2022 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday May 13 | |
12:00-4:00 pm | Final Festival Registration at Baillie-Grohman Winery |
12:30-2:30 | “History Goes to the Birds” Walking Tour of Downtown Creston – SOLD OUT |
5:30-8:00 | “WELCOME BACK” Social at Baillie-Grohman Winery with Savour Food Truck and local beer/wine |
8:30-10:00 | Star Gazing at Baillie-Grohman Winery – SOLD OUT |
Saturday May 14 | |
6:00-6:30 am | Tours Meet – Coffee and Muffins at Baillie-Grohman Winery |
6:30-10:30 | Breakfast with the Birds (Duck Lake) with Ulrike and hosted by Lark Coffee – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Drive to Duck Lake with Ed and Hazel Beynon – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Birding the Wildlife Area Trails with Paul Foth – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Birding-by-Bus Road Tour with Brian Baxter (meets at the Ramada Inn) – 2 SPOTS LEFT |
6:30-10:30 | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake with Lyle Grisedale – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Kootenay River Road with Gaelen Schnare – 1 SPOT LEFT |
6:30-10:30 | Leach Lake with Gary Davidson – SOLD OUT |
10:00-3:00 | Bird Kite Building, Family Bird-a-thon, and Bird Bingo at the Discovery Centre |
10:30-11:30 | Guided Canoe Trip at the Discovery Centre – SOLD OUT |
11:30-12:30 | Guided Canoe Trip – 8 Spots left |
12:30-1:30 | Guided Canoe Trip – SOLD OUT |
1:30-2:30 | Guided Canoe Trip – 13 Spots left |
2:30-3:30 | Guided Canoe Trip – 19 Spots left |
12:30-2:30 | Honey Tour at Swan Valley Honey – SOLD OUT |
12:30-2:30 | Dairy Tour at Kootenay Meadows – Unlimited spots available |
1:00-3:00 | Craft Distillery Bus Tour at Wynndel Craft Distillery – 2 Spots left |
12:30-2:30 | Farmlands or Wetlands? Creston’s Great Duck Debate at the Creston Museum Basics of Bird Identification Workshop at the Creston Museum – SOLD OUT |
3:00-5:00 | Botany and Birds for Kids with Carley Dunham – SOLD OUT |
3:00-5:00 | Botany Hike up Balancing Rock Trail with Kim Asquith – SOLD OUT |
3:00-5:00 | Weeds to the Rescue with Rachel Beck of Tilia Botanicals (meet at the College) – 1 Spot left |
5:30-8:00 | Magpie Dinner with our “Friends of Kootenay Lake” – 27 Spots left Osprey Monitoring |
Sunday May 15 | |
6:00-6:30 am | Tours Meet – Coffee and Muffins at Baillie-Grohman Winery |
6:30-10:30 | Kayak the West Creston Channels with Ulrike – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Drive to Duck Lake with Ed and Hazel Beynon – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Birding-by-Bus Road Tour with Brian Baxter (this tour meets at the Ramada Inn) – 3 SPOTS |
6:30-10:30 | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake with Lyle Grisedale – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Kootenay River Road with Gaelen Schnare – SOLD OUT |
6:30-10:30 | Leach Lake with Gary Davidson – SOLD OUT |
12:00-1:30 | Winery Tour at Baillie-Grohman Winery – SOLD OUT |
1:00-5:00 | Wine-Down at Baillie-Grohman Winery – Registration not required |
2:00-4:00 | Mandela Dot Art Workshop with Wendy Franz – SOLD OUT |
To Register Click Here!
DETAILS OF FESTIVAL EVENTS:
Friday, May 13th, 2022:
Final Registration at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
When: 12:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Where: Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S
BIRD BINGO
Play Bird Bingo during the festival weekend and win some fabulous prizes!! Return your Bingo card to either
the Red Barn, Discovery Center, or Baillie-Grohman before noon on May 15th. Get your Bingo cards here:
“History Goes to the Birds” Walking Tour of Downtown Creston
How did Creston get to be what it is today – and how does that have to do with the local birds? Join museum manager, Tammy Bradford, for an entertaining look at local history.
