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📅 Events – A List of Events Happening Around Temiskaming Shores Area

🏪 Local Spotlight – 119 Birds, One Morning

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There is something very different about seeing a hummingbird at a feeder and seeing one resting in someone's hand just a few feet away.

That was part of the experience at this year's Hummingbird Garden Party at the Hilliardton Marsh Research and Education Centre, where visitors had a chance to get an up-close look at the work that goes into studying some of the smallest visitors to our region.

It was also a busy morning.

A total of 119 birds were banded during the event, including five hummingbirds and a Scarlet Tanager, a particularly rare catch for the Hilliardton Marsh team.

The annual Garden Party is one of the Marsh's signature events, giving people a chance to see bird banding firsthand while supporting the research and education work happening there. Hummingbird banding has been part of the Marsh's research program since 2012, and returning banded birds are helping researchers learn more about where these tiny birds return from year to year.

For someone who has never watched bird banding before, one of the most interesting parts of the morning was seeing learning how the birds are actually captured.

At the Garden Party, a feeder was placed inside a small cage. When a hummingbird flew inside to feed, a person watching nearby released a line that closed the cage door. The bird could then be carefully removed and taken to the banding station.

It's a remarkably delicate process when you consider just how small a hummingbird is.

Once at the table, the birds are examined and banded before being released. For visitors, it provides an opportunity to see details that are almost impossible to appreciate when a bird flashes past a backyard feeder. The Marsh has even traditionally given some Garden Party visitors the opportunity to hear a hummingbird's extraordinarily fast heartbeat before it is released.

The morning isn't just about getting close to the birds.

The Hummingbird Garden Party is also an important annual fundraiser for the Hilliardton Marsh, helping support the research, education and conservation work that happens there throughout the year. The Marsh relies heavily on volunteers for its research and education programs.

This year's organizers thanked everyone who came out, along with Spring Bloom Acres and Poshhaven Farms for taking part. They also gave special thanks to the many volunteers who make the event possible.

Previous Garden Parties have drawn large crowds to the Marsh and have served as both a fundraiser and membership drive, while introducing people to bird banding and the wetland itself.

There was also a familiar local connection during the morning.

Audrey Slocombe, who some readers may remember as the "Lazuli Bunting lady," sat down with Bruce Murphy for an interview for his Bird Banter with Boreal Bruce podcast.

The podcast is recorded around the people, birds and experiences connected with Hilliardton Marsh, and previous episodes have taken listeners right into the Hummingbird Garden Party and the bird-banding process.

Audrey's interview gave her a chance to share another part of her own unexpected birding story.

For everyone else who came out Saturday, there were plenty of stories to take home too.

It's one thing to watch a hummingbird hovering at a feeder.

It's quite another to stand only a few feet away, watch the care that goes into studying it and then see that tiny bird take off again.

And on this particular morning, that happened 5 times and 119 times altogether.

Enjoyed learning about the work happening at Hilliardton Marsh?
You can help support future research, education and conservation efforts by making a donation here.

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The Cobalt Silver Nugget Race takes place Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m. at Tina’s Trail in Cobalt, and there’s still time to get your nugget in the race.

Tickets are $10, with a $1,500 jackpot up for grabs. Each ticket represents one silver nugget, with 10 heats leading to a final race to determine the winner based on how far the nugget rolls. Tickets are available at the Cobalt Mining Museum.

The Foire Gourmande returns to Ville-Marie from August 14 to 16, celebrating local food and producers from Témiscamingue, Abitibi, Northeastern Ontario and across Quebec.

The 24th edition features tastings, local food and artisan vendors, chef demonstrations, family activities and free live entertainment. Admission to the festival and shows is free.

Foire Gourmande details and schedule

The Branch 54 Haileybury Legion is inviting everyone who volunteered during its 100th anniversary celebrations to a special appreciation gathering at The Miners Tavern, 75 Lang Street in Cobalt, on Sunday, August 30 at 6 p.m.

The evening is a chance to celebrate the volunteers, teamwork and community effort that helped make the Legion's Centennial celebrations possible. Volunteers are asked to RSVP by commenting on the original Facebook post.

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