The annual Canaan Valley Birding Festival will be worth tweeting about and attending on June 2-5 at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis.
The festival welcomes all levels of birders and nature lovers. A variety of nature walks, presentations, and activities are scheduled. Nature walk leaders will provide instruction on birding by ear as well as eye.
Keynote speakers include:
• Kevin Dodg, professor of Wildlife and Biology and Director of the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology program at Garrett College in Maryland, will present: Night Sounds of the Appalachians.
• Kyle Aldinger, West Virginia University Ph.D. student in Forest Resources Science, will present: Forest Management: It’s for the Birds!
• Jim Phillips, retired naturalist for Pipestem Resort State Park, will present: Eagle Brigade of Southern West Virginia. Jim will bring the audience up to date on eagles, especially bald eagles, and their life cycle in southern West Virginia.
Species likely to be seen include Bobolinks, Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Vesper, Swamp, Clay-colored and Henslow Sparrows, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow, Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green Warblers.
Scowcroft indicated a variety of walks are scheduled; most leave very early, when the birds are most active. For the most in-depth experience, she encouraged participants to do an all-day walk (box lunch provided). Another option is to try a morning walk, eat lunch at the lodge, and join an afternoon walk highlighting birds and nature including the early summer butterflies.
To learn more about the Canaan Valley Birding Festival and register, visit http://canaanresort.com. To learn more about the Tucker County CVB, visit www.canaanvalley.org.