Tour Leader: | Tammy Bradford from the Creston Museum |
When: | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm |
Where: | Downtown Creston |
Meet: | Visitor Information Center, 121 Northwest Boulevard |
Difficulty: | Approximately 10 blocks of walking on sidewalks |
Cost: | $10 |
Limit: | 12 people |
“Welcome Back!” Social at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
A chance to meet new and old birding friends to discuss rare bird findings while enjoying locally produced beverages and dinner from the Savour Food Truck. Photo presentations by Marc-Andre Beaucher (Head of Conservation Programs at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area) and Lyle Grisedale (photographer from Kimberly, BC) featuring birds discovered during our 10 years of festivals.
When: | 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm |
Where: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Cost: | $35 includes dinner and presentations |
Dinner served by the Savour Food Truck
Local wine and beer served by Baillie-Grohman Estate winery at their patio prices
“Dim the Lights for Birds at Night” at our Star Gazing Event – SOLD OUT
Come see how a darker sky will help you see more spring constellations and deep space objects, such as the M13 globular cluster in Hercules and the Beehive cluster in Cancer. Learn how to use the Big Dipper’s handle in order to “arc to Arcturus and spiral on to Spica!” Note the eastern rise of the Summer Triangle, the majesty of Leo, and the brightness of the almost full moon (bright gibbous moon at 94%)!
Tour Leader: | Angela Prettie |
When: | 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm |
Where: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $10 |
Limit: | 15 people |
Note: Please wear layers and use red light (nightlight) on your cellphones. It takes our eye pupils 10 minutes to acclimatize to darkness! If you have an eye to squint and an arm to point you are good to go! We will work on our ability to use just our eyes. Binoculars are welcome but not required. Please leave pets at home!
This event will be cancelled with full refund if the sky is not clear.
Saturday, May 14th, 2022:
6:00 to 6:30 am Meet your birding tour leader at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery (1140 -27th Ave S.)
Lark Coffee and Muffins/Fruit donated by Pealow’s or Save-On Foods will be available.
Tours will leave exactly at 6:30 am so don’t be late!!
Be aware: Bears are in the valley. Please bring Bear Spray!
Breakfast with the Birds at Duck Lake
Bring your lawn chair and join Ulrike with her spotting scopes to view ducks at a distance! Start your morning by relaxing on the dike and wait for the birds to come in! Your morning coffee will be supplied by Ilana Cameron of Lark Coffee. A bird-themed breakfast will be served!
Tour Leader: | Ulrike Sliworsky |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Duck Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Very Easy – great for birders with mobility issues |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 |
Note: | Limited parking, carpooling is suggested. Please drive slow for no dust. Bring your lawn chair. |
Drive to Duck Lake Tour – SOLD OUT
A variety of landscapes means a variety of birds. Join Ed and Hazel for a driving tour looking for birds beside mountain shrubbery, open farmland, a slow-moving channel, marshland, to the wide-open Duck Lake. Possible sightings of Lazuli Buntings, Raptors, Wood Ducks, Say’s Phoebes, Bullock’s Orioles, and Sandhill Cranes.
Tour Leaders: | Ed and Hazel Beynon |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Road from winery to Duck Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy – driving with numerous stops |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Note: | Carpooling is suggested. Please drive slow for no dust. |
Birding the Wildlife Area Trails
Join birder Paul Foth exploring the dikes and trails through the expansive wetlands of Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. These trails are full of riparian-habitat songbirds, marsh birds and waterfowl. Your best chance at seeing a Sora!
Tour Leader: | Paul Foth |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Moderate |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Birding-by-Bus Road Tour
Travel the back roads of the Wildlife Management Area in the comfort of a 7 passenger-seat bus with large windows for viewing. Cover several locations and micro-habitats in a short time. Optional short mini-hikes. Great potential for spotting, viewing, and studying Raptors, Waterfowl, Woodpeckers, and Songbirds. And maybe guest appearances of a few shy four-legged friends.
