[obol] 20th Annual Oregon Shorebird Festival - Sept 8-10

[dawn_grafe at fws.gov]

The Oregon Shorebird Festival Celebrates 20 Years

The Oregon Shorebird Festival, one of the longest running bird festivals in
Oregon, will celebrate 20 years in September. We encourage birders of all
skill levels to join us on the scenic south coast September 8, 9, and 10.
The festival is headquartered at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in
the small fishing community of Charleston, OR. The festival usually
attracts between 50 to 90 visitors from all over the nation but primarily
from the Pacific Northwest.  It is small compared to the larger wildlife
festivals that have premiered in the past ten years; keeping the weekend
intimate so visitors are able to interact more closely with field trip
leaders, guest speakers and other festival attendees.

Activities include expertly guided field trips to Bandon Marsh National
Wildlife Refuge, New River and the Coos Bay area; a Saturday pelagic trip
hosted by The Bird Guide, Inc.; SEA watches for seabirds and marine mammals
and evening programs on current bird research.  The Friday evening
presentation will be given by Ram Papish, Wildlife Artist, Seabird
Biologist, and Bird Enthusiast.  The photography-filled presentation is
titled “The Birds’ Turn: The wildlife of Tern Island” and will show
glimpses of Tern's wildlife while describing on-going conservation efforts.
The Keynote presentation on Saturday features Dr. Dennis Paulson, Director
Emeritus of the Slater Museum of Natural History and author of “Shorebirds
of the Pacific Northwest.” Dr. Paulson will present "Birds of the Wind and
the Tides" a natural history of shorebirds, primarily those of the Pacific
coast.

Bring your spotting scopes along as Bandon Marsh and Coos Bay are renowned
for shorebird watching and each year a few rarities have been identified
including Ruff, Curlew sandpiper, Mongolian plover, and Hudsonian godwit.
Regular migrants include Black-bellied plover, Semi-palmated plover,
Pacific golden-plover, Western sandpiper, Least sandpiper, Dunlin,
Whimbrel, Long-billed dowitcher, and Red-necked phalarope.  To register for
the festival or for more information visit our website at
www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/shorebirdfestival.htm or contact Dawn Grafe at
541-867-4550.