THE 2020 OTHELLO CRANE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN CANCELLED. The thousands of Sandhill Cranes that congregate in Othello in the early spring are heart-stirring, yet there is much more at this annual, well-organized festival to see, do, and learn. The festival helps you explore the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and Potholes Reservoir region, very different ecosystems ... Read more
Cranberry Lake Tree Farm is 440+ acres of working multi-age forest surrounding a pristine 200+ acre lake. This is a working tree farm and has a new boardwalk, shelter, and toilet facilities. These hundreds of acres of wood and water are home to eagles, loons, bears, trumpeter swans, osprey, heron, beavers, cougars, and more! Expect ... Read more
Meet Sam Merrill for early spring migrants at Black Lake Meadows in SW Olympia. Meet in the small parking lot just before the railroad tracks going south on RW Johnson Blvd. SW between 21st Ave. and Mottman Rd. Breakfast afterward at a location to be determined. Want to get a head start on your weekend? ... Read more
Come meet Jen McKeirnan who recently completed a Washington Bird Year. The following is from Jen's website. "My name is Jen McKeirnan. I am a birder and amateur photographer. In 2014/2015, I took the Seattle Audubon Society’s Master Birder class taught by Dennis Paulson. We studied 346 bird species within the state of Washington. ... Read more
This festival provides participants the opportunity to view a wide variety of birds normally seen on the Olympic Peninsula. Field trips are planned for Sequim Bay, Port Angeles Harbor, Ediz Hook, Dungeness Spit, the Elwha River, Salt Creek and at Neah Bay, as well as trips through wooded areas to view songbirds and locate owls ... Read more
Sure, this field trip requires you to get up early, but bear in mind that spring early mornings can be magical. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance to Priest Point Park bright and early to hear birdsongs at their freshest. Learn the songs of common natives as well as listen for migrants who have come ... Read more
Check the 14th annual Pacific City Birding and Blues Festival website at www.birdingandblues.org to see schedule updates, or e-mail birdingandblues@gmail.com. Oregon's Tillamook Coast has much to offer, not least free cheese and ice cream samples at the Tillamook Cheese Factory!
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 is 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
This beautiful property was conserved by Capitol Land Trust in 2016 and is comprised of 312 acres, protecting hundreds of acres of healthy forest, 70 acres of diverse wetland habitat, Lake Lucinda, and two miles of streams. Expect to spend at least a couple of hours at the preserve. As always, dress for the weather; ... Read more
Sure, this field trip requires you to get up early, but bear in mind that spring early mornings can be magical. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance to Priest Point Park bright and early to hear birdsongs at their freshest. Learn the songs of common natives as well as listen for migrants who have come ... Read more
Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip! Tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the open mudflats in ... Read more
Protection Island is an amazing National Wildlife Refuge located just outside Port Townsend. Nearly 70 percent of the nesting seabird population of Puget Sound and the Straits nest on the island. This includes one of the largest colonies of Rhinoceros Auklets in the USA. Although the refuge is closed to the public, visitors can view ... Read more
Sure, this field trip requires you to get up early, but bear in mind that spring early mornings can be magical. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance to Priest Point Park bright and early to hear birdsongs at their freshest. Learn the songs of common natives as well as listen for migrants who have come ... Read more
Meet at McLane Nature Trail on May 5th, the first Saturday of May, at 7:30 a.m. Discover Pass required. Breakfast at Blue Heron Bakery after birding. Want to get a head start on your weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month, except July and August. Bird with us, then enjoy ... Read more
This property is adjacent to a dynamic stretch of the Nisqually River and is part of Nisqually Land Trust's Powell Creek Complex, a 460-acre block, which includes mature forest as well as riparian area. The site is home to abundant wildlife, including cougar, elk, and diverse waterfowl. With leaders Sam Merrill, Kevin Head, and Bonnie ... Read more
Come join us for an evening of enjoyment with Roger Bessey as he shares his photos of birds at Elkhorn Slough. Roger is a retired high school horticulture teacher who lives here in Olympia. More to come as we get closer to the event.
Come bird with the Kittitas Environmental Education Network, or KEEN, for three days during the second weekend of May and discover the natural beauty of Central Washington. Kittitas County features diverse and spectacular habitats ranging from snow-capped mountains, thousands of acres of public forest, lush riparian corridors and endangered shrub-steppe open space. The Yakima River ... Read more
The intention of this free all-day event is to encourage and inspire people to welcome wildlife, including birds and butterflies, into their backyards, gardens, and communities. There will be educational exhibits, arts and crafts vendors, and native plant sales. Don't leave the kids at home! There will be plenty to keep the entire family entertained. ... 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
Our annual joint field trip with Capitol Land Trust will return this year to 133-acre Twin Rivers Ranch, located at the northern terminus of Oakland Bay, five miles north of Shelton in Mason County. Twin Rivers Ranch is unlike any other place in the southern Puget Sound ecosystem. Salmon-bearing Deer and Cranberry Creeks flow through ... Read more
