Update: March 6, 2026
The 2025/2026 Season is over, but you can still participate by watching the livestreamed events down below! Thanks for another great season! The 2026/2027 Season will start in November. See below for more details.
Coffee with the Birds – Winter 2026/2027 Events
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee and some baked goodies at the Hemlock Crossing Nature Center as you watch and learn about the birds at the feeders with a naturalist. Bring your bird questions, curiosities and stories, and don’t forget your favorite mug! There are 2 sessions of Feeder Watching to choose from (see schedule below) and a Birding Tidbits “bite-sized” presentation on topics ranging from local birding information and bird identification to natural history and stories of birding adventures. These short presentations are sure to be entertaining and informative!
Coffee with the Birds events are also live streamed on the Ottawa County Parks YouTube Channel, thanks to Rick Veldman with Point of Light Media who provides professional live-streaming services.
General CwB Event Schedule:
- 9:30-10:20 am: Feeder Watching Session 1 (In-person & Livestream)
- 10:30-11:00 am: Birding Tidbits Presentation (In-person & Livestream)
- 11:10 am-12:00 pm: Feeder Watching Session 2 (In-Person Only)
*For each in-person session there will be ~35 seats available in the Wildlife Den. Once the room is full, we ask that you use the overflow area in the Great Room. You’ll have a view of feeders at the window and staff will be available to assist.
Upcoming CwB Event Dates & Tidbit Topics
- Tuesday, November 24, 2026 – CwB Photo Contest MUG REVEAL EVENT!
- Saturday, December5, 2026 – Coffee with the Birds – Bird Profile of the species featured on the ’27 Mug
- Saturday, January 9, 2027 – Coffee with the Birds – 2026 Photo Contest Winner’s Stories
- Saturday, February 13, 2027 – Coffee with the Birds – Bird ID Topic
- Saturday, March 13, 2027 – Coffee with the Birds – Birding Story Topic
Click here to register for a program
Click here to view any of the livestreams!
PAST LIVESTREAMED EVENTS
Saturday, March 14, 2025 CwB Event
Click image/link above to watch the video!
Birding Tidbit Presentation:
Join Curtis and his friend Mike on an epic weekend search for the five northern owls at the infamous Sax-Zim Bog near Duluth, Minnesota. The winter of 24/25 produced a decent invasion of northern owls, prompting the trip and a reasonable chance at achieving the goal. What adventures will they have along the way? Will they find them all? Come along for the journey and find out!
Click image/link above to watch the video!
Saturday, February 14, 2025 CwB Event
Click image above to watch the video!
Birding Tidbit Presentation:
The Merlin Bird ID App is the “buzz” of the birding world. It helps you identify birds with descriptions, photos and even by sound! How do you use it? How SHOULD you use it? What do people love it? And why might some be a bit apprehensive about its use. You’ll find out.
Click image above to watch the video!
Other Merlin Bird ID App videos to watch:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Demonstration
- Badgerland Birding: A Beginner’s Guide
- Merlin identifies by sounds
- Does Merlin Make You Worse at Birding?
Saturday, January 10, 2025 CwB Event
Birding Tidbit Presentation: 2025 Photo Contest Winner’s Stories
Click image/link above to watch the video!
Saturday, December 6, 2025 CwB Event
Click image above to watch the video!
Birding Tidbit LIVESTREAM Presentation: Topic Great Blue Heron (in honor of the bird featured in the photo that won the 2025 photo contest and is featured on the mug)
Click image above to watch the video!
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 – CwB Photo Contest MUG REVEAL EVENT!
7:00-9:00 pm – SPECIAL EVENING CwB Event
Watch as we celebrate the 2025 Photo Contest, its winners, and reveal the 2025 Mug Club mug at the Nature Center. This event was livestreamed on the Ottawa County Parks YouTube Channel. Following the reveal, Curtis gives a presentation with stories from his 2025 visits to New Mexico, Utah, Idaho and Washington in pursuit of seeing 50 birds in all 50 states by turning 50 years old (March 2027).
- 7:00pm – SOCIAL TIME! Enjoy some hot coco and cider while socializing with other bird lovers!
- 7:15pm – MUG REVEAL! Then be the first to know the winners of the Mug Club Photo Contest and which photo will be on the new mug!
