It is really too bad that the Bird Fest had to be cancelled this year. All the expert speakers, photographers, tour leaders, and more promised to be, once again, an outstanding experience. But there’s still lots you can do to celebrate our amazing array of birds here in the Creston Valley!
There are some fantastic explore-the-wetlands (or even your own backyard) resources on the Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre‘s website, and the Bird festival itself has posted a link to a whole bunch of online courses about birds. And, if that’s not enough, here are some other ideas to inspire you:
- Make Bird-Friendly Window Clings : The Audubon Society’s website has instructions for making window decorations to help prevent birds from crashing into your windows. While you’re there, check out some of the other bazillion or so activities they have!
- Build a Birdhouse…or ten: There are many, many websites out there with free patterns for making birdhouses! The link above takes you to just one of them.
- Start a Bird Journal: Spend time every day watching the birds in your backyard. Record the species you see, and their behaviours. Are you seeing different birds all the time, or the same individuals over and over? What are some interesting things you notice?
- Challenge your photography skills: Got a camera? Try to take good, clear action shots of the birds in your backyard or neighbourhood trees. It’s harder than it looks! The link above takes you to the Audubon Society’s tips page – but they’re a bit intimidating, so you can just do what I do: click away and hope for the best! Thank heavens for digital!
- Start planning bird-friendly Christmas decorations: I know, Christmas is months away. But trust me – some of these will take some time to collect all the materials, and even longer to actually make. No time like the present to get started!
Okay – let’s see what you’re doing to hold your very own bird fest!
Oh – and of course, a very Happy Mothers’ Day! Here’s a proud mama goose for you:
