Annual Hummingbird Festival Returns to LBL’s Woodlands Nature Station

Golden Pond, KY – Come out to Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area and witness the migration of the Ruby-throated hummingbird during the annual Hummingbird Festival Saturday & Sunday, August 7th & 8th, at Woodlands Nature Station (NS).

“Hummingbird migration in this area is at its peak in August,” said NS Interpreter Aviva Yasgur.  “A large number of hummingbirds stop here on their journey south to Mexico and Central America.  During this time, you can see up to 200 hummingbirds in a single day.  The festival is an opportunity to be a part of this awesome event.”

The main Hummingbird Festival events take place at the NS Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm.  Admission to Hummingbird Festival 2010 is $5.00 ages 13 and up and $3.00 ages 5-12.  Team up with NS staff to learn more about these amazing little birds and how you can help them survive their long migration.  Highlights of the weekend include hummingbird banding demonstrations, a nature photography demonstration, a native plant sale, “hummingbird friendly” coffee sampling, activities and games for children, and live animal programs.  Take-home information will be available about gardening, bird feeding, nature-friendly cleaning products, and more.  Be sure to bring your camera to capture the stars of the weekend, the Ruby-throated hummingbirds. 

Bill Hilton Jr., Director of Hilton Pond Center of Piedmont Natural History and Operation RubyThroat, will give presentations throughout the day about the behavior and migration of the amazing Ruby-throated hummingbird.  He also will give up close demonstrations on how leg bands are attached.  Banding is a way of identifying and tracking individual birds.  If a hummingbird is recaptured at another study site along its migration route, the leg band number is recorded and added to a database.  Biologists can then look at all the data collected over the years for clues about the habits of these tiny birds and how to best meet their habitat needs.  Visitors can attend Hilton’s ongoing demonstrations Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm.

Migrating hummingbirds visiting feeders at Nature Station

Other weekend activities include two special programs on Friday, August 6th, that require reservations and full deposits due to limited space.  For complete information or reservations, contact 270-924-2020.  The following is a complete list of NS activities for the weekend:

Friday, August 6th

• Operation RubyThroat: GLOBE Hummingbird Project Training Workshop – 9:00am-3:00pm, $10.00 per person (includes light snacks)
• Dinner with the Hummingbirds – 6:00pm-8:00pm, $15.00 per person (includes dinner and evening admission)

Saturday, August 7th

• Hummingbird Banding Demonstrations – Ongoing from 9:00am-4:00pm
• Hummingbirds of the World – 10:30am
• Live Owl Program – 11:30am
• Helpful Honeybees – 1:00pm
• Lunchtime with Opossum – 2:00pm
• Backyard Butterflies – 3:00pm

Sunday, August 8

• Hummingbird Banding Demonstrations – Ongoing from 10am-2pm
• Migration Miracles – 11:30am
• Lunchtime with Groundhog – 1:00pm
• Flight of the Monarch Butterfly – 2:30pm
• Red Wolf Program – 3:30pm

Land Between The Lakes is managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with “Friends of LBL,” to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education.  We encourage visitors to review our website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, and temporary trail and road closures.  Additional LBL information is also available on our website or by calling 1-800-LBL-7077 or 270-924-2000.  You can find out more about “Friends of LBL” at www.friendsoflbl.org.