A record number of birders flocked to Rangeley the weekend of June 6 to take part in the 8th annual Rangeley Birding Festival.

Eyes were to the skies — and trees — as 104 visitors from New England and beyond participated in excursions in and around town.

The festival ran from Friday, June 5, through Sunday, June 7. Around 100 birders of all experience levels participated in more than 20 guided sessions. The festival was run by Western Maine Audubon with help from the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.

Kristi Dranginis led birding walks on Boy Scout Road as well as an early morning “bird sit.” Instead of the traditional style of birding, where individuals hike and search for birds with binoculars and long lenses, participants found a spot in the woods and quietly sat and listened.

The goal was to hear the different languages that birds use, from alerts to songs.

Outside of the festival, Dranginis teaches identification courses for birds through her company, Bird Mentor. She has taught and hosted birding fests in the past, including one online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the real gifts of the festival is finding your people,” she said. “Your enthusiasm and love can grow when you’re sharing it with people who also share the same level of love and appreciation.”

The festival is still smaller than some of the larger ones across the country, but it’s growing year by year. Organizers keep the groups small, between 10 and 15, so guides can connect more with visitors.

Tim Flight, co-organizer of the festival, said he would like to see a steady growth in numbers.

“Our ability to expand is going to partially come down to the ability to get great guides at the festival, that’s going to be a limiting factor for us a little bit,” Flight said. “I’d like to see us grow, but probably not exponentially.

“Your enthusiasm and love can grow when you’re sharing it with people who also share the same level of love and appreciation.”

Kristi Dranginis, Rangeley Birding Festival guide

Mary Rowe traveled from Cambridge, Massachusetts, with friends to bird in a new setting with a hope to see warblers.

“We saw a snowshoe hare the other day, and that was exciting,” Rowe said. “It’d be great if we could see a moose or anything like that. So, we’re happy to see anything.”

Dranginis said Maine is one of the few states where birders can see warblers while they are nesting. They often have different calls compared to when they are migrating in the more southern states. Her group saw a warbler while on an excursion over the weekend, exciting the group.

“They got really excited because they were able to learn, at least be introduced to some of the newer songs that they never would get to hear,” she said.

By the end of her excursion, Rowe got to see a Canada warbler, and the group also saw a wood turtle that wandered out from the bushes.

She said the busy weekend of festivals “really lets people know what Rangeley has to offer,” and allows people to explore the region a bit deeper.

Flight said experiencing Rangeley as a whole is important to the festival. For many, this is their first time in the region, so exploring the restaurants, museums and shops benefits the local economy, while also giving birders a reason to love the area.

“Let’s get people into the region,” Flight said. “Let’s get people excited about the birds of this region, and you know, the more people know about the birds in the region, or the more people know about anything in the environment in the region, the more they want to protect it.”