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BAZETTA -- With last year's large turnout for a weekend dedicated to showcasing birds, Mosquito Lake State Park once again will hold a three-day Big Birding Weekend.
The event, set for May 17 to 19, will include bird hikes, pontoon excursions, photography programs, live bird exhibits and other events.
Jason Lee, naturalist at the park, said last year there were 1,861 people who attended. Birders, according to Lee, said the event at the lake "was the single biggest event for birding in the state of Ohio."
"That was our first year for this and we had that many people," Lee said. "We have different people coming this year. We have someone bringing a bald eagle to fly over the crowd. There are many birding programs that focus on one group of people. We are looking at beginners, intermediate and advanced birders and giving everyone a chance to grow and learn something."
Taking part this year is the Department of Natural Preserves of Ohio, which will have one event as part of a scenic river tour.
"Our volunteer group has looked at some of the volunteer programs we did last year and received feedback," Lee said. "We are offering a whole series of children's programs at the Trumbull County Agricultural Center."
Kathy McDaniel and Bob Sabulsky of Mecca will have a variety of owls, hawks and other birds. Also, event volunteer Theresa Craiger of Bristol, said she will hold programs on bluebirds.
"I think last year people liked the programs because they were new. During COVID, people got out into nature and watched the birds at their feeders more," she said. "People began looking more at nature and wanting to learn more about the birds they saw."
Steve Craiger of Bristol, an event volunteer, will be leading tours for the prothonotary warbler, which last year attracted many birders.
"People like to explore something new for them," he said. "They like coming to Mosquito Lake. I like sharing information and stories with visitors. This park and lake are a gold mine for this area."
Big Birding Weekend
May 17
• Birders Meet and Greet Social, 5 to 7:30 p.m., beach pavilion
• Opening ceremony: Birder's Year Round Paradise, 6 p.m.
• Barred Owls program, 6:45 p.m.
• Owl prowl, 7:45 to 9 p.m. parking lot by archery range
May 18
• Warbler Walk, 7 to 8:30 a.m., Lakeview Recreation Area Trail
• Birdhouse Building, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., marina parking lot
• Birding Photography, 10 a.m., Trumbull County Agriculture and Education Center
• Prothonotary program 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Lakeview Recreation Area Trail
• Pontoon Boat birding excursions, 8 and 11 a.m. and 3 and 6 p.m.
• Kayaking birding excursions, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Mahan Denman ramp
• Raptor live bird show, 2 and 4 p.m., amphitheater
• Birding hike, 1 p.m., Mosquito Lake horse trail
• Bluebirds program, 1 and 5 p.m, amphitheater
• Eurasian eagle owl and owl pellet dissection, 6:30 p.m., amphitheater
• Birders Movie Night Out, 8:30 p.m., amphitheater
May 19
• Shenango Wildlife area and spring migration birding, 8 and 11 a.m., Milligan Road parking area
• Pontoon boat birding excursions, noon and 3 p.m.
• Birding with Larry, noon and 3 p.m., Turkey Run Trail staging area
• Birding hike, 5 and 7 p.m., Mosquito Lake horse trail