On this episode I talk with Deborah Green, the president of the Orange Audubon Society who is doing double duty as the chairperson of the Dec 2022 North Shore Birding Festival, sponsored by the Orange Audubon Society, which features 70 field trips as well as speakers, etc. The festival is centered around the north shore of Lake Apopka, a very large lake in central Florida. Here is a look at the lake on Google Maps.
We talk about many of the great birds you could see at this festival. I’ve been fortunate enough to see many of these, and so can show a few photos of some of them (though many not in Florida)
Deborah is also a frequent visitor at birding festivals, and we talk about a few of her favorites.
She mentions the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival https://www.rgvbf.org/ I’ve attended this and it is really good. There are trips to get Ferruginous Pygmy Owl as well as most of the valley’s winter specialties.
She also mentions the San Diego Bird Festival, which I can also vouch for as a great event. https://www.sandiegoaudubon.org/birding/san-diego-bird-festival/san-diego-bird-festival.html
Here are links to several other prominent festivals as well as ones that seem pretty interesting to me:
Biggest Week in Birding https://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/
Point Pelee Birding Festival https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/activ/festival
New River Birding Festival https://birding-wv.com/index.php/birding-nature-festival/registration?fbclid=IwAR0j0MoiAzGeGBaufo8xWshcTZC2wNrY4xewJDQ_lKv2MiV2XUbV5l096wE
Down East Birding Festival https://www.facebook.com/downeastbirdfest
Acadia Birding Festival https://acadiabirdingfestival.com/
Kachemak Bay Birding Festival in Homer, Alaska: https://www.homeralaska.org/events/annual-events/kachemak-bay-shorebird-festival/
Everglades Birding Festival http://www.evergladesbirdingfestival.com/
Morro Bay Winter Birding Festival: https://morrobaybirdfestival.org/
Winter Wings Festival in Klamath Bay, OR https://winterwingsfest.org/
Indiana Dunes Birding Festival: https://indunesbirdingfestival.com/
Great Salt Lake Bird Festival: https://greatsaltlakeaudubon.org/events/great-salt-lake-bird-festival
Monterey Bay Birding Festival https://montereybaybirdingfestival.org/
Cape May Fall Festival: https://njaudubon.org/cape-may-fall-festival/
I’m sure that there are lots more great options, and please leave a comment if you have recommendations.