Our first tree swallows just swooped in! Four birds (maybe blown north by these rain storms?) feeding over our pastures. March 5. Dyanne

Above comment submitted Mar 5, 2014

Birding In The Neighborhoods - Weekly Field Trips

South Whidbey
The trips are every other Thursday and the meeting time varies with the season. If you would like to be notified of the events, contact Phyllis Kind (email).

North Whidbey
The trips are on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you wish to be notified of the events, contact Jenny Brown (email).

Tuesday March 11: Field Trip
Sarvey Wildlife Care Center
Join Jo Reeves and Ann Casey for a guided tour of Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, WA on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. Established in 1983 Sarvey's goal is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release back to their habitat as many as possible of the birds and wildlife they serve. Sarvey operates the only wildlife ambulance service in Washington State. Education Director Kestrel Skyhawk will be our guide on this one hour tour. The group tour costs $50 and we will split the cost with everyone in our group. On our way to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center we will enjoy some local birding around Everett and those famous Sewage Treatment Ponds.

Plan to meet at the Trinity Lutheran Church Park and Ride in Freeland at 7:45am. Bring a lunch and dress for the weather. We will need to carpool as the parking area at Sarvey is very tight. Please plan on helping out with ferry costs and gas.

Thursday, March 13: Meeting
Coastal and Salish Sea Colonies: Puffins
Dr. Scott Pearson, senior research scientist at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, has been assessing the status and trends of two closely related "puffins", the rhinoceros auklet and tufted puffin, in coastal and Salish Sea colonies. In the Salish Sea, the work has been focused on two breeding colonies, Protection and Smith islands. His presentation will compare and contrast population trends, diet and reproduction of these puffins with implications for the ecological health of the Salish Sea ecosystem and the health of these species and provide a pictorial overview of these unique and important seabird colonies. Unitarian Universalist Church, 20103 State Route 525, Freeland. 100 yards north of Island Recycling. Doors open at 7 pm, meeting at 7:15, program at 7:30. Please bring a mug for coffee. Carpool

Saturday, March 22: Field Trip
Greenbank Farm
We will bird the pond, marsh, fields, gardens, hedgerows and forest edge at beautiful Greenbank Farm. Raptors, great blue herons, ducks and little brown birds are all likely to be there, and early spring migrants are possible. We will walk a loop that includes some hills and possibly muddy trails. Greenbank Farm 9 am. To carpool, meet at 8:45 at the Coupeville Park and Ride lot at Prairie Station (across from Coupeville Elementary School, behind the Dermatology practice bldg); 8:45 at the park and ride lot at Trinity Lutheran in Freeland for those coming from the south. Kim Shepard 360-720-1711

Saturday, March 22 and Saturday, April 5: Special Class
Oiled Birds Response Training
Join the Northwest Straits Foundation, Islands Oil Spill Association and your local Marine Resources Committee for these rare opportunities to become a trained oiled bird rescue volunteer. These trainings will give you hands-on experience handling birds so that you will be comfortable doing so in an emergency situation. Each training is in two parts, spanning two Saturdays. Two trainings will be offered in the Spring of 2014:
Coupeville: March 22, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. & April 5, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Port Angeles: April 26, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. & May 3, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

While this training is offered at no charge, pre-registration is required due to small class sizes. To register, contact Michelle Lim at the Northwest Straits Foundation, lim@nwstraits.org, 360-733-1725.

Thursday, April 10: Meeting
Swans
Martha Jordan will present. Coupeville Recreation Hall (901 NW Alexander St, Coupeville -- map). Doors open at 7 pm, meeting at 7:15, program at 7:30. Please bring a mug for coffee. Carpool

Friday & Saturday, April 18-19: Field Trip
Pelagic Birding From the Coho Ferry
On this day trip we will bird from the deck of the Port Angeles to Victoria ferry, the MV Coho, as it crosses the open water of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Who knows what we might find? The ferry leaves Port Angeles at 8:20am and leaves from Victoria at 4pm. We will leave our cars in Port Angeles and walk on. You will have a full day in Victoria to bird the parks, go to Butchart Gardens, explore museums or have high tea at the Empress. Due to the Coupeville Ferry schedule, you will be required to stay somewhere near Port Angeles on Friday night, April 18. If there is interest, we can arrange birding near Port Angeles on Friday for early arrivals. A valid passport will be required. Contact trip leader, Dave Parent (email) 360-969-3676.

Saturday, April 26: Field Trip
Maxwelton Outdoor Center
Janet Stein, WSU noxious weed specialist for Island County, will join us as we bird along a loop walk through the forest and by Maxwelton Creek to celebrate Earth Week. She will display some of the invasive plants that are crowding out native species on Whidbey, and talk about what we can do to control their spread. If time allows, we may visit Dave Mackie Park to see birds on the beach and offshore, and/or look over the ponds on Ewing Road for ducks and spring migrants. Maxwelton Outdoor Center (east side of Maxwelton Rd in Clinton, just north of its intersection with Sills Rd and French Rd.) 9 am. Carpools meet at 8 am at Coupeville's Prairie Station Park and Ride, 8:30 am at Trinity Lutheran Park and Ride, and 8:40 at Bayview Park and Ride. Kim Shepard 360-720-1711

Thursday, May 8: Meeting
Kingfishers
Steve and Martha Ellis will present. Coupeville Recreation Hall (901 NW Alexander St, Coupeville -- map). Doors open at 7 pm, meeting at 7:15, program at 7:30. Please bring a mug for coffee. Carpool

Saturday, May 10: Field Trip
Earth Sanctuary
Meet at 8:00 am at Bayview Park and Ride lot (SR 525 & Bayview Rd.) to carpool to Earth Sanctuary in Freeland. We will look and listen for arriving spring migrants and our resident birds establishing nesting territories. Earth Sanctuary is a lovely area at any time of year. The trip will include walking for a couple of hours, with some hills, and possibly muddy or uneven ground. Please be prepared to pay a $7.00 entry fee. For more information on Earth Sanctuary, see http://www.earthsanctuary.org/. Trip leaders: Linda Bainbridge, 360-331-5948 (email) and Joy Johnson.

Wednesday, May 21 - Monday, May 26, 2014: Field Trip
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Birding in southeastern Oregon -- one of America's top birding spots. Arrive Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Return Sunday or Monday, depending on your schedule. Overnight options: camping at Page Springs, a BLM camp ground near the refuge, Steens Mountain Resort (Private owned close to Page Springs), Frenchglen Hotel, or use a motel in Burns about 50 miles away. Individuals participating should make their own camping/motel reservations. No reservations are needed for the Page Springs camp ground. Reservations are needed for tent/RV camping at Steens Mountain Resort: phone 1-800-542-3765. Check the Page Springs, Malheur NWR, and Steens Mountain Resort web sites for details. Another housing option you might check is at the Malheur NWF field station. Notify Joe Sheldon if you plan to participate (email) 360-678-9060.

Saturday, June 14: Meeting
Bird in the Hand/Wildlife Exhibit
Matt Klope, Judy Feldman. Sharon Gauthier, Robin Llewellyn. Greenbank Farm. Please check back for details.