Hummingbirds of the Kern River Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada

t-shirts available

Kern County Hummingbird Identification Guide

Hummingbird Facts

Hummingbird Banding Results

Feeding Hummingbirds

KRV Hummingbird Finding Guide

Hummingbird Garden

Maps and Travel Information Page

Accommodations

OTHER FESTIVALS

Spring Nature Festival

Amphibian & Reptile Celebration

Turkey Vulture Festival

Schedule of California Nature Festivals

  The Kern River Valley - "Hummingbird Viewing Capital of California"

8 a.m. Nature Walk through the Headquarters Area of the Kern River Preserve. Learn about the hummingbirds and other animals that can be seen around the preserve.

All Day. USPS Special Hummingbird Celebration Cancellation will be available for purchase at the Post Office booth and after the festival at the Post Office in Weldon. Steve Kenton volunteers his time to provide this great service.

9:00 a.m. Feeding Hummingbirds: A short lesson in hummingbird feeder maintenance and a recipe for hummingbird food with volunteer bird feeding coordinator, Birdie Foster.

9:30 a.m. Bird Walk: Learn about the preserve's birds and other summer residents with a naturalist.

10 a.m. Hummingbird Gardening: Lesson in what plants attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Workshop led by local gardening columnist and friend of the Kern River Preserve, Marya Miller.

10 a.m. to Noon: Musical Entertainment "Out of the Blue & Friends" Enjoy the eclectic acoustical styling's of Pat Seamount & Mike Gallagher, folk, bluegrass and other styles by these roving troubadours.

Noon. No-host Picnic Lunch in the Headquarters Area. Join naturalists by the hummingbird feeders with your picnic lunch to view the hummingbirds.

12:30 p.m. Nature Walk through the Headquarters Area of the Kern River Preserve. Learn about the hummingbirds and other animals that can be seen around the preserve.

1:15 p.m. Feeding Hummingbirds: A short lesson in hummingbird feeder maintenance and a recipe for hummingbird food with Birdie Foster

1:30 p.m. Hummingbird Identification Workshop: Outdoor Presentation on how to tell our local hummingbirds apart.

Friends from Herp-Ecology and Reptile Rescue will be set up all day at the preserve with live local reptiles and amphibians.

Hummingbird numbers increase steadily at the Kern River Preserve hummingbird feeders from June until late-August. Two indicators: 1. consumption of sugar water solution goes up 2. young of the year have fledged and start coming to the feeders. Black-chinned Hummingbird numbers decline throughout August. Allen's and Rufous numbers peak the third week of August.

Six hummingbird species are possible at the Kern River Preserve feeders in July, August, & early September with over one thousand hummingbirds present some days:  Black-chinned (numbers decrease from July through early September), Anna's, Costa's (low numbers), Calliope (rarely), Rufous (peak numbers in late August & early September), and Allen's (virtually impossible to separate from Rufous, even adult males, except during banding sessions). Costa's and Calliope are more numerous at feeders in the desert (Costa's) and montane (Calliope) regions of the Kern River Valley watershed. Allen's pass through in small numbers the latter third of June through the middle of August. The Kern River Valley has less than five records each of Broad-billed and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

Weather: Weather in the Kern River Valley in mid August is usually very hot (sunny, 60–105 degrees F daytime temperature range), but it can be variable. For your comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat, sun screen, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes. There are no food vendors at the preserve so participants should bring lunch and drinks for the day.

Fees/Registration - This event is free although we suggest a $10.00 donation per adult to help defray the cost of feeding all of the birds at the Kern River Preserve.

The Kern River Valley - "Hummingbird Viewing Capital of California"

10th Annual Hummingbird Celebration recap

Ten years ago Bob Barnes thought he would invite a few people over to see the amazing phenomenon of hummingbird migration at the Kern River Preserve. This year 291 people attended our annual celebration.

It was a great day for hummingbirds and humans. The weather was perfect, the hummingbirds performed on schedule and the staff and volunteers of the Kern River Preserve pulled off another great festival. This one day event celebrates the six species of hummingbirds that migrate through the Kern River Valley.

We thank Birdie Foster, Christy and Gordon Hancock, Marya Miller and Darrell Barnes, Sandra Wieser, Jeff King and Reed Tollefson for all their great help! Thanks also to Steve Kenton of the USPS, Bill Moffat of the Tule Elk Reserve, Bob Robinson of the Mountain Desert Resource Conservation Service, and Mimi, Doug and Adam of the Student Conservation Service for some great displays full of interesting information. We also thank all of you for coming to learn about how to care for these flying jewels.

Although the festival is over for this year, the hummingbirds continue at the feeders in great numbers until mid-September. The hummingbirds are easily viewed by young and old right near our picnic tables in KRP's headquarters area. Sit back and relax while observing the birds. Remember to be polite to others visiting for the same purpose. Please do not go inside the hummingbird garden area, remove feeders for any reason and please keep children under control. Thank you.

Hummingbird numbers increase steadily at the Kern River Preserve hummingbird feeders from June until late-August. Two indicators: 1. consumption of sugar water solution goes up 2. young of the year have fledged and start coming to the feeders. Black-chinned Hummingbird numbers decline throughout August. Allen's and Rufous numbers peak the third week of August.

Six hummingbird species are possible at the Kern River Preserve feeders in July, August, & early September with over one thousand hummingbirds present some days:  Black-chinned (numbers decrease from July through early September), Anna's, Costa's (low numbers), Calliope (rarely), Rufous (peak numbers in late August & early September), and Allen's (virtually impossible to separate from Rufous, even adult males, except during banding sessions). Costa's and Calliope are more numerous at feeders in the desert (Costa's) and montane (Calliope) regions of the Kern River Valley watershed. Allen's pass through in small numbers the latter third of June through the middle of August. The Kern River Valley has less than five records each of Broad-billed and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

Weather: Weather in the Kern River Valley in mid August is usually very hot (sunny, 60–105 degrees F daytime temperature range), but it can be variable. For your comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat, sun screen, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes. There are no food vendors at the preserve so participants should bring lunch and drinks for the day.

Fees/Registration - This event is free although we suggest a $10.00 donation per adult to help defray the cost of feeding all of the birds at the Kern River Preserve.
 

Visit the Kern River Preserve in Weldon, California.

Open every day of the year from dawn to dusk.