Birding Journal Debut

May 10th at the Tracy Aviary

May 19, 2025

The Tracy Aviary hosted the Urban Bird Festival that was in collaboration with the World Migratory Bird Day, since its that time of year for birds to be migrating and it helps to raise awareness for these birds. So the event was filled with activities, bird shows, and amazing vendors with a variety of artwork, there were even tattoo artists!! Honestly I would’ve totally gotten one had I had the money haha.

Let’s rewind so I can tell you all about it!

We all had to be there at 8 so we could get everything set up and ready by the time the Aviary opened at 9, so my mom and I definitely got Starbucks on the way so we could function a little better. When we got there, there were a few vendors there waiting outside the café area, so we had our egg bites that we got along with our coffee, and thankfully they were cooled down to where we could eat them. After we were done, we started getting out all of the things to set up the booth, and headed up to wait with the other vendors. It was only a couple minutes after that that they let all of us in. I headed around the corner to where the Southern Ground Hornbills are so we could have a view of them throughout the day. After I set all my things down, I started to walk around and get pictures of the flowers with the light, airy morning light. The Kookaburra was just to the left of where the booth was. He has a beautiful bench with vinery lattice next to him so people can sit and admire him. There’s also beautiful flowers in bloom by him too!!

Then I walked over to where the Sandhill Cranes, Roseate Spoonbills, and Crowned Crane are just in case I didn’t get to see them during the festival. I love seeing the Sandhill Cranes up close, as I always see them when I’m riding on the trail down by the river, or when I’m on the train passing by the Utah Lake. They’re just so beautiful and calming. The Roseate Spoonbills and the Crowned Crane are always amazing to see too.

When I got back to my booth, the Southern Ground Hornbills started talking and I never realized the sound they made until that moment! The other times I’ve been to the Aviary, they were either quiet, or I was in another part of the Aviary and I didn’t know which bird the calls were coming from.

The Laughing Kookaburra was also talking and laughing up a storm, so he was really fun to listen to, I wasn’t able to get a video of the call however since I was hurrying to set up the rest of my booth.

I got my booth all set up with my prints, stickers, originals, and the new Birding Journals and I couldn’t wait for people to start coming in. I had gotten a sticker stand for this event (and the following ones I go to), and I felt so put together and professional. Its amazing the difference just a stand can make! Before I had that I was either laying the stickers out, or putting them in a bowl for people to dig through. I then took a picture and video of it so I could make a post on my Instagram.

After I got all set up, I made my way over to where they have Andy’s memorial statue so I could see it. I followed Adam Matano’s Instagram page as he posted updates on the process of sculpting this and creating it. So being able to finally see it in person was so cool, and the details on it are insane. He is life-size to how big he actually was.

A few people were trickling in so I went back over to where my booth was, and started greeting and talking to people that were looking at my artwork. After a little bit, it got slow again because everyone was in watching the bird show with one of the Vultures, so I took that opportunity to go over to where the flowers were and get some pictures with the journals. As I walked over there, I noticed that there was a male Mallard Duck on one of the rocks so I made sure to get him in a couple of the pictures.

Then I headed back over to my booth, and just as I was walking back, the Crowned Crane, and the Roseate Spoonbills were on their way over with two of the keepers! I couldn’t believe it, just to be in the same open area as these birds, especially the regality of the Crane was amazing!! I learned that the Crane’s name is Jasmine, and she was all hoppy and flapping her wings. Which hearing the swoosh of her wings and feeling the air being moved by them was so cool!

Then of course I had to get pictures of her by it too, and one of the keepers held it by her too!! On a few of the pictures, I didn’t realize the wide-angle was on but I can crop them a little to make them normal.

… and THIS picture is by far my favorite with Jasmine!! I caught it just as she started to flap her wings again!!

Then after that, a few other keepers came over to look at everyone’s booth and one of them pointed out the Red Breasted Goose on the cover of the Birding Journal! We started talking about them, and then I showed the girls the pictures I just got of Jasmine with the journal. One of the girls said she’d be happy to get pictures of the journal with the geese, and I was ecstatic!! I got one of the journals and walked over to the Dabbling Duck Pond with her, and handed her the journal when she went in. That was so amazing of her, and just an amazing opportunity. I was so excited with how the pictures turned out, and as a thank you, I gave her one of the journals.