by Joe Meche
Wings Over Water
March 17-19, Blaine, WA
As it was with so many things the Covid-19 pandemic forced widespread delays and changes in plans for millions of people, not the least of which was the 20th anniversary of our annual homage to the birds of the Pacific Northwest. Two years later, we finally get to celebrate, and this year’s festival is gearing up to be the best one ever. The festival will carry on with a variety of activities and events for all ages and levels of interest. The primary venue for the festival will be in Blaine, but will include field trips at a variety of other locations.
Border crossings into Canada have become more relaxed now, so the committee is planning to revive a field trip to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This has become one of the more popular activities at the festival and we’ll have room on the bus for as many as 40 excited birders. A bit closer to home and equally popular is the birding cruise on the MV Salish Sea from Blaine harbor into the deeper waters of Boundary Bay. The foot passenger ferry MV Plover is also on tap to do close-in cruises around the Semiahmoo Spit and into Drayton Harbor.
As we move toward finalizing our schedule for the three-day event, we encourage you to check the festival’s website at www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com for details. Some activities will require pre-registration, so the early birds will get the tickets.