2023 Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival
MAY 8—14, 2023
Wildlife and Landscapes—Exploring Connections
Our 26th annual festival is located in the beautiful upper Columbia River Valley centered around the mountain town of Invermere, British Columbia. Our even calendar will be published online on Thursday, March 30. Tickets will be available for purchase online on Tuesday, April 11 at 10:00am. Please plan to be an “early bird” to get your event choices! 70% of our festival tickets are purchased on the first day.
We plan to have over 100 events over 7 days, many new ones too! Please plan to come and join us in 2023 and make your connection with wildlife and landscapes.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER IS Dr. Dale Leckie
CONTACT
Box 2633, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
P: (250) 342-2473
TF: 1-855-342-2473
info@wingsovertherockies.org
Have you checked out the Merlin app? Would you like a demonstration on how they will help you to identify birds? Stop by The Wild Bird Store during regular business hours and staff will be happy to show you how the app will enable you to identify birds in various ways.
Identify Bird Songs and Calls
Identify Birds by your Photos
Save Birds to Your Life List
Explore lists of birds near your location
26th Annual Songbird Festival – May 27 & 28, 2023
This local birding festival is an annual celebration of spring migration in the boreal forest including tours of LSLBO (Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observation), nature workshops, birding hikes, children’s activities, and of course, everyone’s favourite: the early bird Pancake Breakfast.
For more information, visit https:
//www.lslbo.org/education/songbird-festival/
Frank Lake
Frank Lake is one of the best birding venues in the Calgary area
The Lake is situated about 50km southeast of Calgary. It is a shallow slough typical of the grasslands of southern Alberta. Directions below are given from the southern edge of Calgary where Highway 2 intersects with Highway 22x
To reach the lake, drive south on Highway 2 (Macleod or Deerfoot Trail south) until you reach Highway 23. At the junction of Highway 23, take the exit east towards Vulcan. At 47.3km, the Highway makes a 90 degree turn to the north. As you approach this corner, slow down and watch for a sign and large gate on the right-hand side of the road. Following this gravel path will take you to an observation blind on the north edge of the lake.
Camrose Purple Martin Festival
For more information and tickets visit: Camrose Purple Martin Festival
It is a common mistake to call the easily recognizable waterfowl, Branta canadenis, a Canadian Goose. It’s important to know that the Canada Goose was actually named after John Canada, an ornithologist, not the country Canada. Therefore, referring to the geese as “Canadian” is incorrect.
Cool things you should know about Canada geese…..
As goslings continue to grow and become more independent of their parents, they may group together with other young geese. These groups, called “gang broods”, can consist of up to 100 goslings.
Once a year, usually when the weather warms up, Canada geese molt their feathers. During this 6-week period, they are unable to fly, leaving them vulnerable to predators, including coyotes, foxes and raccoons. Water plays an important role in the safety of Canada geese. They will retreat into water if their warnings don’t scare predators away.
As urbanization increases, Canada goose migration decreases. Expansive, manicured lawns and man-made ponds have become new favourite hangouts for these birds. Natural predators aren’t very common in these spots, and constructed water areas are often heated and don’t freeze during the winter. Canada geese love the large grass spaces because they can digest grass and have wide, unobstructed views to keep an eye out for anything coming toward their young. With food, water and safe places, these geese no longer need to leave during the winter.
