“When you start making a list, you know you are hooked,” said Doug Pedwell, guest speaker at the Saugeen Shores Men’s Probus Club on Tuesday, January 2nd.
Pedwell, a past-President of the Huron Fringe Birding Festival, was of course, referring to species of birds, about which he is passionate.
Pedwell brought along many photos of birds that are seen throughout the region, including his own backyard, and those who are rare to the area coming from as far away as the Carolinians, the tropics and the far west of Canada.
Pedwell said that upcoming Huron Fringe Birding Festival is an opportunity to get out into nature with some of the most knowledgeable people in the world of birding.
He explained that the annual Birding Festival is hosted by the Friends of MacGregor Point Provincial Park over two weekends, May 24-27 and May 30-June 2.
“The Festival has become recognized as a world-class birding event with participants travelling from around the globe for the chance to ‘eye-spy’ North American bird species,” said Pedwell.
From Point Pelee to Manitoulin Island, the region has become a migrating bird and butterfly corridor and, now in its 26th year, the Festival offers more than 90 events over the two weekends.
The time of year for the Festival along the Lake Huron shoreline has been carefully chosen to coincide with the end of migration for species and the beginning of the nesting season when the bird count is at its optimal.
Along the shore of Lake Huron, the Festival hosts more than 90 events over the two weekends, from its base in MacGregor Point Provincial Park north up the Bruce Peninsula.
All events are led by top local, provincial, and global tour leaders such as Kiah Jasper, who was the winner of the 2018 Canadian Geographic wildlife photographer of the year (under 17).
Kiah is a 20 year old birder who has grown up with the Bruce Peninsula as his backyard. His keen interest in photography sparked his more serious fascination with all things avian.
He is also the Bruce County compiler for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, an eBird reviewer for three counties and is an active Bruce County lister. Jasper has joined the Board of the Ontario Field Ornithologists, is an active member of the Bruce Birding Club and leads hikes around the county for both organizations. Kiah has broken the record for the Ontario Big Year in 2022 and has often been in the news as he continues to add to his count. Jasper figures he has travelled about 70,000 kilometres in total and has counted well over 300 species.
“Registration for the Festival is an absolute must,” added Pedwell, “as we try to keep our group numbers fairly small so that everyone can have the experience of being with a renown birder.”
Registration begins on-line at 6:00 a.m. on March 15th. “I can tell you that in past years, the most sought after events are filled during the first day of registration. The Festival also features activities such as BBQs, evening presentations by guest speakers and more leisurely walks and hikes to explore the flora and fauna in our region.”
To register, visit https://www.friendsofmacgregor.com/
The first Tuesday morning of each month, the Saugeen Shores Men’s PROBUS club hosts a guest speaker at the Port Elgin Legion.
Next month’s speaker will be Julie Campbell who is leading the medical assistance in dying program for the South West Local Health Integration Network and the Provincial Care Coordination Service. One of Julie’s biggest accomplishments has been the development of the MAiD program. While meetings are generally held in person, next month’s (February)will be a Zoom meeting.