Bird Tour Leader: | Brian Baxter |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area and beyond |
Meet: | 6:00 am @ Ramada Inn, 1809 Highway 3A, to board the bus |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $25 |
Limit: | 7 people |
Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake Tour – SOLD OUT
Join Lyle Grisedale at Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, and Vic Mawson Lake as we visit both forest and marsh for possible sightings of common loons, waterfowl, a heron rookery, and wide variety of song birds from Towhees to Chickadees. There will be some easy hiking as we wander through the open forest at Foxtree Hill. For the photographers in the group there will be many great photo opportunities.
Bird Tour Leader: | Lyle Grisedale |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Moderate |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Note: | Carpooling is suggested. |
Kootenay River Road: Walking/Driving Tour
Welcome to the Flats—Creston’s wide-open spaces. This prairie-like road takes you to the old Ferry Landing on the Kootenay River. Look for grassland birds, raptors, and surprises, such as the song of a meadowlark.
Bird Tour Leader: | Gaelen Schnare |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Kootenay River Road |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 12 people |
Note: | Carpooling is suggested. |
Leach Lake: Walking/Driving Tour – SOLD OUT
See the birds in their most natural of wetland habitats. With limited access to the public, the birds own it. Sightings expected to include a good variety of waterfowl, pelicans, cormorants, raptors, plus a good selection of marsh, grassland and woodland passerines. This tour will likely go over 4 hours.
Bird Tour Leader: | Gary Davidson |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am (or longer) |
Where: | Leach Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 12 people |
Valley Events for Saturday, May 14th
Discovery Centre Displays and Activities
Join us at the Discovery Centre to learn more about the wetlands and wildlife of the area. A variety of displays, taxidermy mounts, skeletons, tracks, insect specimens, hands-on activities, kids’ area and more will keep everyone busy and entertained! Build a bird kite or participate in the family Bird-a-thon!!
Where: | The Discovery Centre: 1760 West Creston Road |
When: | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm |
Cost: | Free! |
Guided Canoe Tours at the Discovery Centre
Join a Naturalist for a one-hour guided canoe tour to experience the sights and sounds of this internationally designated wetland. Paddle the ponds and channels in voyageur canoes in search of wildlife and adventure! From birds to turtles to bugs…you never know what you might encounter!
When: | 10:30 am to 11:30 am |
11:30 am to 12:30 pm | |
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm | |
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm | |
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm | |
Where: | Meet on the dock at the Discovery Centre: 1760 West Creston Road |
Cost: | Adults $10 each / Youth (3-17 years old) $5 each |
Note: | Children must be at least 3-years old and accompanied by an adult. |
Limit: | Up to 20 people at each posted canoe time. |
Tour of Swan Valley Honey – SOLD OUT
Amanda Goodman Lee and Jeff Lee are pleased to give a tour of their honey farm. The tour includes an observation hive where you can get up close to the bees, honey tasting and education on the life of honey bees. For those who want an added adventure a visit to the bee yard for those not allergic or phobic. Honey can be purchased at their sales office on location. Bee suits are available on site.
When: | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm |
Where: | Meet at the Honey Farm: 220 East Placsko Road. |
Cost: | $10 |
Limit: | 20 (10 per group) |
Kootenay Meadows Organic Dairy Farm Tour
A cheese tasting with an explanation of the cheese-making and bottling process will be followed by a guided tour of the barns and a pasture walk to view the farm’s duck ponds and riparian area.
http://www.kootenaymeadows.com/kac/index.html
When: | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm |
Where: | Kootenay Meadows: 3071-16th Street |
Cost: | $10 |
Wynndel Craft Distillery Bus Tour
Turning the best local fruit into the best local spirits, since 2017. The Creston Valley is a perfect backdrop, providing a bounty of fresh ingredients for us to work with. We thrive on creating unique one-of-a-kind spirits that speak to the true nature of our surroundings. Visit this distillery to see how it all works!
When: | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm |
Meet: | Meet at the Ramada Inn, 1809 Highway 3A, to board the bus |
Cost: | $10, includes a bus ride to distillery, tour, and a tasting |
Limit: | 8 |
Farmlands or Wetlands? Creston’s Great Duck Debate!
Join the Creston Museum for an in-depth look at reclamation in the Creston Valley: reclaiming wetlands for farming, reclaiming farmlands for wildlife, and the controversy over Duck Lake that marked the transition.