- 8:00pm – PRESENTATION – Tales from the 50-50-50 Birding Road: NM, UT, ID & WA
2025 Mug Club Photo Contest Video
MORE ABOUT…
Point of Light Media
Rick Veldman with Point of Light Media (formerly Kestrel Imagery) has invested a significant amount of time, energy, and money into developing the current livestream setup. As a passionate supporter of CwB, Rick has generously offered his services at a rate far below market value. THANK YOU!
You can support Rick by finding out more about Point of Light Media here:
ALDEA COFFEE
Aldea Coffee is graciously donating their coffee and brewing services for Coffee with the Birds events! Additionally, they are supplying coffee gift bags for our event door prize drawings! Show your support by visiting their website to learn more.
Aldea Coffee, is a locally-owned, Certified B Corp™ coffee company based here in West Michigan. It began in 2009 as a nonprofit in La Unión, Honduras, where it continues to work to better the lives of the community and coffee producers that live there. Aldea now has two cafés along the lakeshore, in Muskegon & Grand Haven. Aldea sources the majority of its coffee directly from farmers in La Unión and roasts it all at their solar-powered roastery near downtown Muskegon.
2024-2025 Season
November 26, 2024 – 2024 Photo Contest and 2025 Mug Reveal Event!
2024 Mug Club Photo Contest Video
December 7, 2024 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: American Avocet
January 11, 2025 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit – 2024 Photo Contest Winner Stories
February 8, 2025 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Winter Birding in Ottawa County
March 8, 2025 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Hungarian Birding Happenstance (Part of my Birding in Slovakia & Central Europe presentation)
In June of 2024 Curtis made his first trip ’over the pond’ to Europe to visit his brother and experience a whole new world of birds. Come along and share in his adventures as he visits the heart of Europe in Slovakia, the Czechia, Austria and Hungary. From riverside castles, commercial fishponds and a ‘sea of reeds,’ to majestic mountain tops and the remote Hungarian countryside, the images and stories of his adventures will be sure to delight, excite and entertain!
2023-2024 Season
11/21/23 – 2023 Photo Contest Winner & 2024 Mug Reveal Event
2023 Mug Club Photo Contest Video
December 9, 2023 Coffee with the Birds Event
LIVESTREAM was NOT available for the 12/9/23 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit – 2023 Photo Contest Winner Stories
January 20, 2024 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit – Hawks at My Feeder
Do hawks take part in feeding at your bird feeders? While having them at our feeders can feel like a mixed bag, hawks have to eat to survive, just like the rest of the birds. So what hawks typically visit feeders? And how do I level the playing field to protect the other birds? We’ll take a look at these topics and aim to increase your appreciation for these amazing avian predators!
February 17, 2024 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Winter Birding in the U.P.
Join Curtis on a birding adventure to the nether-regions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula…during the bleak and frigid winter season. What’s there to see? And why in winter?! You’ll find out what unique birds there are to find, where to look for them and why it’s so worth it to go!
March 16, 2024 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Cape May Warbler
2022-2023 Season
November 22, 2022 – 2022 Photo Contest Winner & 2023 Mug Reveal Event
2022 Mug Club Photo Contest Video
December 10, 2022 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit – 2022 Mug Club Photo Contest – Winner’s Photo Stories
January 21, 2023 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit : Using the Merlin Bird ID App
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Demonstration
Badgerland Birding: How to use the Merlin Bird ID App (Photo/Call ID): A Beginner’s Guide
Merlin Bird ID app now identifies bird sounds
2/11/23 Coffee with the Birds Livestreamed Event
Birding Tidbit: Birding Alaska with Curtis & Mike – Part 4: Denali Highway & Fairbanks
Now a week into their trip, Curtis & Mike make their way to explore the wild and remote Denali Highway before heading to Fairbanks with a lead on searching for an elusive Alaskan owl. Their efforts pay off in majorly epic ways on this stretch of the trip. Just how so? Watch to join the adventure! For Parts 1-3, visit the Birding Alaska with Curtis & Mike Video Playlist
3/18/23 Coffee with the Birds Livestreamed Event
Birding Tidbit – Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing (click link to skip to this portion of the livestream video)
2021-2022 Season
11/23/21 – 2021 Photo Contest Winner & 2022 Mug Reveal Event
12/11/21 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: The Stories Behind the Winning Photos
2021 Mug Club Photo Contest Video
January 15, 2022 – Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Winter Waterfowl Identification
In this video we’ll take a look at some of the waterfowl species unique to winter in Ottawa County and you’ll get some practical tips on how to identify them and when/where you can go to search for them.
