Field Trips

This walk will be a repeat of the November field trip, with the same purposes in mind.  We will see if anything new and exciting has shown up at Capital Lake and perhaps Budd Bay.   As before, meet by the lawn at Marathon Park.   Dress for the weather and bring a scope if ... Read more

Come help plan field trips for Black Hills Audubon for 2016.  Meet at Bonnie Wood's house, 2800 Aberdeen Court S.E. in Olympia, on Tuesday evening January 12 at 6:00.   There will be libations and finger food to sustain you.  One does not have to be an "expert" birder to lead field trips or offer ... Read more

Climate change movie and discussion featuring Naomi Klein's, "This Changes Everything"  on Sunday, January 31, 2016, at 1 p.m.  in Koval Hall, North Thurston HS, 600 Sleater Kinney Road N.W.,  Lacey, WA 98516.  Doors open at 1 p.m. and movie starts at 1:30 p.m. Black Hills Audubon Society is one of several co-sponsors of this ... Read more

This trip will explore birding sites along the Hood Canal. We'll meet at the Mud Bay Park and Ride off Highway 101 at 7:30 a.m. We’ll proceed north to Shelton where we will take Route 3 to Allyn and then head west along Route 106, stopping along the way to look for diving ducks, loons, ... Read more

This is an overnight trip leaving Olympia Saturday, March 19 and returning Sunday, March 20, with Saturday night in Port Angeles. The focus is on seabirds at several locations on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The trip is especially suitable for beginning and intermediate birders, but is open to birders of all skill levels ... Read more

This outing is co-sponsored by Black Hill Audubon and the South Sound Estuary Association. At once a kayak excursion and a quest for birds who frequent upper Bud Bay, we will start at Boston Harbor Marina and paddle south along the shoreline, past Burfoot Park's Pigeon Guillemots' bluffs, to Gull Harbor (about one hour). Gull ... Read more

In partnership with the State Capital Museum, who hosts late summer's “Movies at the Mansion,” Black Hills Audubon Society will lead a birding walk through the historic Capital Neighborhood. The neighborhood's age, older trees, and proximity to Capital Lake make it a good location to see native birds who live here year-round and who have ... Read more

Organized jointly with Capital Land Trust, this field trip to Twin Rivers Ranch has become an annual tradition. Conserved in 2010, this CLT 125-acre property in Shelton at the head of Oakland Bay, bordered by Cranberry and Deer Creeks, provides open saltwater, wetland, estuarine, riparian, forested, and open field habitat for an incredible variety of ... Read more

As we walk through Priest Point Park we will listen for the delicate songs of the newly arrived migrants and our local breeding birds. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance on the north side of Priest Point Park at 6:00 a.m. We will silently walk through the north part of the park and listen before ... Read more

Pioneer Park on Henderson Road in Tumwater is an under-appreciated birding site gem. Driving past it, one thinks the park consists solely of baseball and soccer fields. Less easily seen are the Deschutes River flowing through the park, the wide wetlands behind the baseball fields, and the mown paths that meander through riparian woods and ... Read more

As we walk through Priest Point Park we will listen for the delicate songs of the newly arrived migrants and our local breeding birds. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance on the north side of Priest Point Park at 6:00 a.m. We will silently walk through the north part of the park and listen before ... Read more

As we walk through Priest Point Park we will listen for the delicate songs of the newly arrived migrants and our local breeding birds. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance on the north side of Priest Point Park at 6:00 a.m. We will silently walk through the north part of the park and listen before ... Read more

Join us for this rare opportunity to enjoy the special flora and fauna of Upper Deschutes Falls and learn more about the greater Deschutes River Watershed. The Upper Falls is a currently-closed Thurston County park that hosts American Dipper in the fast-flowing water below the falls and features rare plants (especially for Thurston County!), such ... Read more

Organized with the assistance of the Tahoma Audubon Society and resident caretaker, this field trip is the first that Black Hills Audubon has taken to the Morse Wildlife Preserve since it opened to limited access. The Morse Wildlife Preserve in Graham, Washington was established by a donation of land from Lloyd and Maxine Morse in ... Read more

We’ll visit a variety of habitats and locations in South County in a quest to find 70+ species. Expect plenty of “action,” as migration will be in full swing and birds in full song. Tireless, hardcore birders who like a faster pace and a “more-the-merrier” approach to one’s day list will have a blast. Special ... Read more

Normally closed, once a year the Glacial Heritage Preserve opens its restored South Sound prairies, streams, and oak woodlands to the public. The timing is grand: camas is in bloom; the hills' slopes are blue. Other rare prairie wildflowers are also in bloom, and prairie birds are busy. The day will start with an early ... Read more

This leisurely walk will focus on identifying birds by sight and by ear, with a special emphasis on bird songs and vocalizations. At this time of year, bird vocalizations are at their most diverse and elaborate. Beginning birders are welcome! Meet bright and early at McLane Creek at 6:30 a.m. Be sure to have a ... Read more

This walk is designed primarily for beginning and intermediate birders. We will explore the approximately 2-mile loop at Woodard Bay, which includes an easy forest trail with boardwalk sections, returning by a pedestrian-only road. We will look and listen for woodland birds such as Swainson's Thrushes, Pacific Wrens, Brown Creepers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, and Pileated Woodpeckers ... Read more