Spring Migration Bird Bonanza

Celebrate all things birds at the Spring Migration Bird Bonanza on Saturday, May 18th from 9 am to 1:30 pm! This single-day, bird-themed celebration will take place at Blandford Nature Center located at 1715 Hillburn Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. 

The Spring Migration Bird Bonanza will feature guided birding hikes and accessible birding tours with local birding guides from the Grand Rapids Audubon Club, introductions with Blandford’s wildlife ambassador birds, and a Wildlife Photography presentation. This event will also include the opportunity for shopping; with books from Books & Mortar, art from Querkus Creative, Son Visual, Field Sparrow Studios, Matthew Goetzka, Red Hydrant Press, and more.

In addition to local artists, The Grand Rapids Audubon Club, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, GR Outside, and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan will be attending the event with yard games and other information and resources about their organizations. Young birders will also be able to enjoy a bird-themed story time space and bird coloring sheets.

The event is centered around birds, but also places inclusivity outdoors as a priority. “The Spring Migration Bird Bonanza was planned for people of all experience levels and abilities to come and learn from each other. We are intentionally creating an opportunity for people to connect with our natural world while amongst other people with similar interests. Events like this help build relationships and give attendees a sense of belonging within both our natural AND people communities,” said Spencer High, Founder of Querkus Creative. “If you’ve been wanting to get into nature, but not sure where to start – Spring Migration Bird Bonanza is going to be a great opportunity to learn more and be welcomed into nature. Nature is for everyone, and so is the Bird Bonanza.”

The event will be open-house style for attendees to come and go as they please, but there is a set schedule of times for the birding hikes and tours, wildlife introduction, and wildlife photography presentation. This year, additional routes and times have been added to accommodate more participants and allow attendees to participate in multiple birding hikes or tours throughout the day.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own binoculars, but there will be some available to borrow for birding hikes and tours. Accessibility equipment is also available to check out for free on a first-come, first-served basis. The equipment available includes: 2 walkers, 1 electric mobility scooter, 1 adult wheelchair, and 1 children’s all-terrain wheelchair.

This event is open to participants of all ages. Admission to the Spring Migration Bird Bonanza is $7 per person for members of Blandford Nature Center, $10 per person for non-members, and children ages 2 and under are free. Pre-registration is not required but is available for those looking to speed up check-in at the entrance. To pre-register or view a detailed schedule of events, interested participants can visit Blandford’s website Community Calendar at www.blandfordnaturecenter.org.