What a treat it is whenever you get to watch a hummingbird. The smallest migrant bird travels through the Mississippi Gulf Coast this time of year, and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center is excited to celebrate their arrival with a weekend-long celebration.
Join the fun, adventure, and love of hummingbirds at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center as they host the Hummingbird Migration and Nature Festival 2023. Expect the weekend of events to include exhibitors, storytelling, and banding. Tickets are available online.
- Thursday, Sept. 14 from 4-8 p.m.: Hummingbird Happy Hour
- Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.: Hummingbird Festival
The Hummingbird Happy Hour will have complimentary wines, beer, and snacks. The social will kick off the celebration and is open to everyone over 21. There will be a 6:30 performance of Gould’s Gorgeous Hummingbirds of the New World. You don’t want to miss the fun.
Friday and Saturday will include bird banding by the Banding Coalition of the Americas and the Audubon Delta team. At noon, author Christian Horn Reese will read from her children’s book, Eddie Egret’s Bayou Storm. Also, expect fascinating tales of birding from Brian “Fox” Ellis and John James Audubon. The storytelling will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. The entire weekend will be a true bird lover’s party.
The most likely hummingbirds to be spotted during the festival are the Rudy-throated hummingbirds, as it is early in the migrating season. Susan May Stachowski of the Pascagoula River Audubon Center describes hummingbirds as “the gateway drug to bird watching.”
“The hummingbirds are here now,” Stachowski shared. “The festival gets bigger every year. It has only grown in popularity, there really is so much going on for those three days. We are happy to share the birds, the center, and our enthusiasm.”
The adventure of nature is everywhere at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, located at 5107 Arthur Street in Most Point. The Hummingbird Festival is one of the largest fundraisers for the center. It is important that you come out and show your support. The center provides the community with a positive environment spotlighting outdoor activity, educational programs, and a chance to experience and explore nature.
Did you know that the hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward? Come spot a few hummingbirds and be part of the Hummingbird Festival 2023.