Feathers over Freeport can be about exploring vernal pools, children assembling birdhouses and even ice cream. But mostly, the spring spectacular, set for April 25 at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal and April 26 at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park in Freeport, is about appreciating birds, many of them migrating from the south.
The fourth annual Feathers over Freeport begins at 8 a.m. on both days, with two-hour bird walks. Freeport birding enthusiasts Annette and Derek Lovitch will serve as guides. Activities will run throughout the day on both days.
The Lovitches, owners of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, will meet people at the group picnic shelters of the parks on both days. People are invited to bring their binoculars, and join them to view both the woodland birds and the spring migrants.
“Some of the best things about this are the guided early-morning walks with Derek and Jeanette Lovitch,” said Andy Hutchinson, park manager at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. “They are really gifted local experts on birding. It’s a great time of year, with all the returning migratory birds. You’ll see them on the edges of fields and in the forests, and the shore, of course, is a great place to find shore birds.
From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Bradbury Mountain, Derek Lovitch will lead the Hawk Watch at the summit. He and other experts will observe, identify and count all raptor and vulture species that fly past Bradbury Mountain. The hike to the top is steep, but only a quarter of a mile and takes about 10 minutes.
An Osprey Watch is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at Wolfe’s Neck Woods, with Hutchinson. Walkers will meet at the osprey sign across from Googins Island via either the White Pines Trail to Casco Bay Trail.
“The Hawk Watch is the centerpiece for me on Saturday, and the Osprey Watch is the highlight of Sunday,” Lovitch said. “That whole concept of connecting to birds up close is great.”
Bird posters will be available, as well as the Maine Park Passport, a pocked-sized guide to state parks.
Everyone, Hutchinson said, is ready for a great break from five months of winter weather.
“We’re really hoping for a nice spring weekend,” he said.
A nice spring weekend – or any spring weekend, for that matter – also means vernal pools, pools that dry up in summer but at this time of year, are home to frogs, salamanders and more. Fritz Appleby, park manager at Bradbury Mountain, looks forward to the vernal pool exploration, from 2:30-4 Saturday. People will meet at the picnic shelter, and make the hike to the top.
Vernal pools give amphibians a place to grow, free from predatory fish and beetles, during their two-month larval cycle. Wetland scientists Dave Brenneman and Lauren Leclerc will show the public how to identify a vernal pool and the critters that live in them.
“The vernal pool walk is a lot of fun,” Appleby said. “It’s a bit of a hike to get up there, but the pools should be pretty active this time of year. They’re teeming with wildlife.”
From 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on both days, children accompanied by an adult can build birdhouses and take them home, on a first-come, first-served basis. The “birding fun and games” will be located in the field near the picnic shelter.
“I’ve been cutting up boards for days,” Appleby said last week. “There will be kits ready to assemble. Donations will be accepted.”
Appleby said that the live birds presentation, including an eagle, is another big draw, at 1.
From 10-2, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream will serve ice cream, while it lasts.
Tansy, an Eastern screech owl, will be among birds on hand both days from Maine-based Wind Over Wings.Courtesy photo
The yellow-rumped warbler is one of the earliest warbler migrants to arrive in Maine, and can be seen at both Bradbury Mountain State Park and Wolfe’s Neck State Park during Feathers over Freeport, on April 25-26. Courtesy photo
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