The Annual Choke Canyon Birding Festival at Three Rivers will be held this Saturday, Feb. 6, starting at 7 a.m., at the gymnasium in the Calliham Unit. A highlight of the day will be a visit to the South Shore Unit birding trail and below the dam which has been closed to the public for some time

There will be several new guides this year including Paul Jaure, park interpreter, Larry Miller, Park Ranger, Katherine Miller, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Natural Resource Specialist from the World Bird Center in Brownsville and Jennifer Owen, Regional Interpretive Specialist, Rockport. Miles Phillips, Texas A&M professor in the agrilife extension department will be back to be a guide and lecturer.

Jaure graduated from Texas A&M with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agriculture Education. Miller is also a Texas A&M graduate with a degree in Parks and Recreation. Owen was promoted to the Regional Interpretive Specialist for South Texas State Parks in March of 2009. She has both bachelor’s and master’s degree from Texas Tech. Miller is a native of Arizona and holds both bachelors and master’s degrees.

Birders will be greeted by hot cinnamon rolls and coffee before they go on their first tours. At noon there will be a sandwich buffet. Sylvia Garcia-Smith, award winning wildlife photographer will give a power point presentation at 5 p.m., on the “Birds of the Coastal Bend which will be followed by a barbecue.

Cost of the festival is $35 per person which includes park admissions, transportation within the park, guides, lectures and all meals.