The Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, put on by the Wenatchee River Institute and North Central Washington Audubon Society, occurs every 3rd weekend in May. Planning is underway and we can't wait to see you all.

The annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest promotes conservation through educational and recreational activities about birds, wildlife, and their environments.

Come bird with us, discovering the natural beauty and wonders of North Central Washington!

Celebrate the return of migratory birds in the midst of peak wildflower season. Enjoy the excitement of birding field trips and workshops. Take part in speaker events, music, visual arts, picnics, and activities for all ages and abilities. All of this is happening in beautiful Leavenworth, WA and throughout the Wenatchee River Valley. Bird Fest happens in association with World Migratory Bird Day. Bird Fest contributes a list of all birds seen during the festival to eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related community science project.

2025 Keynote Speaker: David Lukas

Join us for the 2025 Bird Fest Keynote Address with David Lukas. This is a HYBRID event. You may join us in the Wenatchee River Institute's Red Barn or livestream virtually. Registration is required for this event.
Saturday, May 17th at 7:00pm-8:30pm. Doors at 6:30pm.
Tickets price: $20 for in-person, or $10 for virtual. 

Under the Surface with Bird Bones and Skeletons

Birds are exquisitely designed creatures of the air, but have you ever thought about how the underlying structure of a bird’s bones and skeletons help birds move and fly? Flight is not just a matter of flapping your wings harder, it actually requires many special adaptations and compromises that impact all aspects of a bird’s life.

In this fascinating presentation we will learn about some of the adaptations we can observe as we look at bird skulls, beaks, eyes, wings, legs, and feet. Many of these features are hidden by feathers, yet they uniquely shape every aspect of what we see when we watch birds. Expect to come away with a new understanding and appreciation for the hidden mechanics of how birds eat, sleep, and move, along with an understanding of how feathers interact with a bird’s skeletal structure.

David Lukas is well-known naturalist and author based in the Methow Valley. He has written seven books and contributed chapters to another forty books on a tremendous range of nature topics. He has also led thousands of natural history tours, classes, workshops, and presentations. David’s most recent project is producing two weekly nature newsletters at www.lukasguides.com and www.methownaturenotes.com. You can also find him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 

Registration for the Keynote, as well as field trips, is now open! Find the registration page here

2025 Artist Spotlight: Heather Murphy

We are so excited to have Heather Murphy of Walleye Cards at Bird Fest 2025 as our Artist Spotlight! You've probably met Heather guiding some amazing Bird Fest trips in years past.

See some of her nature-inspired work here and be sure to check out the daily Spotlight Artist's Gallery in the River Haus at Wenatchee River Institute to see her work in person May 15-18!
During Bird Fest, look for Heather at the following events and trips. See the Bird Fest Schedule for more details.

Thursday May 15
Hike & Draw Field Trip, 8:00am-4:00pm (registration required)
 
Friday May 16
Habitat Hike Field Trip, 5:30am-4:00pm (registration required)
 
Saturday May 17

Sleeping Lady and Team Naturaleza Bird Walk, 8:30am-11:30am (free, but registration is required)
 
Artist's Reception with Bird Fest Spotlight Artist Heather Murphy, 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Stop by during the Community Fair and before Birders' BBQ to meet Heather, see some of her completed works and in-progress nature journals, and maybe even create some art yourself! Heather will be around to chat about her art, and she will have a table set up for community members to add their own observations and creativity to the Bird Fest Journal. 
 
Sunday May 18

Paint-In workshop at the Red Barn, 9:00am-12:00pm (registration required)

Biography: Heather is a Pacific Northwest notecard artist, wildlife biologist, watercolorist, and nature writer. She holds a Forest Technology degree from Wenatchee Valley College and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Habitat Management from the University of Washington, where she also studied drawing. Her watercolors, journal sketches and migratory bird paintings have been selected for conservation programs in the Western Hemisphere. The Sleeping Lady 2016 Calendar solely featured Heather’s art. 

Heather’s agency career spanned from 1974 to 2005, when she retired from the U.S. Forest Service as a wildlife biologist on the Wenatchee River Ranger District. She currently leads Citizen Science wildlife programs as a volunteer for the U.S.F.S. 

Walleye Cards, LLC and Wildtales Journals, Heather’s naturalist notecard, journal business, was founded in 1997 in response to nature journal card needs for Harriet Bullitt’s Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort. Heather’s small independent, woman-owned, business, donates over 10% of her sales to conservation and arts organizations. 

Heather presented "Wildlife and Art of National Forests" to the Smithsonian Institution's 2005 Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. Throughout her travels, she has offered nature journaling workshops such as in the Scottish Highlands and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. She was the Artist-In-Residence for the North Cascades National Park in 2007. Heather was an Artist in Resident for the Icicle Fund CHA CHA (2020 & 2021). During 2023 Heather was an Artist-In-Residence for Terminus: the Memorial to Glaciers of the Olympic National Park. Since 2023 she’s been the Artist-In-Residence at Sleeping Lady Inc., Leavenworth WA.

