Make some field notes at Osprey Days
Kai Frueh
Spirits will soar when Lincoln City Osprey Days returns this Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11, with bird walks, family activities, live raptors and a special concert.
Lincoln City is home to more osprey nests per capita than any other city in Oregon, making it an ideal place to learn about the fish-eating raptors that arrive each spring to nest and raise their young before migrating south in the fall.
The celebration begins with bird walks from 9 to 11 am each day. Friday's walk visits a nesting osprey pair at Nesika City Park, while Saturday's outing, led by pianist and expert birder Kai Frueh, explores seabird nesting activity at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
“Yaquina Head is one of my favorite spots on the coast,” he said. “I love birding there because there is such a big mix of species. I do a lot of birding by ear, so people that attend will learn something about how to do that.”
The main festival activities take place at the Lincoln City Community Center. From 2 to 5 pm Friday and 1 to 4 pm Saturday, guests can enjoy osprey-themed crafts, story time, bird activities, presentations, free snacks and opportunities to observe ospreys at nearby Kirtsis Park. Frueh will perform a children's concert Friday afternoon, while the Chintimini Wildlife Center brings live raptors to the community center on Saturday.
“My brother is a violinist and he is going to be in town, too,” Frueh said. “We are going to be doing some interactive pieces that teach kids about birds, and we will show how you can mimic birds with instruments.”
Frueh will also present a free community concert at 7 pm Friday at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. The one-hour performance combines piano music inspired by birds with field recordings that recreate natural soundscapes, exploring how composers have drawn inspiration from birds for more than 300 years.
“We contacted some local birders for some of the recordings and I did some myself,” he said. “The recording of chickadees was actually captured at Cascade Head. The bird recordings add a fun and different element to the concerts.”
The event also highlights the annual Osprey Nest Watch, which this year includes more than 50 volunteers monitoring some 40 nests throughout Lincoln County.
The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. The Lincoln City Community Center is located at 2150 NE Oar Place. For a complete schedule and more information, go to sevencapes.org.