Photo by Irene Grace
Jeffers Bend Environmental Center is excited to bring back a fan-favorite event that highlights the smallest birds in the world that makes their summer homes right here in western Kentucky—the hummingbird.
These birds are world travelers—each year, they make the trek from Southern America back to the southern United States during the summer, where they make their nests and raise their young, before making the trip back south during the fall. David Chiles, resident bird expert at Jeffers Bend, says western Kentucky mainly has Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, and they have to pack on a lot of weight before they go, so now is the time you’ll see them in force at feeders.
On August 25, people can head to Jeffers Bend from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. to learn all things hummingbird, with educational booths, events and activities, and there will be experts on hand banding local birds.
The very tiny bands for very tiny bird legs allow researchers to track those birds over time and monitor how the species as a whole is managing. Organizer Diane Croney-Turner says it’s amazing to watch the banders work and how gentle they are with the birds. She says they’ll have plenty of hummingbird themed food on hand that day for people to enjoy, and the event is free to attend.
Organizer Charles Turner says he originally wasn’t sure if people would enjoy a hummingbird festival, but after the success of the first one, he knows now that people love these little birds.
For more information on this festival, or any of the other numerous events held each year at Jeffers’ Bend, follow them on Facebook or give them a call at 270-885-5600.