Weekend Festival is for the Bird Lovers of All Ages

A first-ever birding festival will be held Friday through May 13 at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

The event is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Great Dismal Swamp Coalition and the Suffolk Division of Tourism.

More than 200 species of birds have been identified in the refuge since it was established in 1973.

Ninety-six of those species have been reported as nesting on or near the refuge, according to a spokeswoman for the fish and wildlife service.

Birding is best during spring migration, from April to June, when the greatest diversity of species (particularly warblers) occurs, she said.

Two southern species, the Swainson’s warbler and Wayne’s warbler are more common in the Great Dismal Swamp than in other coastal locations.

Among the feathered creatures birders will be able to watch for are: the prothonotary warbler, pileated woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, barred owl, screech owl, rusty blackbird, ovenbird, great egret, green heron, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, yellow- billed cuckoo, summer tanager, as well as other varieties of birds, butterflies and dragonflies.

The event is free and open to the public, and will offer guided “bird walks” for those of all ages.

There will also be narrated bus tours, bird-banding demonstrations, bluebird house-building and night-time owl hoots.

An activities tent with nature-related exhibits, displays, souvenirs and refreshments will be located at the Washington Ditch entrance to the refuge, off White Marsh Road.

A complete schedule of events may be found online at: www.fws.gov/ northeast/greatdismalswamp.

For more information, or to make reservations that are required for walks and bus tours, contact the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge at (757) 986-3705.

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