Links to the videos mentioned in this presentation:
The Goldeneye ID Challenge – Can you bag the Barrow’s?!
Virtual Bird Walk – Maplewood Park 3/26/2020
Long-tailed Duck up close diving and preening
Long-tailed Duck synchronized diving flock on Lake Michigan
February 12, 2022 – Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Ptarmigan Again?
Have you ever experienced the rewarding feeling of finding a bird after spending a lot of time & effort to do so? Once this happens, it can sometimes seem like that bird starts popping up everywhere! Other times that bird vanishes again, leaving us to wonder if we’ll ever see it again. Follow birding friends Curtis & Mike on this tale of their experiences over the years looking for a special bird called a Ptarmigan.
March 12, 2022 – Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Red-headed Woodpecker
2020-2021 Season
December 5, 2020 – Coffee with the Birds Event
If you haven’t watched the event yet, it’s not too late! Highlights include (click time links to view) the photo contest & mug reveal (17:18), 3 species of woodpeckers (29:00 – 36:00) & “Cassiar” Junco sighting (37:50 and 41:02)
Birding Tidbit: Local Bird Club Expo Videos
Local Bird Club Expo Videos (click link to skip to this portion of the livestream video)
For more information and informative links pertaining to the topics discussed, link to the Event Discussion Resources Website.
1/9/21 Coffee with the Birds Livestream Event
Due to technical difficulties, the event starts at 6:30 so you may choose to skip ahead to that point.
If you missed out, it’s not too late! Whenever it’s convenient for you, feel free to click to watch & enjoy the birds at the feeders and hear different bird topics discussed! Bird sighting highlights include (click time links to view) Red-bellied Woodpecker (4:08, 40:15), American Goldfinches (16:08), Dark-eyed Junco (19:40), Northern Cardinal (36:00), American Tree Sparrow (42:43). Bird discussion topics included an update on this winter’s finch irruption (19:05, 21:10), Great Horned Owl (28:43) & Bald Eagle (1:11:32) activity, feeding suet to birds (32:59) a rare Smew in Allegan (51:00) and more!
Birding Tidbit: Snowy Owl Identification
Snowy Owl Identification (click link to skip to this portion of the livestream video)
For more information and informative links pertaining to the topics discussed, link to the Event Discussion Resources Website.
February 13, 2021 Coffee with the Birds Event
CwB Questions, Sightings & Stories Submissions
Notable birds seen during this event: Common Redpoll (3:55; 33:20), Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers TOGETHER! (29:48, 32:43), American Robins (34:45), Pileated Woodpecker pair! (1:06:25),
Topics discussed during this event include: Winter Bluebirds & Robins (20:10), Great Backyard Bird Count (40:50), Barrow’s Goldeneye sighting and ID (56:20), Bird Feeder Overview (1:31:45), Spring Birding Programs (1:35:25), Door Prize Drawing (1:38:35)
Birding Tidbit Presentation: Ovenbird, Teacher of the Woods
Join Naturalist Curtis Dykstra on a journey to discover the world of the Ovenbird through the lens of his personal experiences. Discover the human connections this bird has through culture, conservation and even personally through emotions, embedded in a long history of experiences in nature. Along the way you’ll discover what being a “Teacher of the Woods” truly means.
For more information and informative links pertaining to the topics discussed, link to the Event Discussion Resources Website.
March 6, 2021 Coffee with the Birds Event
Birding Tidbit: Bird Profile – Tufted Titmouse
Bird Profile – Tufted Titmouse (click link to skip to this portion of the livestream video)
For more information and informative links pertaining to the topics discussed, link to the Event Discussion Resources Website.
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Ottawa County Birding information Page
For more bird-related information and links to resources visit the Ottawa County Birding Information Page