WELCOME TO LEELANAU COUNTY:
THIS IS PIPING PLOVER COUNTRY
Come join the fun of the 2013 Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival, May 29-June 2. It's nesting season in Leelanau where our fields and forests are full of bird songs and activity. For 2013 we are adding a bus trip to see Kirtland's warbler with noted Kirtland's specialist Jerry Weinrich. Jerry will lead us to a special access site on Kirtland's nesting grounds. As a BONUS, Birdfest is arranging for the bus to journey just a short way north of the Kirtland's warbler location to Hartwick Pines State Park for evening grosbeaks, and red-shouldered hawks. Check out the schedule of events for our 9 other popular field trips including Birding-By-Tall-Ship aboard the schooner Inland Seas and Birding-By-Ear at a new location, Teichner Preserve.
Our fee structure for 2013 is as follows: Single day registration is $15, which includes most field trips as well as evening speakers. All four days cost only $40. Additional fees apply to bus or boat trips, and Saturday's catered dinner at our headquarters in historic Fountain Point Inn, as noted in the registration process. A newly offered digi-scoping seminar also requires an additional fee. Our festival will feature speakers on both Friday and Saturday evenings at Fountain Point. There are no registration fees for our children's Bird and Bug Safari at the Suttons Bay wetlands. Registration begins in January 2013.
Please check-in to this site often and read the "Latest News" column, upper right, for current information and updates.
Once again, the host of The Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival is historic Fountain Point Resort, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All activities at Fountain Point Resort are included in your registration fee except the digi-scoping seminar and the Saturday evening dinner and keynote presentation.
The Big Year is being shown as an early introduction to our festival. This amiable film convincingly brings us into a world that may not be like our own. However, everyone who is engaged by the challenge of any serious competition (up to and including an Olympic gold medal) will relate to the time, effort and dollars each of these three men put into proving that they are "the best birder in the world." We are pleased to present this film, starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black, as our keynote speaker, Brian Allen, will walk us through the details of embarking on a Michigan Big Year.
Fountain Point Resort
Fountain Point is proud to host the 3rd annual Leelanau Peninsula Birdfest! Fountain Point is a classic summer resort located on the shores of South Lake Leelanau. We pride ourselves on blending 19th Century charm with 21st Century comfort. BirdFest Registrants will receive a 15% discount on all cottages and hotel rooms. Hotel rooms with antique furnishings and 19 comfortably refurbished cottages sleeping 2-13 guests, includes continental breakfast daily.
What's New
Now It Is Really Spring
Neo-tropicals are back! Spring is here for sure! And, The Leelananu Birding Festival is only 3 weeks away. Remember there are limits on the numbers allowed for several of our special trips, Birding-By-Tallship; the pontoon boat trip up Victoria Creek, and the bus trips to Arcadia Prairie, and to see the Kirtland’s Warbler. Registrations are [...]
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12:45 THIS SUNDAY
Join us for our kickoff event, a special showing of THE BIG YEAR , the light hearted Steve Martin comedy about one of the biggest bird watching adventures possible. Sunday, May 5th, 12:45 pm at the Bay Theater, Suttons Bay. Tickets are $8, available at Enerdyne and the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber offices in Lake Leelanau. [...]
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SPECIAL INVITATION
This year’s festival will be launched with a pre-event showing of The Big Year at the Bay Theatre on Sunday May 5th. In this entertaining look into the world of high-stakes “big year” birding (that is, keeping a list of every species seen in North American during a 365-day period), Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and [...]
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