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 pm | Final Festival Registration | Baillie-Grohman Winery |
| 12:00-4:00 | Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUT | Daryl 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 |
| 8:30-10:00 | Star Gazing at Baillie-Grohman Winery SOLD OUT | Angela Prettie |
| Saturday, May 13 | ||
| 6:00-6:30 am | Coffee and Muffins | Baillie-Grohman Winery |
| 6:30-10:30 | Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUT | Daryl 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 |
| 6:30-10:30 | Birding by Bus Road Tour 1 SPOT LEFT | Brian Baxter |
| 6:30-10:30 | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lk SOLD OUT | Lyle Grisedale |
| 6:30-10:30 | Birding the Farmlands SOLD OUT | Gaelen Schnare |
| 6:30-10:30 | Leach Lake SOLD OUT | Julia Flesaker |
| 10:00-3:00 | Bird Kite Building/Family Bird-a-thon/Bird BINGO | Discovery Centre |
| 10:30-11:30 | Guided Canoe Trip | Discovery Centre |
| 11:30-12:30 | Guided Canoe Trip | Discovery Centre |
| 12:30-1:30 pm | Guided Canoe Trip | Discovery Centre |
| 1:30-2:30 | Guided Canoe Trip | Discovery Centre |
| 2:30-3:30 | Guided Canoe Trip | Discovery Centre |
| 12:00-4:00 | The Wobbling Warbler Bus Tour Winery, Brewery, Craft Distillery CANCELLED | Creston Valley Tour Co. |
| 12:30-2:30 | Dairy Tour | Kootenay Meadows |
| 1:00-3:00 | Merlin and e-Bird Workshop 3 SPOTS LEFT | Sachi Snively |
| 2:30-4:30 | Honey Tour SOLD OUT | Swan Valley Honey |
| 3:00-5:00 | Wildflower Wander up Balancing Rock SOLD OUT | Jesse Morton |
| 3:00-5:00 | Flowers and Feathers for Kids 1 SPOT LEFT | Carley Dunham |
| 7:00-9:00 | Birds Canada – BC Avian Research/Projects | KRSS |
| Sachi Snively – Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory | ||
| TICKETS AVAILABLE – KIDS ARE FREE | ||
| Sunday May 14 | ||
| 6:00-6:30 am | Coffee and Muffins | Baillie-Grohman Winery |
| 6:30-10:30 | Kayak the West Creston Channels SOLD OUT | Daryl 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 |
| 6:30-10:30 | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lk SOLD OUT | Lyle Grisedale |
| 6:30-10:30 | Birding the Farmlands SOLD OUT | Gaelen Schnare |
| 6:30-10:30 | Duck Lake 3 SPOTS LEFT | Julia Flesaker |
| 12:00-4:00 pm | Mother’s Day Bus Tour – Winery, Brewery, Distillery CANCELLED | Creston Valley Tour Co. |
| 12:00-3:00 | Mother’s Day Mandala Art Workshop SPOTS LEFT!!! | Wendy Franz |
| 1:00-5:00 | Wine Down | Baillie-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
