Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day at Ken Reid Conservation Area on May 11

World Migratory Bird Day is on May 11 and to mark the occasion a variety of environmental events are planned at Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay, Ont.

“We are doing different guided walks, starting with a dawn chorus so we can watch the sun come up over the lake and we can learn about why birds call in the morning, we can learn how to do point counts and how to ID different birds,” Kawartha Conservation source protection technician Jenna Stephens said.

“We are also doing a walk about the history of the park and education about the impacts of climate change so there is a wide variety of activities and stuff for families and kids to do.”

Rob Stavinga, an avid birder and watershed technician for Kawartha Conservation, said the region is home to hundreds of bird species.

“In Ken Reid Conservation Area we have seen over 200 species of birds. Not all of those are residents, a lot of them migrate through Ken Reid and then go farther north to the Boreal Forest,” he said.

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He said the variety of habitats in the area make it a desirable stop during migration.

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“We are fortunate because we have wetlands, the lake, mature forests, less mature forests, meadow habitats, so we are kind of hitting all the marks for all different bird species.”

Stavinga said spring is prime time for birding, noting you’re likely to see both resident species like chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches and migratory birds like osprey, caspian terns and birds in the thrush and warbler families.

“It is an exciting time for birders because they can catch a glimpse of those birds and as they pass through and then they are gone for their nesting season.”

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Now, through the events, they are hoping to not only spot and record as many bird types as possible but also to raise awareness about wildlife conservation.

“If you can link your interests, like birding, to getting out in nature you can really see the value in protecting different habitats and the cascading impacts it can have on all the critters that we like to see,” Stephens said.

Stavinga added that “this year’s theme for migratory bird day is insects and the importance of insects to all bird species that are migrating.”

“So, raising people’s awareness about how their actions impact insects, where those insects come from and their timing and arrival for birds to feed on them, we want to make people more aware of that sort of thing.”

For more information or to register for World Migratory Bird Day guided events you can visit the Kawartha Conservation website.