Ron Fricke, Vice President of the Philadelphia Zoo displays a Great Horned owl at Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival. Credit: USFWS/Volunteer Dave Goldberg

Lester, and many other special avian guests from Bailey Foundation Exotic Bird Rescue makes a new friend at Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival. Credit: USFWS/Volunteer Dave Goldberg

"Mandy" A Eurasian Eagle Owl taking off during the "Talons: A Bird of Prey Experience" raptor show at Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival. Credit: USFWS/Volunteer Dave Goldberg

William Link shows daughter an American Alligator from Croc Encounters Reptile Rescue at Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival. Credit: USFWS/Volunteer Dave Goldberg

Richard Walker and George McNeill participate in the Paddle for Preservation Canoe Race and Tour during The Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival. Credit: USFWS/Volunteer Dave Goldberg

Well known for fun and excitement and growing in popularity, the third annual Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival was held on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum.  This exciting outreach event was planned in partnership with the Delaware County Riverfest Ramble and was sponsored by the Friends of the Heinz Refuge.

More than 800 visitors (an attendance record for the refuge) celebrated our nation's wildlife heritage while enjoying free food provided by the Friends group, live music by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program Band, great speakers and dozens of educational exhibits from local conservation agencies and organizations, including live raptors, live parrots, live reptiles, marine animals, solar power demos, canoe races and tours, tram rides, bird and wildflower walks, fishing workshops, woodcarving, historical programs and much more.

  The Cradle of Birding Festival is aimed at increasing public awareness of the refuge and important local wildlife conservation partnerships.  Other parts of the Riverfront Ramble partnership took place all day along the Delaware River throughout neighboring towns of Tinicum, Chester and Marcus Hook including live concerts  by The Del Vikings and The Platters, food and craft vendors, boat tours, hot air balloons, historical reenactments, a 5K run, car shows and fireworks, with free bus service between the Heinz refuge and our partnering local community events.

U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon opened the festival following a VFW flag ceremony and spoke about early history of the refuge and his role on the Migratory Bird Committee. The congressman then honored retired Friends of the Heinz Refuge President Jean Diehl for her more than 30 years of volunteer service.  Also honored by Rep. Weldon was the Foraker family for their generous donation of a historic boat exhibit to the refuge.

The 2006 festival featured renowned keynote speaker, photographer and tour guide Kevin Karlson.  Karlson is author of the new, highly acclaimed book, "The Shorebird Guide," as well as "Birds of the Arctic Tundra."  Karlson was also photographer for Kenn Kaufmann's Focus Guide to Birds of North America and is the owner and manager of Jaeger Tours. His keynote program was presented to a packed auditorium on bird migrations and he also presented a packed shorebird identification workshop earlier that day at the refuge.

The timing of these programs fit hand-in-glove with this year's very successful impoundment drawdown at the Heinz refuge, which attracted a record number of thousands of migratory shorebirds feeding on exposed mudflats, while hundreds of herons and egrets hunted fish trapped in pools.