Aberdeen celebrates its nature

  • 2022-03-01
A major nature festival is coming up near Aberdeen.

The Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival will take place at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Hoquiam, just a few miles from Aberdeen. The event allows nature enthusiasts to enjoy the annual migration of shorebirds who are moving north. Hundreds of thousands of birds are involved, some coming from countries as far away as Argentina, on their way to the Arctic. They stop on the coasts of Oregon and Washington to feed and rest. Some of the birds may cover more than 15,000 miles during a round-trip migration.

Since so many birds are concentrated together during the spring migration, visitors to the Refuge will have a chance to see different species of shorebirds. Birds fly in constantly changing formations which will be visible to people watching the flyover.

The term “shorebird” refers to birds that are most often found at the shore. They include dowitchers, sandpipers, turnstones, and plovers. Some of the specials spend the entire year in Grays Harbor County while others arrive only during the migration.

The official event begins April 29 and is scheduled to last until May 1, but viewings start April 24. The official address of the Refuge is 1131 Airport Way, Hoquiam, Washington, 98550. Admission to the Refuge is free, and the website lists the best times to view the birds. When events like this occur, organizers could use banner printing to mark the best viewing spots.