Upcoming Events
Pair of pigeon guillemots © Andrew Reding
Designed for beginning birders to learn how to get started and grow as a birder.
No fee, but please note that registration is required: contact Barry McKenzie at barrymckenzie52@icloud.com
Dates: Jan 7 and Jan 9, 2025; 7-9pm at the Port Townsend Community Center (620 Tyler St, Port Townsend); Field Trip on Saturday, Jan 11 (8-11am), Location to be announced.
Meet at the Fort Flagler Beachcomber Cafe at 9:00 AM.(https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Fort%20Flagler%20Overview%20Map%204-4-24%20Approved%20Web.pdf). You will need a Discover Pass to enter the park. To celebrate the new year we will walk the Flagler campground beach in search of wintering shorebirds, hoping to find the Rock Sandpiper. We will travel by car to Marrowstone Point, hike a short forest trail listening for birds, followed by viewing ducks in the nearby lagoon. Along the way we will search for wintering plovers and dunlin feeding in the grass. If time permits we will drive to the Nordland store for coffee and a view of the Greater Yellowlegs. The trip will last about 2 hours. Expect to walk about 2 miles. Bring binoculars, water, warm clothing, and a scope if you have one. It is winter so be prepared for rain. Trip Leader Jackie Canterbury: RSVP text 307-763-1953.
Join us for a Kah Tai workparty sponsored by Rainshadow Bird Alliance. Meet us at the KTLNP picnic shelter. Two volunteers will accompany Ron Sikes in his white truck and place 30 plants inside cages that Ron has marked throughout the park in preparation for the WCC crew work. The rest of us will be picking up trash and pulling invasives. There is an abandoned camp between the Park & Ride and the main trail. We will bring a wheelbarrow. The best place to access it is the trail behind StoryWalk podium #2, then turn left. I will set up a table in the picnic shelter with refreshments and sign in forms. We will also have Scots broom pullers, garbage grippers and bags available. For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
Welcome in the start of the New Year with a winter walk at Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park to check for seasonal waterfowl with trip leader Miranda Maxwell and co-leader Betty Renkor. Meet at the main/central parking area near the caretaker and restroom facility. Expected species may include Wigeons, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Gadwalls, Mergansers, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teals, Mallards, Ruddy Ducks and Scaups. We also may see geese and the possible swan flyover/stopover. Too, we’ll be sure to keep an eye and ear open for wintering songbirds along our path and in the adjacent trees stands. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, and dress warmly/appropriately for January weather. Steady/heavy rain (snow) or winds cancel. Please help keep our birding community healthy and look to join us on a future bird walk if you have COVID or COVID-like symptoms/illness or have had similar exposure. Group size limited to 10. Questions and sign-up: betty.renkor@gmail.com. We look forward to birding together in this first month of the New Year!
Meet at 8:30 AM at North Beach County Park. From there we’ll scope for seabirds (bring a scope if you have one). Then we’ll walk to Chinese Garden and through the neighborhood a bit, finishing by 10:30 AM. Beginners welcome. Hellacious weather will cancel. No RVSP necessary. Questions to Steve Hampton at stevechampton@gmail.com.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park workparty sponsored by our chapter will meet at the location where the bench used to be near Chase Bank (bench was starting to fall apart so the City removed it and will replace it with a new bench). We will be picking up trash and pulling invasives. Please join us! For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
The abundance of naturally-eroding “feeder” bluffs in our region attracts Pigeon Guillemots as it provides them with appropriate nesting locations - dark, protected cavities. Guillemot populations may serve as benchmarks for measuring environmental stressors when monitored in space and time.
Under the 20-year-old Salish Sea Guillemot Network, monitoring Pigeon Guillemots in East Jefferson County began in 2021. Hundreds of volunteers monitored several Salish Sea regions with more than 1600 guillemots.
Please join us when Dr. Brenda Johnson, Regional Coordinator of the East Jefferson Pigeon Guillemot Surveys, presents results from the network, with the hope that this monitoring increases public awareness of coastal bluff processes to foster stewardship.
The public is welcome. Port Townsend Community Center at Tyler & Lawrence, Uptown.
Welcome in the start of the winter season with a walk to check for seasonal waterfowl with trip leader Miranda Maxwell and co-leader Betty Renkor. Meet at the main/central parking area near the caretaker and restroom facility at Kah Tai Lagoon Park. Expected species may include wigeons, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Gadwalls, mergansers, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teals, Mallards, Ruddy Ducks and scaups. We also may see geese and the possible swan flyover/stopover. Too, we’ll be sure to keep an eye and ear open for wintering songbirds along our path and in the adjacent trees stands. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, and dress warmly/appropriately for December weather. Steady/heavy rain (snow) or winds cancel. Please help keep our birding community healthy and look to join us on a future bird walk if you have COVID or COVID-like symptoms/illness or have had similar exposure. Group size limited to 12. Questions and sign-up: betty.renkor@gmail.com
We look forward to birding together on this first of winter day!