Special neotropical migratory birds projects, which Heather helped co-found, are: ¡Team Naturaleza! and Dancing With Birds. Both programs connect people with natural science education, and with migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere.

Heather notes that much of her success is from her remarkable family and friends, above all her husband, Patrick. They live in Leavenworth, Washington’s Icicle Valley.

Schedule:

Pre-Festival Trips
These Pre-Festival Trips are ideal for beginning birders, locals, and anyone coming town early for the festival. Loaner binoculars will be available for these trips. All Pre-Festival Trips are free! Some require registration. Please read individual trip descriptions to learn about each trip's registration requirements.

Birding Ohme Gardens
Monday, May 12
6:00pm-7:30pm | Free, registration required

Beginning Birding at Waterfront Park ^ +
Tuesday, May 13
7:30am-9:30am | Free, no registration required.

Birding Ohme Gardens
Tuesday, May 13
6:00pm-7:30pm | Free, registration required

Beginning Birding at Waterfront Park ^ +
Wednesday, May 14
7:30am-9:30am | Free, no registration required.

Beginner Bird Walk at Horan Natural Area +
Wednesday, May 14
6:00pm-7:30pm | Free, no registration required.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Self-Led Bird Walk at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery ^ +
All day | Free

Spotlight Artist's Gallery ^ +
Thursday, May 15
9:00am - 4:00pm

Freund Canyon
Thursday, May 15
6:00am-11:00am | $50

Morning in Riparian, Shrub-steppe and Pine Forests on Badger Mountain
Thursday, May 15
6:00am - 12:30pm | $70

Burch Mountain Bird Adventure (THU)
Thursday May 15
7:00am - 12:00pm | $50

Two Rivers
Thursday, May 15
7:00am - 12:00pm | $55

Icicle Ridge Hike *
Thursday, May 15
7:00am - 2:00pm | $50

Hike & Draw
Thursday, May 15
8:00am - 4:00pm | $75, Includes sack lunch

Bike and Bird Leavenworth
Thursday, May 15
9:00am - 12:00pm | $25

Bird by River Raft
Thursday, May 15
3:00pm - 6:00pm | $65

Steller's Jay Felt Craft Workshop ^
Thursday, May 15
5:00pm - 6:00pm |$15

Friday, May 16, 2025

Self-Led Bird Walk at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery ^ +
All day | Free

Spotlight Artist's Gallery ^ +
Friday, May 16
9:00am - 6:00pm

The Nature Conservancy's Moses Coulee
Friday May 16
5:30am - 2:30pm | $95

Habitat Hike *
Friday May 16
5:30am - 4:00pm | $75, includes sack lunch

Early Morning in Olalla Canyon
Friday, May 16
6:00am - 11:00am | $30

Birding Boot Camp *
Friday, May 16
6:00am-2:00pm | Free, registration required

Upper Canyon 2 Bird Extravaganza
Friday, May 16
6:30am - 11:00am | $50

Birding Key Habitats near Leavenworth
Friday, May 16
6:30am - 1:00pm | $65

Birding by Pontoon Boat ^
Friday, May 16
7:00am-9:00am | $60

Beebe Springs
Friday, May 16
7:00am-11:00am | $40

Burch Mountain Bird Adventure (FRI)
Friday, May 16
7:00am - 12:00pm | $45

*NEW* Mountain Home
Friday, May 16
7:00am - 12:30pm | $45

Entiat Potato Creek and Stormy Preserve
Friday, May 16
7:00am-1:00pm | $60

Nason Ridge Community Forest Bird Hike *
Friday, May 16
7:00am-2:00pm | $50
**Lunch included

Junior Birders at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery ^ +
9:00am-10:00am | FREE

Magníficas Migraciones caminata bilingüe | Magnificent Migrations bilingual walk ^ +
9:30am-11:00am | GRATIS, FREE

Bird by River Raft
Friday, May 16
12:00pm - 3:00pm | $65

Multi-media Field Journaling ^
Friday, May 16
12:30pm - 3:00pm | $25

Owl Pellet Dissection ^
Friday, May 16
1:00pm - 2:00pm | $10

Bird Fest Happy Hour +
Friday, May 16
3:00pm - 6:00pm | Free, no registration required

Wingspan Board Game at Happy Hour ^ +
3:00pm-6:00pm | Free, no registration required

Trivia at Happy Hour ^ +
4:30-6:00pm | Free, no registration required

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Self-Led Bird Walk at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery ^ +
All day | Free

