Festival of Hawks returning to Holiday Beach Conservation Area Sept. 13-14

Phil Roberts educates local birders. (Submitted photo)

All eyes will be on the skies Sept. 13-14 as local birders and nature lovers take in one of North America’s greatest migration at Holiday Beach Conservation Area.

Tens of thousands of hawks and raptors will flying overhead on their annual journey to nesting grounds in the south.

 The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), together with the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO), has announced it will host the 2025 Festival of Hawks the second weekend of September. It runs 9 a.m.-3 p.m. both days.

ERCA and HBMO are inviting the community to learn more about the birds of prey that migrate through this conservation area each year with a variety of educational workshops and hikes. ERCA said experts will conduct raptor and hummingbird banding and adoptions in support of their important species and populations monitoring efforts each year.  

Local experts will share information on a wide range of birding and nature-related topics. These include HBMO’s Bob Pettit providing expertise on identifying hawks in flight; a Peak Migration Bird Hike with birding expert Jeremy Bensette; a Woodland Critter Parade both days where people will be able to showcase costumes and masks created in the WFCU Credit Union activity tent; the ability to take part in various beginner bird and family butterfly hikes; learning from local groups such as RAEON, Parks Canada, Wildlife Preservation Canada, Windsor of Change and more on their conservation and environmental programs; purchasing lunch options from Scotty’s BBQ and Catering; Native Trees and Plants (NTP) selling native plants; an Evening Owl Prowl Experience with ERCA environmental educator Jess Rose; Just Fishin’ Friends at the Trout Pond to sharing casting tips with guests; and the ability to visit multiple artwork booths featuring a variety of wildlife and nature themed displays.

ERCA says this year’s Festival of Hawks will also include a number of new children’s activities, including a woodland Critter Parade at 1:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Classroom both days. Guests are encouraged to come dressed as your favourite woodland critter, or to make a mask at the event tent and join in. Kids can also take a chance at the Birds of a Feather Treasure Hunt and match clues to hidden birds and feathers along the trail. 

“Audobon Magazine has identified Holiday Beach Conservation Area as one of the 10 best sites in all of North America to experience the raptor migration, and we’re so lucky to have it right in our own back yard,”

notes Danielle Breault Stuebing, ERCA’s director of communications and outreach.  “Whether you are an expert birder or nature-loving family, there’s something for everyone at the annual Festival of Hawks.” 

Tickets are available for a special Saturday evening Owl Prowl to learn about the owls of Ontario, their adaptations, calls, and behaviours. At this intimate experience, participants will take a guided walk through the woods, looking and listening for owls.

“When circumstances are just right and you're able to call in an owl, it’s really an extraordinary experience,” Breault Stuebing adds. Tickets must be pre-purchased at https://essexregionconservation.ca/owlprowl .

 All daytime programs are included with the festival admission fee of $20 per vehicle or a seasonal pass. The final list of programs is available at https://essexregionconservation.ca/hawkfest .

ERCA and HBMO says the best raptor viewing time is from 9 a.m. until noon when the hawks fly low. The Holiday Beach Conservation Area is located on County Road 50, on Lake Erie near Malden Centre.

Festival of Hawks returning to Holiday Beach Conservation Area Sept. 13-14

Special to the RTT