*Editor's Note: The Birdiest Festival in America's $2 Community Day has been postponed until a later date this Summer. Instead, Saturday, April 29, will be a regular day. Admission cost: $9 - adults; $7 - senior citizens, college students, active military; $5 - kids ages 3-12
There’s a lot of excitement over at the South Texas Botanical Gardens this weekend as they host their annual Birdiest Festival in America.
Denise Housler, the coordinator of the festival, told us one day this week, they saw a total of 173 species. Over the 6 years of them having the festival, they have seen over 300 species.
She said folks from over the county fly to Corpus Christi to celebrate this amazing festival.
Brooke Ross came from San Antonio for the festival. Ross said she fell in love with observing birds in college with her friends.
“It’s a little bit of an adrenaline rush. It’s just so exciting, and being out in nature and seeing all of these birds is surreal sometimes,” Ross, who is a birder, said.
She said this is her first time signing up for the festival and said she’s had a lot of success observing birds this week.
“I mean, Tuesday I was looking at my list, and just Tuesday I had 101 species including, I believe, 14 new life species for me,” Ross said.
Housler said the reason we have so many different species of birds is because Corpus Christi is in the middle of a flyway.
“So as the birds are migrating, this is the perfect stop they get to replenish, rest, get some food, water. And get ready to go on their migration up north,” Housler said.
“Yesterday, I had at least 1000 photos,” Ross said as she cycles through her camera.
As a birder, Ross said this festival is great because you can be outside observing birds in their natural habitats.
“We have the Coastal Bend where they can go to see the shore birds, they can go into the brush area to see the different birds, there’s so much that they get to see,” Housler said.
“It’s fun to share that time with a friend. I always say I love birding, and the only thing better than birding is birding with a friend,” Ross said.
Though online registration is closed, it's not too late to sign up for Corpus Christi's 6th annual festival, in-person from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, in the vendor tent.
Saturday, April 29, is $2 admission day, and the festival will be open to the public.
A family fun day, an artisan market, a trade show, a petting zoo, and a raptor project will be featured at the festival. Hear keynote speaker Tiffany Kersten's moving story about healing and survival.
The Birdiest Festival in America runs from Wednesday, April 26, through Sunday, April 30. To learn more about the festival, click here.
