirps mean with these activities.

 

Picture by Diana Samuels, courtesy of Winter Wings Festival
Picture by Diana Samuels, courtesy of Winter Wings Festival

Raptor Road Trip

Saturday Feb 4, 9am-2pm
Location: Check-in at Kruger’s Farm Market, 17100 NW Sauvie Island Rd
Cost: $10
Ages: All ages
oregonmetro.gov/event/raptor-road-trip-2017/2017-02-04
Take your family to explore Sauvie Island in search of magnificent eagles, hawks and falcons, with activities at four sites around the island. Enjoy guided bird viewing, meet live raptors and see hawk identification displays. Free hot drinks and donuts in the morning. A parking permit, event guide, birding map and picture handouts will be given at check-in. Dress for the weather and allow about three hours.

 

Picture by Jonne Goeller, courtesy of Winter Wings Festival
Picture by Jonne Goeller, courtesy of Winter Wings Festival

Winter Wings Fest

Feb 16-19
Location: locations around Klamath Falls, OR
Cost: $7 registration fee; events priced separately
Ages: All ages
winterwingsfest.org
Produced by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society, this is the longest running bird festival in the nation. A small gathering that began over 30 years ago has now become an incredible event for bird enthusiasts of all stripes. Event includes guided trips, workshops, presentations, free events, and vendors. There will be free children’s activities on Saturday, including building a pine cone bird feeder, nature crafts, a worm box and soil fun, small animals and gardening project, making Nature Notebooks, spiders and geckos and live parrots. A scavenger hunt and honeybee education will round out the offerings.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Feb 17-20
Location: All over Oregon
Cost: Free
Ages: All ages
audubonportland.org/about/events/great-backyard-bird-count
Help scientists get a snapshot of bird numbers and distribution across the globe with the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a great introduction to citizen science for kids; the GBBC helps scientists determine trends and identify long-term declines that may call for conservation attention and require further study. As a participant, you commit to count birds anywhere for at least 15 minutes on one or more of the four count days. In Oregon last year, 2,570 checklists were submitted, including over 300 from Multnomah County alone.

 

Purple Martin Chick, by OakleyOriginals, used under a Creative Commons license
Purple Martin Chick, by OakleyOriginals, used under a Creative Commons license

Bird Language for Beginners

Saturday Feb 25, 2017, 9:30am-12:30pm
Location: Cooper Mountain Nature Park, 18892 SW Kemmer Rd, Beaverton
Cost: $10 per person
Ages: 8 years old and up
oregonmetro.gov/event/bird-language-beginners/2017-02-25-0
What are the birds saying? Experience how the birds react to the expanding daylight by ramping up their vocal activity and learn how to recognize many of their distinct songs and alarm patterns. There will be an indoor intro to bird language followed by a bird walk in the park.