Chelan Ridge Hawk Migration Festival
Join the Methow Valley Ranger District, HawkWatch International, and North Central Washington Audubon Society this fall for the 5th annual Chelan Ridge Hawk Migration Festival! This free family event combines activities in Pateros with a field trip to the Wells Wildlife Area and trips to the Chelan Ridge migration site to learn about and celebrate raptors as they journey to winter territories. This all happens at Memorial Park in Pateros, Washington, on September 13th, from 8 am to 3 pm.
You will get to visit vendors, see raptor demonstrations, listen to live music, and take a trip to the spectacular Chelan Ridge raptor migration site. During the day, shuttles will run from Pateros to Chelan Ridge where visitors can see raptors such as Cooper's Hawk up close when they are banded and released. Chelan Ridge sits 5,675 feet above sea level along the flyway of migrating raptors. HawkWatch International field crew who live at the Ridge during the migration season will offer insight into what it is like to live and breathe raptors and show how the birds are banded and tracked. This is an amazing experience with environmental education and interpretation conducted by on-site educators, Forest Service personnel, and volunteers.
Raptor ID Workshop with Jerry Liguori
Join Jerry Liguori from Hawk Watch International for a raptor ID workshop in Pateros at 7PM on Friday, September 12th. He has worked with raptors throughout North America studying raptor biology, life history, ID, migration, and general behavior. Jerry is a premier raptor ID expert and has authored 3 books: "Hawks from Every Angle", "Hawks at a Distance", and "The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors". Jerry will also be available on Saturday up on the Ridge for people taking the shuttle. He will discuss in-flight identification as birds migrate down the ridge, and demonstrate in-hand identification including sexing, aging, and molting of birds. To sign up for the Friday night workshop please email
rscran4350@yahoo.com. Meeting site to be determined.
Fun for All Ages
In Pateros, there will be fun for all ages. One booth features: What's that Bird? a fun analog birding simulation game where children find and name bird models in trees. There will be an owl pellet station featuring hands-on science and plenty of bird education material. Plus, the WSU Raptor Club will be there with a number of live raptors for close perusal. North Cascades Base Camp will be back featuring face painting for kids. They also offer an overnight stay after the festival at their lodging in Mazama featuring a guest lecturer and a bird field trip the following day.
http://www.northcascadesbasecamp.com/">For more information check their website. The festival is also a great place to check out cutting edge optics from Wild Birds Unlimited and the latest birding guides and books from Trails End Bookstore. Daniel Anderman will be back with his inspiring birdhouses for sale. David and Mica Shearer will entertain us with their unique brand of acoustic music. This festival is scheduled to coincide with the peak of southbound migration of raptors at Chelan Ridge - the best place in Washington to view fall migrating raptors. Past festivals have brought several hundred people delighted to see hawks up close and spending the day learning all about raptors.
More at:
https://www.hawkwatch.org/participate/calendar/migration-sites/162-chelan-ridge-hawk-migration-festival