Exhibit open all day Friday and Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
When: | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm for Curator’s Talk with Tammy Bradford |
Where: | Creston Museum: 219 Devon Street |
Cost: | By Donation |
Birding Basic Workshop – SOLD OUT
Do you enjoy birds, but want to learn how to identify what you see? This two-hour workshop will cover basic bird identification principles to help you become more confident and familiar with bird life in the Creston Valley and beyond.
Workshop Instructor: | Paul Foth |
When: | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm |
Where: | Creston Museum: 219 Devon Street |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Botany Hike up Balancing Rock Trail – SOLD OUT
Join Kim for an uphill climb to a little wetland with fantastic views of our valley! Skunk cabbage, Ferns, and Devil’s Club galore. Late spring flowers should also be along the trail such as Larkspur, Paintbrush, Shooting Star, Wild Ginger, Trillium, Spring Beauty, and Ragged Robin. Some feathery friends might show up too!
Bird Tour Leader: | Kim Asquith |
When: | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm |
Where: | Meet at Balancing Rock Trail near the Discovery Centre |
Difficulty: | Difficult uphill |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 6 people |
Botany and Birds for Kids – SOLD OUT
Not just a nature walk! Carley will show kids how the plants and animals thrive in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management area using games and interactive activities.
Tour Leader: | Carley Dunham |
When: | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm |
Where: | Meet at Discovery Centre: 1760 West Creston Road |
Cost: | $5/kid includes parent(s) |
Limit: | 10 people |
Weeds to the Rescue – Medicine from your Backyard
Do you curse the dandelions, chickweed and plantain that grow in your garden? Do you spend hours trying to rid yourself of burdock and thistles? If you do, then you are ridding yourself of valuable healing plants. Join medical herbalist Rachel Beck as she helps you to learn about the nutritional and medicinal value of the weeds and common plants that grow in most backyards and how you can use them to create your own natural medicine chest.
Rachel Beck has been a medical herbalist for over 30 years and has taught herbalism for over 20 years. She is also co-owner of Tilia’s Botanicals, an herbal apothecary and gift shop in Creston BC.
https://www.tiliabotanicals.com/
Workshop Leader: | Rachel Beck |
When: | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm |
Where: | Meet at the College of the Rockies: 301-16th Avenue Followed by a salve workshop at Tilia Botanicals: 115-20th Avenue S |
Cost: | $15 includes supplies to make a salve |
Limit: | 12 people |
Magpie Dinner with our “Friends of Kootenay Lake”
When: | 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm |
Where: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Cost: | $35 includes dinner and presentation |
Dinner served by Magpie Pastries!
Local wine and beer served by Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery!
Join Friends of Kootenay Lake to learn about their Osprey Monitoring Program! They will be sharing why Ospreys are important in aquatic ecosystems, how to recognize male from female and young from adults, factors affecting Osprey distribution, migration patterns, how they are being monitored on the lake, and ways you can support local Osprey populations.
https://www.friendsofkootenaylake.ca/
Sunday, May 15th, 2022:
6:00 to 6:30 am Meet your birding tour leader at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery (1140 -27th Ave S.)
Lark Coffee and Muffins/Fruit donated by Pealow’s or Save-On Foods will be available.
Tours will leave exactly at 6:30 am so don’t be late!!
Be aware: Bears are in the valley. Please bring Bear Spray!
Kayak the Channels – SOLD OUT
Please bring your own kayak or canoe.
Join Ulrike on Frenchman’s Slough for a peaceful paddle on quiet waters lined with tall cottonwoods and thick shrubbery. Ideal habitat for a variety of water and land birds including orioles, kingbirds, kingfishers, raptors, and ducks.
Bird Tour Leader: Ulrike Sliworsky
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Difficulty: | Easy kayaking |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Where: | Meet at West Creston Channels on Pederman Road. Click on map for larger view. |
Drive to Duck Lake Tour – SOLD OUT
A variety of landscapes means a variety of birds. Join Ed and Hazel for a driving tour looking for birds beside mountain shrubbery, open farmland, a slow-moving channel, marshland, to the wide-open Duck Lake. Possible sightings of Lazuli Buntings, Raptors, Wood Ducks, Say’s Phoebes, Bullock’s Orioles, and Sandhill Cranes.
