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Feathers Over Freeport
2023: April 29 & 30
Since 2011 - A birdwatching & nature discovery weekend for all ages !
Two Pre-Feathers Over Freeport Events in Freeport:
Community Pizza Night - Wednesday, April 19 - 4:00-8 pm at the Maine Beer Company: Get into the fun early and help support Feathers Over Freeport by attending the Community Pizza Night at the Maine Beer Company. Park and event staff will host an activity & information table and be on hand to answer questions about birding, the Hawk Watch, and Feathers Over Freeport. 20% of food sales between 4:00 and 8 pm will be donated to Feathers Over Freeport. Location: The Maine Beer Company, 525 US Route 1 in Freeport, Maine.
Avian Haven by Leigh Hallett
- Thursday, April 27 - 6:30-8 pm at Patagonia: Leigh Hallett, executive director
of Avian Haven, will be presenting. Avian Haven is a wild bird and turtle rehabilitation center located in Freedom, Maine. In 2022 the center admitted almost 3300 birds and 75 turtles, relying on a staff of ten and numerous on-site volunteers. Thanks to a network of hundreds of volunteer transporters, Avian Haven is able to accept birds from all over the state. The Freedom facility comprises 23 structures, many specially designed for the rehabilitation of specific species. Although not open to the public, Avian Haven serves the public and is funded exclusively by donations from private individuals, businesses, and foundations. Complimentary pizza will be served. Location: Patagonia,100 Main St., Freeport. (Store closes at 6:00 pm; doors will open for the event at 6:30 pm.) Free. RSVP for guests is encouraged, but not mandatory. To RSVP please go to patagonia.com/freeport
Feathers Over Freeport On-site Event Park Admission:
Park entry fees apply, all programs and activities included with paid park admission: ME Residents: Adults aged 12-64: $4; Ages 5-11: $1; ages under 5 and over 65: free. Non-ME residents: Adults $6; Ages 65+: $2.00; Children 5-11 $1. ; ages under 5: free.
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Bradbury Mountain State Park
Bradbury Mountain State Park
528 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069 / (207) 688-4712
8 - 10 am - Bird Walk: Join us for a walk in the woods to seek out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels of expertise welcome. Bring your own binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, and others. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
9 am - 3 pm - Educational Displays: Get bird posters, while they last, courtesy of the Maine Wildlife Park and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Learn what other Maine State Parks have to offer! Located in the Day Use Area.
10 - 11 am- Bird Walk for Children: Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and are able to name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Your friends will be impressed! Join a naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). We will help you learn some of the basics of identifying birds. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
9 am - 5 pm - Hawk Watch at the Summit: Join a Raptor Biologist on the top of Bradbury Mountain. Learn how experts observe, identify, and count all raptor and vulture species that fly past Bradbury Mountain. Note: Hike to summit is 1/4-mile – A steep, short 15-minutes; commands a great view. Sponsored by Freeport Wild Bird Supply.
10 am - 3 pm - Birding Fun & Games: Build a bird house or make a backyard bird feeder while supplies last. On-going hands on activities, and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders will be available. Program led by the Bureau of Parks and Lands staff and volunteers. Located in the Group Day Use Area and the Playground. Sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program.
10:30 am - 12:30 pm - Hawk Watch Workshop: Find out what is so intriguing (and so much fun!) about hawk watching. Join us on the summit of Bradbury Mountain for an introduction to this facet of bird watching as we cover the basics, such as why we’re all standing around on this particular hill and how we conduct our research. Then, using visual aids and of course the birds themselves migrating over Bradbury Mountain, we will teach you what to look for to tell the different species of hawks apart from each other. Bring your own binoculars. Program led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply. Pre-registration required. Call the park at 688-4712. Meet at the Summit. Note: Hike to summit is 1/4-mile - A steep, short 15-minutes; commands a great view.
10:30 am - 1 pm - “Be Like a Bird in the Forest” Immersion Walk: Birds have the same senses we do-sight, smell, hearing etc. but they are not the same. Join a 2.5-hour forest bathing walk that is for the birds. Forest bathing is a slow ramble through the forest fully present and experiencing the world with all our senses. For many it is profoundly relaxing; an opportunity to connect deeply with nature.
