FLock to the Botanical Garden for Birdwatching

Story by: Guest Contributor

First posted on 12-14-2007

(ST. LOUIS): Bundle up, bring your binoculars, and head to the Missouri Botanical Garden
for a bird-watching bonanza! The third annual Backyard Bird Festival will be held on Saturday,
Feb. 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adults and children of all ages and experience levels can brush up on their birding skills with guided walks, identification tips, live exhibits, and informative classes for beginners to advanced birders.

Choose from a variety of activities to maximize your enjoyment. “Early birds” can join the
morning’s first guided bird walk from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Look for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
Cooper’s Hawk, American Goldfinch, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Downy Woodpecker and more in
the bare tree branches throughout the Garden. A second walk will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., with a special children’s bird walk from 1 to 2 p.m.
See more live birds up close and receive helpful information from organizations including the
Saint Louis Zoo, World Bird Sanctuary, Missouri Department of Conservation, Audubon Society,
Missouri Wildflower Nursery, Wild Bird Rehabilitation, Wild Bird Center and others.

Exhibitors will be on hand from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Garden’s visitor center.

From 9 to 10 a.m., choose to attend one of three indoor classes for any birding level.

Beginners will benefit from “Yard Birds: Basic Backyard Birding,” while more experienced birders
can try “Advanced Birding: Raptors.” Children ages three to 12 can visit “The Nest” activity station
to learn more about the sights and sounds of local feathered friends.

From 10 to 11 a.m., participants of all ages can enjoy a colorful slideshow offering a “Great
Backyard Bird Count Introduction.” Find out how to join in the annual, nationwide count from
Feb. 15 through 18.

From 11 a.m. to noon, classes available include “Great Birding Areas in St. Louis/
Introduction to Bird Photography,” “Common Tricky Species,” and more fun at “The Nest” for
children. The “Great Backyard Bird Count Introduction” will be repeated from 12 to 12:30 p.m.

From 1 to 2 p.m., learn how to enhance your backyard’s attractiveness to certain species by
“Landscaping for Birds,” or refine your listening skills in “Bird Songs.”

The following day, put your new-found bird-watching skills to the test at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Mo. Take a guided bird walk through the reserve’s 2,400 acres of natural Ozark landscape. The program will be held Sunday, Feb. 3 from 8 to 11 a.m. and is only open to Backyard Bird Festival registrants.

The Backyard Bird Festival will be held at the Missouri Botanical Garden, located at 4344
Shaw Blvd. in south St. Louis (easily accessible from Interstate 44 at the Vandeventer exit). Cost is $15 per adult and $10 per child (age three to 12). Pre-registration is required by calling (314) 577-9506 or downloading a registration form at http://www.mobot.org/education.