Hagerman Prepares for 2nd Annual Bird Festival This Weekend

HAGERMAN, Idaho (KLIX) – If you like birds, this upcoming weekend is made just for you. For three days, Feb. 12-14, birders will gather for the Hagerman Bird Festival. As of Monday, there were still a handful of slots left. Registration closes Wednesday.

This is the second year of the festival. The first was in 2014.

“It was excellent,” said Delores Smith, who is assisting with the event. “We sold out and it was too crowded for our facilities, so this year we cut it down a little bit so it’s a more intimate setting and easier to manage.”

The event will include workshops and field trips to see the many varieties of fowl, including birds of prey, song birds and upland game birds. Field trips to choose from include wildlife management areas and local state parks, as well as private lands accessible only during the festival. Field trips will be led by birding professionals.

Workshops will teach birding tips. The event also will include films about bird migration and other birding topics.

Nine workshops and 10 field trips will be offered Saturday and 14 field trips on Sunday. Smith said you don’t have to be an avid birder to enjoy the event. There’ll be something for anyone interested in birds, she said.

Birds of all kinds like Hagerman Valley for many reasons, including open spring water, protective canyon walls, and quiet areas of the Snake River that entice nesting habits.

“We have a lot of spring water that keeps from freezing,” she said. “We have the canyon walls that retain heat, so we get a lot of micro climates where there’s still green grass in the winter and open grounds that birds can feed on. The temperature is milder and we have a lot of open water … open streams and ponds. There are a lot of factors that make it a really good place for birds. It’s a birds’ paradise.”

The festival will accept 120 participants. As of Monday about 100 were registered, Smith said. There will be no registration at the door. It has to be done online and in advance. Cost is $80 for adults, $25 for children 16 and younger. The event will begin Friday evening at the Hagerman Legion Hall, across from the high school. For more information, to view a program schedule or to register, visit the Hagerman Bird Festival website.