Clear Lake is a Mecca for bird and wildlife watching. Nowhere in the state, or for that matter, in the West, is there such a wide variety of wildlife. Once a year local outdoor enthusiasts gather at Clear Lake State Park to enjoy the birds and other wildlife Lake County has to offer. It”s the annual Heron Festival and it will offer the opportunity for the public to get a close look at the many birds and other wildlife that call Clear Lake and Lake County home.
The festival gets under way Saturday and runs through Sunday. There will be a wide variety of sightseeing trips, including pontoon boat trips and nature hikes.
The headquarters for the festival is Clear Lake State Park and the hours both Saturday and Sunday are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association (CLSPIA) sponsor the festival.
The Heron Festival started back in 1994 and was created by the Redbud Audubon Society as a way to celebrate the springtime nesting of the Great Blue Herons in the treetops along the waterways at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. In recent years it has been expanded to offer the public tours of the shoreline of Clear Lake as well as opportunities to view the many species of birds that nest and gather at the lake.
Among the highlights of the festival are the pontoon boat tours. Each pontoon boat holds approximately eight people and includes an experienced guide who will identify the many birds and other wildlife on the lake. There will be western grebes, egrets, Great Blue Herons, double-crested cormorants, osprey, bald eagles, loons, pelicans, seagulls and a wide variety of ducks and other bird life. There may even be the opportunity to see a family of otters.
The pontoon boat tour takes 90 minutes and leaves the docks at the state park each hour from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per person and children 7 and older are welcome. Be sure and bring binoculars and cameras.
In addition to the boat tours there will be bird and nature walks. The walks pass through the state park and are led by Audubon guide Brad Barnwell, who will share his expertise on birds, plants and wildlife. The walks are free and take place between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Several speakers will give presentations on wild birds. Among them are highly acclaimed photographer Lyle Madeson, who will show some spectacular photos of the nesting cycle of grebes, herons and egrets at the park visitor center. Madeson”s presentation is Saturday at 10 a.m. The popular Dr. Harry Lyons will give a talk Sunday on the 2-million-year-old history of Clear Lake. Dr. Lyons” talk starts at 10 a.m. in the visitor center. Also on Sunday there will be a presentation by Jenny Papka, a curator from Native Bird Connections. Papka will show live owls and other raptors and talk about their behavior. That presentation starts at 1 p.m. in the big tent next to the visitor center.
There are other events going all day on both days, including a jazz concert by the Kelseyville High School Jazz Band from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., plus a wide variety of nature booths. There will also be special activities for children. Food and drinks are available.
Admission to the park is free during the festival. Clear Lake State Park in located on 5300 Soda Bay Road just outside the community of Kelseyville.
For more information call 263-8030 or go the web site www. heronfestival.org.
