With so much going on at the slough this spring, it might be easy to lose track of time and forget to sign up for your favorite event! Don't forget to check our calendar page and sign up for the events you want to join--they fill up fast!

There is one event this year that requires no RSVP, and that is ESNERR's First Annual Native Plant Fair! This event will teach you about the benefits of native plants and how to care for them. Proceeds from all purchases will go toward the greenhouse, where we incubate the native plants used in our restoration work. So tell your family and friends--this is a great chance to meet master gardeners or just have fun with the kids in nature. The Fair will take place Saturday, March 19th.

Ah, spring--when spirits soar and love takes wing. The slough is getting in the mood already--you can see it everywhere you look! Many birds are in the courting stages of reproduction, so be on the look-out to see some romance from:

Our Little Chickadees!
Chestnut-backed chickadees are getting territorial in preparation for their mating season, which usually starts in March. Keep your eye out in the coming weeks for their preferred nesting places, which tend to be built about ten feet off the ground in woodpecker holes or other soft wood, or even some of the nest boxes stationed around the slough. Both male and female chickadees tend to their young while nesting--apparently keeping their chicks in line is a two bird job!

All Rapt Up in Each Other
The white tailed kite is a beautiful raptor that lives in communal roosts of 100 or more birds when not breeding, but right now you may see them building and defending their nests together, or transferring food from male to female midair. And don't forget our other favorite raptor, the red tailed hawk! Their courtship displays are spectacular, and might even look like dog fights as they plummet through the sky claw-in-claw. Both of these species spend their lives together monogamously, and female red tailed hawks will even defend their partners against aggressors outside of mating season. Look for their nests high in the trees--anywhere from 25 to 75 feet up. These lofty locations help them see both potential predators and prey.

Owl Love You Forever
Barn owls have a courtship lasting from February to November, and we are lucky to have a pair nesting right now in the Elkhorn Slough--you can see them in the old Elkhorn barn or through the scope at the overlook. Usually the female lays her eggs just one or two at a time, and as they mature they begin hatching in the order they were laid. The males will forage for food for the female, who will feed her offspring the food she receives. Instead of building nests, these owls create a soft place for their young out of regurgitated pellets and soft feathers that they shed.

With all this romance in the air, the slough is the perfect place to spend with your very own special someone.

If you've been walking the South Marsh Loop you've probably noticed that the trail leading over to Hummingbird Island has been closed for repairs these past few months. We're very happy to say that after a lot of hard work the repairs are complete, and it is once again safe to walk over to Hummingbird Island.

Hummingbird Island is a special place for so many reasons. As you cross the train tracks and make your way up the wooden stairs you begin to feel as though you've found a secret passage. Moving through the dense vegetation you find a breathtaking view of the main slough channel. It is a place of reflection and connection. The island is named after the stories of hummingbirds which are so common in Native American story telling, and this connection to native people is mirrored in the works of art along the trail--a piece resembling a midden has a freshwater reflecting pool, and when the water is clear the reflection looks like an eye gazing back at you. There is also a wire structure that is reminiscent of a Native American granary, reminding us of how the earth feeds our bellies and our spirits.

With a rich history and spectacular views, Hummingbird Island is a place you don't want to miss. Now that the trail is open again, it is the perfect place to enjoy the gorgeous weather at the Reserve!

We still have some space left in our teacher training workshop, which will be held on Saturday, March 5th. If you have an interest in sharing the slough with your class, we have the information you need to lead an informative and exciting field trip for students of any age! Don't forget to sign up on our website. The first twenty five people to sign up for the training will receive a 2011 Elkhorn Slough Foundation calendar as thanks for their commitment to sharing Elkhorn Slough.