Events include poetry, art, birdwatching and STEM activities

LA GRANDE — The 2025 Ladd Marsh Bird Festival is set to take flight May 16-18, offering avian enthusiasts a rare opportunity to explore one of Union County’s most diverse wildlife areas.

Hosted by Friends of Ladd Marsh, this annual event celebrates World Migratory Bird Day, providing a non-competitive, family-friendly birding experience at the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, located seven miles south of La Grande at 59116 Pierce Road. With more than 200 species of birds either residing or passing through the marsh, attendees can expect to see a variety of ducks, geese, raptors, passerines and shorebirds.

To add to the birding experience, Cook Memorial Library and Art Center East have scheduled events to coincide with Ladd Marsh Bird Festival.

The festival is free, although registration is required. Special field trips on Sunday are $25 — register through noon on May 18 at www.friendsofladdmarsh.org/bird-fest or during the Friday night event.

Friday, May 16

The festival kicks off on Friday evening, May 16, 6-8 p.m. at the Union County Senior Center, 1504 N. Albany St., where Ben Vernasco will share his work on the North American rosy-finches.

He will provide an ecological overview of the group and share his research, which uses genomic techniques to understand the ecology and promote the conservation of the subspecies of gray-crowned rosy-finch found in the Wallowa Mountains.

There will also be music and snacks. Participants can register or check in to receive a festival passport.

Saturday, May 17

On Saturday, the marsh opens to the public at 4:45 a.m. Six staffed birding stations where local experts will help visitors identify species and learn about their habitats will be open from 6 a.m. to noon. The marsh closes at 8:45 p.m.

Sunday, May 18

On Sunday, the marsh is open from 4:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Also, guided field trips to some of the best birding locations in Union County provide a chance to spot elusive species like the great grey owl, woodpeckers, warblers and shorebirds.

Participants need to be at the meeting places 15 minutes before departure time. The seven trips are:

4:45 a.m.: Dawn Chorus, Peach Lane fishing pond.
5 a.m.: Rhinehart Canyon for Early Risers; meet at the Union County Senior Center.
6:30 a.m.: Birds and Botany of the Ponderosa Pine Forest; meet at the senior center.
6:30 a.m.: Grande Ronde Valley Hotspots; meet at the Peach Lane registration area.
7 a.m.: Feathered Encounters at Red Bridge State Park; meet at the senior center.
9 a.m.: GROWISER; for directions, www.growiser.net/directions.html.
These excursions, led by experienced guides, allow participants to venture into areas of the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area that are typically closed to the public, increasing the chances of spotting rare and migratory species.

The 5 a.m. Rhinehart Canyon excursion is led by Trent Bray, professional birdwatcher and owner of The Bobolink in La Grande. Participants will experience the sights and sounds of the canyon as it awakens with birds greeting the day.

Bray’s love of birding began in childhood, inspired by his grandfather, a skilled woodworker who filled his home with birdhouses, feeding stations, birding books and binoculars. During visits, Bray and his grandfather spent countless hours birdwatching together — a passion that took root and never faded. Today, he has turned his lifelong enthusiasm into a career and a much-loved local business.

Poetry reading

As a special prelude to a weekend filled with birding events, Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St., will host poet Amelia Diaz Ettinger on Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Ettinger will share her poetry inspired by the beauty and wonder of birds. For additional details, call 541-962-1339.

Art classes

Also, Art Center East, 1006 Penn Ave., will offer bird festival art activities for children and families. Both classes are taught by Samantha Adams Choate, who grew up in Eastern Oregon and enjoys teaching youth about the importance of art, giving them tools and skills to use various art forms as outlets for expression.

“Winged Wonders: Bird Feeders + Eggs” for ages 5-12 is Saturday, May 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. And on Sunday, May 18, from 9-11 a.m., “Feathered Masks: Family Class” for ages 5 and above will create a mask masterpiece out of feathers, cardstock and assorted bling.

For more information and to register for the classes, visit www.artcentereast.org/calendar or call 541-624-2800.

STEM Lab

Eastern Oregon University’s mobile STEM Lab will be at the Tule Lake parking lot on Saturday, May 17, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It’s located off Peach Road between Ladd Marsh Bird Festival observation stations four and five near the Friends of Ladd Marsh/Ladd Marsh Bird Festival registration trailer. For more information, call 541-962-3404.

Details

For more details, including a full schedule of events, and to secure a spot, visit the Friends of Ladd Marsh website at www.friendsofladdmarsh.org under the Bird Festival Tab. More questions? Give them a call at 541-963-4954.