Horicon Marsh Bird Club invites birders of all skill levels – as well as anyone who enjoys the great outdoors – to the 28th Annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival This weekend-long event provides family-friendly activities and educational experiences designed to showcase Horicon Marsh’s role as an important habitat for birds and wildlife.

Highlights of this year’s Bird Festival NEW trips to Old Marsh Road, night sounds, boating and birding, LIVE birds of prey, smaller more intimate guided tours, and so much more!

Schedule of Events:

6:00 am - 12:00 pm - First Light Birding Bus Tour: Saturday

This is a field trip designed for birders who want to add as many species as possible to their bird lists. Field trip leaders are Jeff Bahls and Pat Horn. Be prepared to move by bus from location to location in search of migratory hot spots. There will be some walking, but it is rated easy. We try our best to finish on time, but in the world of birding, bird activity is the deciding factor. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the lower entrance on the south side of the building. Bus departs at 6:00 AM SHARP. Bring your own snacks.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28, Horicon, WI

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Kelli Bahls.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street, Horicon, WI

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Bird Hike at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center

Kid & Family Event. Join leaders for a hike that will focus on bird species along the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center trail system; a boardwalk reaching out to Indermuehle Island through the marsh and covering a variety of habitats. Walking on uneven trails and in damp foliage is a possibility. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28, Horicon

9:00 am - 10:00 am - Introducing…The Whooping Crane!

Let us introduce you to the regal Whooping Crane! During this easy walking tour, staff from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss crane biology and refuge management and highlight the work the International Crane Foundation is doing to conserve Whooping Cranes at Horicon Marsh and throughout Wisconsin. Includes a potential opportunity to view whoopers in the wild from a distance. Meet at the Egret Trail boardwalk parking lot at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge auto tour off Highway 49.

This program is free and no pre-registration is needed.

9:00 am - 4:00 pm - International Crane Foundation Activity Station

Please join the International Crane Foundation for an opportunity to learn hands-on how scientists monitor cranes using colorful leg bands and tracking devices. At this activity station you will have the opportunity to be banded with colorful paper bracelets like a wild crane and record your sightings of other banded “cranes” just like our scientists do! In this activity you will learn about different strategies our scientists use to monitor cranes at Horicon and across their flyway, using the same technology we use!

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

9:30 am - 11:30 am - Bird Hike at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center

Kid & Family Event. Join leaders for a hike that will focus on bird species along the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center trail system; a boardwalk reaching out to Indermuehle Island through the marsh and covering a variety of habitats. Walking on uneven trails and in damp foliage is a possibility. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

9:30 am - 3:00 pm - Bird Lab
    
Bring your family out for the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival May 9-12. Before the kids hit the trails in search of birds, bring them into the Visitor Center to make their own binoculars! We will have a Make and Take station all weekend where kids can decorate their own binoculars with stickers, markers and more!

Join us for a bird banding activity with a twist, you get to be the bird! After getting trapped in our “Mist Net,” we will take your measurements just like if you were a real bird. You will even get a band to take home. Learn the important role bird banding plays in conservation with this hands-on activity.

From 9:30-3pm on May 10, try out your bird skills? Can you run faster than a Peregrine Falcon can fly? Can you flap your arms faster than a hummingbird can flap their wings? Test your athletic ability at the Bird Olympics! You will be competing against the best birds in their sport. Have fun trying to beat their adaptations and learn some cool facts along the way. Visit the classrooms to try your hand or should we say beak at eating like a bird. Find out why a bird’s beak is critical to their survival.

For more information, contact Liz Herzmann at 920-210-9054 or elizabeth.herzmann@wisconsin.gov.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Kelli Bahls.

Register and pay at https://www.horiconmarsh.com/ or by calling (920) 643-7072.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

11:00 am - 12:30 pm  - Beginning Birding

Your hike leader will be Liz Herzmann. This program will introduce binocular and field guide use and bird identification. A short bird hike will accompany the program. The hike may be on uneven trails, but they are rated easy. This is for ALL ages that want to learn more about birding. Meet in the auditorium of the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

11:00 am - 2:00 pm - Chili Lunch

Grab a bite to eat at the Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center’s Chili Lunch. Enjoy a relaxing meal while sitting inside the lower lobby of the visitor center or enjoy the day at any of the picnic tables surrounding the visitor center. Cash only.

Chili Lunch proceeds benefit the Friends of Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - NEW! Birding Horicon Marsh Presentation

Horicon Marsh is a 33,000 acre Wetland of International Importance. It is a globally important birding area and can be a bit confusing for the first-time visitor. Catch up on a brief history of Horicon Marsh, management strategies for birds and then delve into the recommended birding locations at Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area. Find out where is the best place for bobolink, black-necked stilts, yellow-headed blackbird and more! This will be a great overview for all visitors to Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area!

Free.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Rick Vant Hoff.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Photographing Birds in Their Environment

Please join PhotoMidwest for an approximately 3-hour introductory bird photography class at the Horicon Marsh Visitor Center beginning at 4pm on Saturday, May 11. The class begins with a classroom session followed by about 2 hours photographing in Horicon Marsh. If there is bad weather, DNR staff will have mounted specimens to practice photographing indoors at the Visitor Center. Advance registration is strongly encouraged because the class is limited to 15 photographers. Cost is $25.

Prerequisites: Bird photography is a challenging subject for both equipment and the photographer. This class is for the bird enthusiast that wants to improve their bird photography using a fully functional camera (as opposed to a cell phone or point and shoot camera) and has a lens with a 200 mm or more focal length. If you have questions about the adequacy of your camera equipment for this class, please email your concerns to Camera@PhotoMidwest.Org before you register for this class.

The class will cover recommended camera settings for bird photography such as shutter speeds, aperture, frame and burst rate, auto-focus settings, exposure meter settings, and ISO settings. We will have volunteers who are familiar with the major camera brands to help you with your settings. We will then cover how to determine the best time of day, different lighting situations, location, weather, and aspects of bird behavior to give the best potential for good photographs of birds in flight and at rest. Finally, we will touch on basic post processing of images along with ethical/animal welfare considerations.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Hot Spot Birding: Saturday

Trip leader Jeff Bahls and Kelli Bahls will be using the knowledge obtained from other festival field trips in finding various birding locations (Hot Spots) in hopes of adding as many species as possible in the time allotted. We may even strike out on our own to a new birding spot not included in this year’s festival! Walking on uneven trails is possible. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the entrance on the south side of the building. Bus departs at 4:00 PM SHARP. This event will be held again on Sunday.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Birds and Beers

Join your fellow festival goers and bird buddies at “The Rock”. Compare sightings and celebrate life birds.

The Rock River Tap has been a local hangout for decades. It features a nice deck along the shores of the Rock River, 6 beers on tap and a great food menu.    

Free event.

Location: Rock River Tap 110 W. Lake Street Horicon, WI 53032

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Screeches, Squawks and, Squeals of the Marsh

During the day, Horicon Marsh is a relaxing and tranquil place to enjoy nature. But the dark mysteries of the marsh at night can be “chilling” to those not accustomed to the sounds of nocturnal creatures. Hike leader Liz Herzmann will dispel the myths of the night as she helps you identify the many nocturnal sounds that come from within the cattails. This program will be conducted outside with easy walking but possible uneven terrain so dress warm and bring a low powered flashlight. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the lower entrance on the south side of the building.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032