There is elegant symmetry in the flight of birds, gliding in graceful arcs on the wind far above the ground. In Washington state, migratory patterns and resident waterfowl have long brought this timeless beauty to the shores of Whatcom County, celebrated each new year with the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival. Debbie Harger discusses how the annual Wings Over Water celebration marries family fun with science and environmental appreciation.
The festival began more than 20 years ago, then known as the Washington Brant Festival in honor of the unique species of geese that touches down in Blaine and Birch Bay on its migratory route back to Canada.
“The Brant goose goes down all the way to Baha, California, and stops here on its way back in both the sinter and the spring,” says Harger. “It was called the Washington Brant Festival for the first few years, and then we realized despite being home to a host of other birds, we were limiting the focus on just Brants, so that’s when we changed the festival to Wings Over Water. We will be celebrating our 20th year next year.”
The festival owes its longevity and success to presenting an engaging and adaptable program every year in Whatcom. “We’ve been around for a while and we’re really proud of our festival,” Harger says. “It’s a premier festival in Washington state and we [consistently] bring in people from faraway places.”
In 2020, Wings Over Water felt the pandemic’s effects along with everyone else, being forced to cancel the event in wake of shutdowns. “In 2021, we decided we were going to try a virtual festival and ended up putting together three days of virtual activities,” says Harger. “It turned out wonderfully and we had over one thousand viewers that tuned in, with some as far away as Australia.” This year, the festival is presenting a hybrid setup, planning both virtual and in-person events.
“We have so many cool activities planned for kids this year,” Harger says. “We’re going to have a couple of family field trips to Birch Bay State Park, we’ve got birdhouse building, a Build-A-Bird Presentation field trip, educational activities, a walking bird hunt, bird puppets, and an interactive story time with instruments followed by a kitemaking activity.” The building a birdhouse activity has grown into a family favorite at Wings Over Water.
“We have real bird houses put together by amazing volunteers that the kids put finishing touches on with parental help,” says Harger. “We do that every year by donations and most of those activities are free for the kids.”
The festival also plans to charter the historic Plover ferry that runs between Blaine and Semiahmoo as another event for families to consider. “It’s about educating kids,” Harger says. “After all, they’re going to be the next ones taking care of our environment.”
Wings Over Water draws festivalgoers of all ages and satisfies an array of avian interests. “There will be some field trips for adults at Birch Bay, Semiahmoo, and Blaine,” Harger says. “We also have an offshore cruise that San Juan Cruises helps with for two trips showcasing species you can’t quite see very well from the shore.”
This year’s keynote speaker, Paul Bannick, is a Wings Over Water veteran, having been the choice for featured speaker in 2020 and a virtual presenter in 2021. “Paul is fantastic, and his photography is amazing. He is so interesting, and he just makes you want to go outside right now and find some owls,” Harger says with a laugh.
This year’s featured artist, acrylic painter Lisa Abbott of Ferndale, will present her enchanting avian paintings for the expo. “She’s local and kind of just getting into her art,” says Harger. “We are glad to give someone local, like Lisa, who paints different kinds of birds and other wildlife, this opportunity.”
Wings Over Water is set to take place March 18-20 as a three-day weekend event keeping up with current Washington State Department of Health guidelines. “We have to be somewhat conscious with the number of guests, so the registration will be available on Eventbrite once the schedule is available online,” Harger says. The schedule should be online in early February and there are several activities still to be determined. For more information on registration, an updated schedule of activities, and a comprehensive catalogue of educational birding content, please visit Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival.
Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival
March 18–20, 2022
www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com
Featured photo by Eric Ellingson
