Bird fest set

* Refuges to hold annual celebration

By Lance Waldren

Pioneer Press Staff Writer

May 2, 2007

Fort Jones, CA

Page E1  

Photo by Lance Waldren:  Dave Menke - Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge

TULELAKE - There are over 350 bird species in the Klamath Basin , which makes our area one of the nations hotspots for bird watching. A celebration of that fact is being held at the 6th annual Tule Lake Migratory Bird Festival. The event will be held Saturday May 19, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the newly remodeled National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center .

The visitors center, located at 4009 Hill Road , outside of Tulelake, is the headquarters for both the Lower Klamath and the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges.

Over 80 percent of the Pacific Flyway's waterfowl funnel through the basin during spring and fall. Millions of geese swarm the sky over these vast wetlands. If you look hard enough you can also see American White Pelicans, Swans, Clark 's Western and Red-Necked Grebes, Black Terns and Yellow Rails. Winter in the Klamath Basin also hosts the largest concentration of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states as well as other birds of prey.

"This event will bring up to 1,000 people," Dave Menke told the Pioneer Press. Menke, is the outdoor recreation planner for both refuges and is organizing the event.

There will be many activities at the visitors center itself, as well as opportunities to view the refuge from guided bus tours and airboat rides. You have to call the refuge and reserve a spot for the tours. According to Menke, these trips will fill up fast.

A dedication will be held for the new exhibits at the center. There will be power point presentations and many activities planned for the kids. One of the most interesting will be demonstrations on mist netting, said Menke. With mist netting they hang up a very thin net to capture the smaller migrating song birds. The birds are carefully removed from the net and examined. Information such as species, sex and maturity are recorded and then a small aluminum band is placed on the leg of the bird. This band helps keep track of the migration and travel of the birds.

Along with a barbeque and other food, there will be live bird demonstrations and you can participate in the basin birds id program.

For more information or to make reservations for tours, call Dave Menke at (530) 667-2231.

(Permission to post from the publisher.)