13th Anniversary of Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival -- 3 days of birding and nature activities on Wisconsin's south shore of Lake Superior at the peak of spring migration. 

Activities are being finalized for the 2019 Festival. Looking for booklets to be mailed at the beginning of March and registration to open soon after! Keep checking back.

With over 100 field trips and programs on all things nature, such as birds, butterflies, wildflowers, snails, spiders, elk, frogs, fish, and mushrooms. We also have birding by bicycle, kayaking trips, Apostle Islands cruises, Loon Pontoon, live birds, mammal tracking, and more. New this year Extreme Weather theme with associated field trips, including a drone demo; our first geology field trip; smartphone birding, program on purple martins, several field trips on finding and preparing wild edibles. Our bird fest has renowned speakers and trip leaders, such as Ruth Oppedahl (Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin), Adrian Wydeven (Timber Wolf Alliance), Tracy Hames (Wisconsin Wetlands Association), and local birding experts Ryan Brady, Nick Anich, Tim Oksiuta, Dick Verch, David Bratley, and more and the Birdchick as our keynote speaker.

Birders and nature lovers of all skills and ages will find a wealth of choices at this year's festival. 

For other happenings in Ashland: www.visitashland.com

Imagine...Work where you play!

The Bird Chick is back! She travels the world as a field trip leader, birding consultant, humorous keynote speaker, bird field technician, bird bander and writer.

2018 Birds Seen
Our festival has something for everyone.

183 species were found during the 2018 festival, just three shy of our record set in 2016. Highlights included Eurasian Wigeon, Summer Tanager, 2 N. Mockingbirds, a Gray Jay out of range on Bark Point, American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Wilson's Phalarope, Long-tailed Ducks, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Rough-legged Hawks, LeConte's Sparrows, Red Crossbills, and 26 warbler species (plus several Brewster's). Many of the late migrants had just arrived, including Black-billed Cuckoo, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, E. Wood-Pewee, Philadelphia Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Mourning Warbler, and Connecticut Warbler, although we missed Common Nighthawk and Alder Flycatcher. In general, shorebird numbers were very low (poor habitat conditions) and we missed a number of regularly-occurring species like most plovers and peeps, while warbler numbers were very good, although locally distributed and somewhat quiet due to the colder conditions.

Can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2019!

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At our 11th annual Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival the weather was a bit challenging but birders -- and the birds they watch -- are a hardy group, and the 380+ participants seemed to have a wonderful time. No doubt the highlight was the extremely cooperative Lewis's Woodpecker, which was seen by all who sought it..

Also notable were two other species not found during any of our ten previous festivals, several Long-billed Dowitchers and a late Snow Bunting. Good weather or not, it's great fun -- I promise!
 

Contact us to get on the mailing and e-blast list to receive up-to-date information.

**Other Ashland Area Events in the Chequamegon Bay**