Photo: Common Loon by Lyle Grisedale

Creston Valley Bird Festival

May 12-14, 2023

Our Mission:              

“The Creston Valley Bird Festival exists to foster awareness of birds and their habitats in the Creston Valley”

Where the Birds Are: 

“Celebrate the birds, art, and the agriculture of the Creston Valley”


Thank you for coming to our bird festival!  See you all next year:  May 10-12, 2024!!

 

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!

June 4, 2023

The OSPREYS are sitting in their large conspicuous stick nests right now. Look for them on artificial nesting platforms, power poles, railway bridges, or on top of tall, dead cottonwoods. They continue adding sticks and nesting materials throughout the season like dry grasses, weeds, mosses, bark, fish bones, Canada Goose down, and farm baling twine! (Sourced from Linda Van Damme 2020).

This species feeds on fish by hovering and then plunging feet-first into the water. I watched this recently at Mawson Lake!

Photo Credit: Betty Martin

May 28, 2023

Recently at Duck Lake I was watching the winnowing flight display of a WILSON’S SNIPE as it circled high in the air, then suddenly diving down at high speed! The rush of air passing through the outspread tail feathers makes a whistling sound!
When not seen flying, it is somewhat secretive and found in habitats where vegetation provides cover.

 See Where the Birds Are page for more!

 https://www.valleyviewmotel.info/

Call 250-428-2336 for your 10% “Bird Fest Discount” at the Valley View!!!

Wings, Wildlife, and Wonder:  Your Guide to the Creston Valley Bird Festival by Brian Lawrence

2023 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 
Friday, May 12
  
   
12:00-4:00 pmFinal Festival RegistrationBaillie-Grohman Winery
12:00-4:00Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUTDaryl Calder
1:00-3:00

2:30-4:30

Downtown Creston Walk and Talk SOLD OUT

Native Bee/Mason Bee Condo Info Session 3 SPOTS LEFT

Creston Museum

Gord Hutchings

5:00-7:00

7:00-8:00

Flocking Together at Baillie-Grohman  SOLD OUT

Yaqan Nukiy Wetland Restoration Project SOLD OUT

Savour Food Truck

Norm Allard

8:30-10:00Star Gazing at Baillie-Grohman Winery SOLD OUTAngela Prettie
 
Saturday, May 13
  
6:00-6:30 amCoffee and MuffinsBaillie-Grohman Winery
6:30-10:30Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUTDaryl Calder
6:30-10:30

6:30-10:30

Birding by Car to Duck Lake SOLD OUT

Birding at Duck Lake SOLD OUT

Ed and Hazel Beynon

Tina Watters

6:30-10:30

6:30-10:30

Birding the Wildlife Area Trails SOLD OUT

Birding the Wildlife Area Trails – Beginner SOLD OUT

Jo Ellen and Gretchen

Carolee and Sarah

6:30-10:30Birding by Bus Road Tour  1 SPOT LEFTBrian Baxter
6:30-10:30Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lk SOLD OUTLyle Grisedale
6:30-10:30Birding the Farmlands SOLD OUTGaelen Schnare
6:30-10:30Leach Lake SOLD OUTJulia Flesaker
   
10:00-3:00Bird Kite Building/Family Bird-a-thon/Bird BINGODiscovery Centre
10:30-11:30Guided Canoe Trip Discovery Centre
11:30-12:30Guided Canoe Trip Discovery Centre
12:30-1:30 pmGuided Canoe Trip Discovery Centre
1:30-2:30Guided Canoe Trip Discovery Centre
2:30-3:30Guided Canoe Trip Discovery Centre
12:00-4:00The Wobbling Warbler Bus Tour

Winery, Brewery, Craft Distillery CANCELLED

Creston Valley Tour Co.
12:30-2:30Dairy TourKootenay Meadows
   
1:00-3:00Merlin and e-Bird Workshop 3 SPOTS LEFTSachi Snively
2:30-4:30Honey Tour SOLD OUTSwan Valley Honey
3:00-5:00Wildflower Wander up Balancing Rock  SOLD OUTJesse Morton
3:00-5:00Flowers and Feathers for Kids 1 SPOT LEFTCarley Dunham
   
