A strong and growing tradition returns to Detroit Lakes this month.
The Eighth Annual Festival of Birds will be held Thursday through Sunday. More than 200 different birds have been observed by attendees since its founding.
And for those birdwatchers and devotees needing one more day - since a year is a long time to wait for the 2006 festival - it's been added.
But you'll have to be ready to board a bus at Thief River Falls, Minn., at 6 a.m. May 23, if you want to tour Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge that day.
This year's Detroit Lakes festival is packed with one aspect that birdwatchers - novice or professional - enjoy most of all: field trips.
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"They like to get out in the field and observe the birds," said Detroit Lakes tourism director Cleone Stewart, who is also a member of the Festival Planning Committee. "The entire weekend accommodates the average person feeding birds at home to the devoted birder looking for a life-bird."
There is also in-house time with workshops, presentations, exhibitors and the Saturday night banquet with a special guest speaker.
Festival headquarters are the Conference Center at Minnesota State Community and Technical College along Highway 34 East in Detroit Lakes. Registration will take place there.
The featured speaker is Bill Thompson III, editor of "Bird Watcher's Digest." Thompson will address the festival Saturday. Dinner is at 6 p.m. with the program following.
Thompson has been an avid bird watcher since age 8. The magazine has been published bi-monthly by his family since 1978.
Thompson will sign copies of his new book, "Identify Yourself: Birding's 50 Most Common ID Challenges," during a mini-workshop at the Conference Center from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. The book was illustrated by his wife, Julie Zickefoose.
Also that afternoon, experts from Eagle Optics will show the latest styles of binoculars and spotting scopes and options for bird watching endeavors.
Birders will learn how to attract birds with native plants, find out about digital photography and get an overview of the widespread appearances of owls in Minnesota this past winter.
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This workshop, along with several other ones, are free to the public, Stewart said. There is a charge for the banquet and field trips, which will be led by bird watcher notables Bob Janssen, Betsy Beneke, Doug Buri and Carrol Henderson.
The field trips (snacks and water are provided on all of them) are:
- Thursday: Fisher's Century Farm near Frazee, 3 to 5 p.m.; and "An Evening with Woodcocks and Owls," 7:15 to 9:45 p.m., Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.
- Friday: "Extreme Birding Expedition," 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Itasca State Park, 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Rydell and Glacial Ridge NWRs, 5:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Maplelag Bird Walk and Dinner 4 to 6:45 p.m.
- Saturday: Hamden Slough NWR, 5:45 to 11:30 a.m.; Tamarac NWR, 6:15 to 11:30 a.m.; Hot Spot Field Trip, 12:30 to 2:15 p.m.
- May 22: Felton, Ulen and Helliksen Prairies, 6 to 11:30 a.m.; walking with Warblers at Tamarac NWR, 6:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- May 23: Agassiz Refuge Birding Bus Tour, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., departing from and returning to Thief River Falls. People are asked to contact the Thief River Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 827-1629.
There will be a free program on live owls at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Staff at Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton, N.D., will give the presentation featuring two species of owls and a golden eagle.
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A children's program on owls will be presented Saturday at Washington Square Mall in Detroit Lakes at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Prairie Winds Zoo will have children's programs at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the mall. There is no charge to attend either presentation.
Stewart said the Agassiz NWR tour on May 23 was added because the Detroit Lakes bird festival and Pine to Prairie Birding Trail were the firsts of their kind in Minnesota.
The birding trail begins at Fergus Falls and follows Highway 59 north to the Canadian border. People can check out the 250-mile long trail at www.mnbirdtrail.com .
Brochures describing the entire festival are available at the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce, (218) 847-9202, or go to www.visitdetroitlakes.com .
Tim Kjos is a reporter for the Detroit Lakes, Minn., Tribune, a Forum communications newspaper. He can be reached at timk@dlnewspapers.com