Tour Leaders: | Ed and Hazel Beynon |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Road from winery to Duck Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy – driving with numerous stops |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Note: | Car pooling suggested to reduce traffic and dust |
Birding-by-Bus Road Tour – 3 SPOTS LEFT
Travel the back roads of the Wildlife Management Area in the comfort of a 7 passenger-seat bus with large windows for viewing. Cover several locations and micro-habitats in a short time. Optional short mini-hikes. Great potential for spotting, viewing, and studying Raptors, Waterfowl, Woodpeckers, and Songbirds. And maybe guest appearances of a few shy four-legged friends.
Bird Tour Leader: | Brian Baxter |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area and beyond |
Meet: | 6:00 am @ Ramada Inn, 1809 Highway 3A, to board the bus |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $25 |
Limit: | 7 people |
Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake Tour – SOLD OUT
Join Lyle Grisedale at Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, and Vic Mawson Lake as we visit both forest and marsh for possible sightings of common loons, waterfowl, a heron rookery, and wide variety of song birds from Towhees to Chickadees. There will be some easy hiking as we wander through the open forest at Foxtree Hill. For the photographers in the group there will be many great photo opportunities.
Bird Tour Leader: | Lyle Grisedale |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Fox Tree Hill, Tanal Marsh, Mawson Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Moderate |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 10 people |
Notes: | Carpooling suggested |
Kootenay River Road: Walking/Driving Tour – SOLD OUT
Welcome to the Flats—Creston’s wide-open spaces. This prairie-like road takes you to the old Ferry Landing on the Kootenay River. Look for grassland birds, raptors, and surprises, such as the song of a meadowlark.
Bird Tour Leader: | Gaelen Schnare |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am |
Where: | Kootenay River Road |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 12 people |
Notes: | Carpooling suggested. |
Leach Lake: Walking/Driving Tour -SOLD OUT
See the birds in their most natural of wetland habitats. With limited access to the public, the birds own it. Sightings expected to include a good variety of waterfowl, pelicans, cormorants, raptors, plus a good selection of marsh, grassland and woodland passerines. This tour will likely go over 4 hours.
Bird Tour Leader: | Gary Davidson |
When: | 6:30 am to 10:30 am (or longer) |
Where: | Leach Lake |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140 – 27th Ave S |
Difficulty: | Easy |
Cost: | $20 |
Limit: | 12 people |
Winery Tour at Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery – SOLD OUT
https://www.bailliegrohman.com/
Baillie-Grohman is a small family-owned vineyard that focuses on cool climate varieties such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris & Chardonnay. Grapes of the highest quality are grown to produce elegant handcrafted wines that showcase the unique terroir of the Erickson bench. Suitable for all ages with wine available for ages 19+!
Tour Guide is the Winemaker: | Wes Johnson |
When: | 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm |
Meet: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140-27th Ave S |
Cost: | $20 includes wine tasting |
Limit: | 6-12 people (tour will be cancelled if there are less than 6 people registered) |
Wine Down at the Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
** No registration required **
Relax and enjoy a charchuterie platter or bring your own lunch to the patio at B.G. Estate Winery to taste the award-winning wines that are putting this wine-growing region of B.C. on the map. Possible bird sightings in the vineyard: Western Bluebirds, Lazuli Buntings, Western Meadowlarks, and Ring-necked Pheasants.
When: | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm |
Where: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140-27th Ave S on South Patio!! |
Cost: | Beverages available at patio prices |
Menu: | https://www.bailliegrohman.com/tasting-room/ |
Mandala Dot Art Workshop – SOLD OUT
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon with step-by-step instructions to create a beautiful Mandala Dot Art project with your friends! All supplies are provided for you to complete a Bluebird masterpiece while possibly watching Bluebirds in the vineyard! No experience necessary. A glass of wine and a 10-year anniversary wine glass is included!
Workshop Artist: | Wendy Franz |
When: | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
Where: | Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, 1140-27th Ave S |
Cost: | $45 includes supplies, wine glass, and wine! |
Limit: | 30 artists! |