7:00-9:00Birds Canada – BC Avian Research/ProjectsKRSS
 Sachi Snively – Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory 
 TICKETS AVAILABLE – KIDS ARE FREE 
 
Sunday May 14
  
6:00-6:30 amCoffee and MuffinsBaillie-Grohman Winery
6:30-10:30Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUTDaryl Calder
6:30-10:30

6:30-10:30

Birding by Car to Duck Lake SOLD OUT

Birding at Duck Lake SOLD OUT

Ed and Hazel Beynon

Tina Watters

6:30-10:30

6:30-10:30

6:30-10:30

Birding by Bus Road Tour 5 SPOTS LEFT

Birding the Wildlife Area Trails 1 SPOT LEFT

Birding the Wildlife Area Trails – Beginner 1 SPOT LEFT

Brian Baxter

Jo Ellen and Gretchen

Carolee and Sarah

6:30-10:30Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lk  SOLD OUTLyle Grisedale
6:30-10:30Birding the Farmlands SOLD OUTGaelen Schnare
6:30-10:30Duck Lake 3 SPOTS LEFTJulia Flesaker
12:00-4:00 pmMother’s Day Bus Tour – Winery, Brewery, Distillery CANCELLEDCreston Valley Tour Co.
12:00-3:00Mother’s Day Mandala Art Workshop SPOTS LEFT!!!Wendy Franz
1:00-5:00Wine DownBaillie-Grohman Winery

 

Birds Canada Team!!!

Rémi Torrenta is the British Columbia Projects Coordinator at Birds Canada. After getting his Ph.D. in forest bird ecology in Atlantic Canada, he worked as a Bird Biologist, Naturalist Guide and Field Research Scientist, before moving to the West Coast. Rémi has been involved in avian research for the past 10 years, passionate about understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on bird populations and assemblages, to set conservation planning targets. Rémi has a strong conviction that conservation goals are better achieved through education and Citizen Science programs.

Kris Cu grew up in the bustling city of Manila, Philippines and often watched the Pied Fantails forage around the neighbor’s garden. Upon moving to Canada, he completed a Biological Sciences degree from Simon Fraser University and embarked on numerous science communication roles. His current role is supporting the Birds Canada team through photography, videography, social media, outreach and connecting minority communities to birds and the natural world.

Sachi Snively has a B.Sc. majoring in Biology from the University of Victoria. Growing up in the Kootenays, his interest in wildlife was sparked at an early age. As a Field Biologist he has, and continues, to contribute to a variety of projects in both BC and Alberta that range from biodiversity, species at risk, breeding bird, and fall migration surveys/monitoring.  When not in the field, Sachi spends his winters working at a Wildlife Genetics Laboratory. He is a big proponent of citizen science and public engagement as tools to broaden public awareness in order to help fuel conservation.

Creston Accommodations and Things To Do

Make A Donation

Creston Valley News

Turtles in Creston might be the luckiest turtles around. The Western Painted Turtle is a blue-listed species, meaning its habitats are at risk. But…Read More 
Wildsight Creston Valley Branch is launching a pilot project to look at how animals are moving in the Creston Valley, and the health of riparian…Read More 
Road mortality is a major threat for turtles across B.C., including those in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA). These slow-moving creatures…Read More 
Read More News

Upcoming Creston Valley Events

Backyard old growth tours

June 10 - June 25, 2023

From fire-scarred ponderosa pine-bunchgrass to towering larch, subalpine spruce to cedar hemlock rainforest, the Columbia Basin…

View All Events

Join The Team

Want to protect wildlife, clean water and wild spaces? Volunteer with us! Wildsight volunteers are a very special group of people who give generously of their time to stuff envelopes, attend rallies, help run events, put up posters, keep tabs on forestry practices in their communities and participate in citizen science initiatives.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Branch Information

Contact

Box 1001
Creston, BC
V0B 1G0
crestonvalley@wildsight.ca