On this walk we’ll try using our senses like our feathered friends. Can we see other parts of the light spectrum? Smell weather? Find food using our sense of touch? The walk will start with an introduction to bird senses. We’ll deepen our bird connection with a gentle outward-facing meditation followed by a series of simple invitations to explore the forest through our senses like a bird. The walk is an opportunity to just be in the present moment leaving words behind (because birds don’t use them) and becoming fully aware of ‘the more than human world’. What to wear and bring: Dress comfortably for moving slowly through the woods. This is a wander, not a hike. Close toed shoes or sandals are recommended. During the walk we may explore the forest off the trail. Guide: Jeanne Christie, Connect to Wilderness Meeting Location: Bradbury Mt. State Park, lower parking lot.
1 - 2:30 pm - Vernal Pool Exploration - Wading into the Woodland Waters: Vernal pools are temporary water bodies which fill from snowmelt and spring rains and provide breeding habitat for amphibians including wood frogs, several species of mole salamanders and invertebrates such as fairy shrimp. Vernal pools make up an important base of the food web and provide a vast amount of biomass to the landscape. Join wetland scientists Lauren Leclerc and Dave Brenneman on a journey through this wonderful and incredibly important wetland habitat. We will learn how to identify a vernal pool and the critters that live in them. Be prepared for wet conditions and wear appropriate footwear for a hike of about 1.4-miles round-trip. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
2 - 3 pm - Drawing Birds Workshop: Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth based wildlife artist, will lead a drawing birds workshop for all levels. The workshop will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
3 - 4 pm - Birds of Prey by the Center for Wildlife: What is the difference between a hawk and a falcon? Do we have vultures in Maine? What is our smallest owl? What is our largest hawk? Using our amazing live non-releasable bird ambassadors, posters, and hands on materials, we will discuss the kinds of birds of prey found in Maine, their habitats, habits, places in the food chain, and why we need to protect them. This hour long program will connect the audience with these beautiful ambassadors of their species as well as provide their natural and personal histories and empower audience members to help to steward the environment that we all share. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, ME 04032 / (207) 865-4465
8 - 10 am - Bird Walk: Join us for a walk in the woods seeking out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels of expertise welcome. Bring your own binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, and others. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
9 am - 3 pm - Educational Displays: Walk through educational displays to learn about the many organizations and groups that help protect Maine’s wildlife, the related conservation issues, and environmental concerns. Colorful posters and materials will be free take-aways while supplies last. Park Rangers will be on hand to chat with you about what Maine State Parks have to offer! Located near the Group Picnic Shelter.
10 - 11 am- Bird Walk for Children: Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and are able to name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Your friends will be impressed! Join a naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). We will help you learn some of the basics of identifying birds. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
10 am - 3 pm - Birding Fun & Games: Build a bird house, learn to sing like a bird and learn birding basics through games, hands-on activities, and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders. The on-going activities are led by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands staff and volunteers. Located near the Group Picnic Shelter. Sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program.
10 am - 3 pm - Osprey Watch: Get a close look at nesting ospreys through our spotting scope. Stop by for a quick look or stay if you like to ask questions and learn about their life story. Presented by park staff. Meet at the Osprey Sign across from Googins Island via either the White Pines Trail or Casco Bay Trail.
11 am - noon - Springtime Plant Walk: Join park staff for a one-hour stroll to locate and identify common spring plants of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
11 am - noon - Storytime: Join local author Maggie Wood as she reads from her book From Nana's Window and learn about the birds in your backyard. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
Noon - 1 pm - Drawing Birds Workshop: Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth based wildlife artist, will lead a drawing birds workshop for all levels. The workshop will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
1 - 2 pm - The Owls of Maine. Habits and Adaptations of Maine’s Native Owls: Three live owls are the highlight of this program, presented by Chewonki, which introduces participants to the owls native to Maine and New England. Participants will learn the identifying characteristics and calls of each owl. Then, using talons, wings, and skulls, we explore the adaptations of these silent nocturnal hunters. This program ends with an intimate and detailed look at live owls, bringing these creatures of the night into the light! Located near the Group Picnic Shelter.
AND don't forget...
at Bradbury Mountain State Park:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Hawk Watch at the summit continues daily through May 15, 2023! Sponsored by Freeport Wild Bird Supply.
