Are you an aspiring ornithologist, or do you want to show your kids the wonders of spring bird migration in southeast Iowa?

The Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge will be hosting their annual spring bird festival this Saturday for those wanting to observe the variety of songbirds that come to the refuge, and brush up on their birding skills. Refuge biologists and trained volunteers will be banding and releasing a variety of birds, such as orioles, goldfinches, cardinals, and indigo buntings to track migration patterns.

Wildlife Biologist Jessica Bolser encourages residents to check out this once-a-year event, “Well, spring is just a great time to come out here, and a great time to get outside and bring out the whole family to kind of explore our nature trail, get a chance to become more familiar with it and learn about, and actually get to see up-close some of the colorful songbirds that are found on the refuge.”

The festival runs from 7 a.m.-noon Saturday with a guided bird watching walk on the refuge trail at 7:30 a.m. and one aimed for kids at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will take place rain or shine, at the Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Wapello.