Spotlight Artist's Gallery ^ +
Saturday May 17
9:00am - 5:00pm

Birding Horse Lake (SAT) *
Saturday, May 17
6:30am-11:30am | $55

Big Sit ^
Saturday, May 17
7:00am - 9:00am | $10

Kayaks and Birds
Saturday, May 17
7:00am - 9:30am | $55

Birding by Large Canoe
Saturday, May 17
7:00am-10:00am | $50

Birding Cashmere Canyons Preserve (SAT)
Saturday, May 17
7:00am-11:00am | $45

Feathered Friends of Icicle Creek ^ +
Saturday, May 17
7:30am - 9:30am | Free

Morning Birding by River Raft
Saturday, May 17
8:00am - 11:00am | $65

Diving into Douglas Creek Canyon
Saturday, May 17
8:00am - 2:00pm | Free, registration required

Sleeping Lady and Team Naturaleza Bird Walk
Saturday, May 17
8:30am-11:30am | Free, registration required

Magnificent Migrations ^ +
9:30am-11:00am | FREE

Bird Fest Community Fair ^ +
Saturday, May 17
10:00am - 3:00pm
Wenatchee River Institute

This year, we are bringing back one of our favorite Bird Fest traditions with a new twist! Introducing the Bird Fest Community Fair. Like Family Day, the Community Fair is an opportunity for families, youth, and adults to gather and take part in a variety of activities focusing on birds, wildlife, and their environments.

What's new in 2025? We extended the festivities by an hour so more people can stop by after a day of birding. We also hope to have more artists and vendors than ever before! Join us for The Bird Fest Community Fair on Saturday, May 17th. Attendees can expect a plethora of learning (and fun) activities throughout the whole afternoon. From art and nature activities, to guided nature walks, and even live music from local musicians, Family Day has something for everybody.

Contact Info
 Mason Powers
[email protected]
509-548-0181 ext. 7

Wildflower Walk on Ski Hill
Saturday, May 17
11:45am - 3:00pm | $30

Steller's Jay Felt Craft Workshop ^
Saturday, May 17
12:00pm - 1:00pm | $15

Landscaping for Birds and Wildlife ^
Saturday, May 17
12:30pm - 1:45pm | $10

Geology Tour
Saturday, May 17
12:30pm - 3:30pm | $30

Spotlight Artist's Reception with Heather Murphy ^ +
Saturday, May 17
1:00pm - 5:00pm | Free, no registration required

Composition in Bird Photography ^
Saturday, May 17
2:00pm-3:00pm | $10

Beginner Bird Photography in the Field ^
Saturday, May 17
3:00pm - 5:00pm | $20

Birders' BBQ
5:00pm-6:30pm | $25
*RSVP by May 9th*

Keynote Address with David Lukas
Under the Surface with Bird Bones and Skeletons
Saturday, May 17
7:00pm - 8:30pm | $20 for in-person, $10 for virtual

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Self-Led Bird Walk at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery ^ +
All day | Free

Spotlight Artist's Gallery ^ +
Sunday, May 18
9:00am - 1:00pm

Birding in the Coulee
Sunday, May 18
6:00am - 4:00pm | $95

Birding Horse Lake *
Sunday, May 18
6:30am - 11:30am | $55

Kayaks and Birds
Sunday, May 18
7:00am - 9:30am | $55

Birding Cashmere Canyons Preserve (SUN)
Sunday, May 18
7:00am-11:00am | $45

Sand Creek Birds and Butterflies
Sunday, May 18
7:00am - 12:00pm | $50

*NEW* E-Bike Lake Wenatchee State Park to Tall Timbers *
Sunday, May 18
7:00am - 1:30pm | $75

Birds of Farms, Fields, and Woods
Sunday, May 18
8:00am-11:00am | $45

Journaling for Young Naturalists ^ +
9:00am - 11:00am | Free

Paint-In with Bird Fest Spotlight Artist Heather Murphy
Sunday, May 18
9:00am - 12:00pm | $10

Bird by River Raft
Sunday, May 18
10:00am - 1:00pm | $65

Bilingual Nature Walk at Camp CamRec
Sunday, May 18
4:00pm - 6:00pm | FREE, no registration required

Date: May 15 to 18,2025

Venue:
Wenatchee River Institute
347 Division Street
Leavenworth, WA 98826

Register Now

^ Denotes a trip that is more physically accessible than others. These trips and events have lower physical activity requirements, and might be suitable for those with mobility issues or people who want less-strenuous activities. Please read the trip description for more details and reach out to us via phone or email if you'd like to know more about accessibility of any of our trips
*Denotes a trip that is more physically difficult than others. This could be due to the walking mileage, elevation gain, trip length, or a combination of factors. Please read the description and reach out if you need any clarification. Difficulty references physical activity of the trip - birders of all birding skill levels are welcome on any Bird Fest trip. 
+ Denotes a trip that does not require registration and is free. Participants can join day of!

For more info https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/bird-fest/.