Hundreds of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are expected to be guests of honor at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center’s Hummingbird Migration Celebration Sept. 11-13. Nature enthusiasts of all ages are invited to view the birds and enjoy the center,  which showcases 2,600 acres of forests, grasslands and native plant gardens, plus the historic Davis House restored to its eighteenth century glory.  The center is located near Holly Springs.

Visitors to this historic old cotton plantation have a chance to see these tiny titans up close as they pause to fuel up for their non-stop 500-mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico. 

Renowned experts Bob and Martha Sargent of the Hummer/Bird Study Group will be banding hummingbirds and giving visitors a close-up view and insight on their behavior. 

Bird banding is a way to unravel the mysteries of migration.  The tiny numbered leg bands enable scientists to determine how far south the birds go for winter, where they stop during their travels, how long they live, and whether they come back to the same sites year after year.  At the 2008 festival over 280 hummingbirds were banded and a bird was recaptured that had been tagged in 2006.

Participants come from around the mid-south and this helps support the center’s education and conservation programs, focusing on the Coldwater River Watershed. 

This year’s festival includes a number of new speakers, including Douglas W. Tallamy, author of “Bringing Nature Home:  How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants” and Miyoko Chu, whose new book, “Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds,” explores the amazing migratory habits of songbirds.

 Popular returning programs will include the live bat encounter with Rob Mies, president of the Organization for Bat Conservation, guided nature walks, wagon rides and tours of the historic Davis House. 

For more information on the tenth annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration events, visit strawberryplains.audubon.org or call 662-252-1155.