By Kerry J Newstead
CAYUGA—Ruthven Park National Historic Site held its For the Birds Festival under darkened skies, but the weather did not deter visitors from coming out to learn all about birds.
Bird watching was a highlight of the day on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Visitors could enjoy wandering the grounds to see what birds they might spot themselves, or they could get assistance by joining in on a guided beginner’s bird watching tour.
CAYUGA—Ruthven Park National Historic Site once again welcomed bird enthusiasts back to its Cayuga property to celebrate and learn about our feathered friends in the sky. The annual For the Birds Fesitval saw visitors of all ages get close-up looks at local song birds, raptors, and other animals. Above, Emma Kunert was one of the four people banding birds as part of ongoing efforts to track bird populations. She’s holding a cat bird, so named because its call is like a cat’s meow. See the full story on Page 10. —Haldimand Press photo by Kerry J Newstead. 
Birder Cody Bassindale helped guests learn more about birds during the rooftop viewing experience. 
Charla Thorton, 9, from Cayuga pets a fuzzy chicken. 
Brittany Van Dalen, Site Administrator, with a basket of bunnies. 
Local author Sarah Uren was one of the exhibitors at the show.
Birders could also spot a variety of species from atop the Ruthven Mansion by travelling through a set of staircases inside to head up to the rooftop for a birds eye view of the ground and nearby trees. Guests were greeted by birder Cody Bassindale on the roof, where he noted the various birds that are native to the area and provided a plethora of information about them.
Back on the ground in one of the outbuildings, guests could also talk to Emma Kunert from Guelph. She was one of four people capturing and banding birds.
Kunert explained that the birds are humanely caught to be identified, measured, weighed, and sexed before being released. This information is catalogued with an ID number and this number is on a tag that is attached to the bird’s leg, so if it is ever captured again its new data may be compared to previous capture logs. The tags are made from aluminum and are not harmful to the bird. The tag number and the information gathered is entered into national and international databases to track bird populations and health.
It wasn’t just feathered friends that received attention at the festival, as Little Track Petting Zoo was on hand giving visitors a chance to hold bunnies, pet chickens, and interact with a variety of other animals.
Meanwhile, there were also a variety of displays and vendors, including local author Sarah Uren.
Ruthven Park gave a shout out to all the people who attended the event, to all the volunteers who helped it run smoothly, and to the event sponsor Minor Brothers of Dunnville.