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
Please join us for the Port Townsend Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Saturday, December 14.
We are looking for experienced birders and beginners. If interested, please come to our regular meeting on Wednesday, December 4, at 7 pm, at the Port Townsend Community Center. We will focus on the count, the birds we expect, and what we are learning from the data. (Did you know that, in 2004, there were no hummingbirds on our count? Now we tally over a hundred.) If you can’t make that, but are interested in participating in the count, contact the count compiler, Steve Hampton, at stevechampton@gmail.com.
The count will be followed by the Compilation Potluck at the Rosewind Common House at 5:30pm. Even if you didn’t participate in the count, you are welcome to join us for tall tales and a preliminary tally of the numbers.
At Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park, planting some low mahonia and evergreen huckleberry as well as pulling invasives and picking up trash. Please join us! For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
At Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park, planting some low mahonia and evergreen huckleberry as well as pulling invasives and picking up trash. Please join us! For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
November birding is often good on our local trails, particularly at Fort Flagler (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Fort%20Flagler%20Overview%20Map%204-4-24%20Approved%20Web.pdf). Meet at the first parking lot on the left as you enter Fort Flagler State Park at 9:00 AM. You will need a Discover Pass to park. We will walk the East Searchlight Trail and the Lagoon Trail. These trails pass through coniferous forests and alder where we will learn birding by ear, which is Jackie’s specialty. We will then walk Wansboro Road to the beach and look for seabirds, followed by the nearby grasslands for shorebirds. Expect to walk about 3 miles and 2.5 hours total. Bring binoculars and be prepared for weather. Trip Leader Jackie Canterbury: RSVP Text 307-763-1953.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. Group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather - no bright clothing, please.
Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park is for the Birds (and other wildlife): How a Controversy Became a Legacy
Admiralty Audubon adopted Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park in 2002 as the city’s first Adopt A Park. Through conservation efforts and the planting of over 3000 native trees and understory, what started as dredge spoil and a much reduced lagoon now boasts nearly 200 bird species on eBird. Rick Jahnke’s presentation will trace the contentious and sometimes confrontational development of this park into the Port Townsend centerpiece it has become and the chapter’s role in this transformation.
Work party at Duck Heaven on the NE corner of Kah Tai. Please park along 19th/Blaine near the Recovery Cafe. We will be repairing wire cages and clearing out grass and weeds around the young trees our chapter has planted there over the last eight years.
For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
Fall birding is often good on our local trails, particularly at Fort Flagler (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Fort%20Flagler%20Overview%20Map%204-4-24%20Approved%20Web.pdf).
Meet at the 1st parking lot on the left as you enter Fort Flagler State Park at 9:00 AM. You will need a Discover Pass to park. We will walk the East Searchlight Trail and the Lagoon Trail. These trails pass through forest where we will learn birding by ear, which is Jackie’s specialty. We will then walk Wansboro road to the beach and look for seabirds, followed by the nearby grasslands for shorebirds. Expect to walk about 2.5 miles and 2 hours total. Bring binoculars, and be prepared for weather. Trip Leader Jackie Canterbury: RSVP Text 307-763-1953.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. Group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather - no bright clothing, please.
We will have a workparty at Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park pulling invasives and picking up trash. Since we figured out that all those little hawthorns in the park are not invasive hawthorns but rather native Douglas hawthorns that have been kept from growing due to deer grazing on them, we will be making cages for those volunteer hawthorns. Meet at the bench closest to Chase Bank and park in the Chase Bank parking lot on the corner of Kearney and Hwy 20.
For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
We’re planning another Big Sit Hangout, open house style, meaning you can join or leave at any time. We did this in May atop Fort Worden and ended up with over 50 species, including some rarities.This time we’ll be at the tip of Point Wilson, beyond the lighthouse, on the last bit of land between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.
We’ll hope for four alcids: Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, and Marbled Murrelet, plus some returning loons, grebes, shorebirds, and - with luck - jaegers! No RSVP necessary. Just stop by the point any time you want! If you have a scope, bring it. Trip Leaders are Steve Hampton and Ali Kasperzak. Contact Steve at stevechampton@gmail.com for any questions.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. Group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather - no bright clothing, please.
Southbound shorebird migration spans late June thru October, though July and August are by far the peak. Winging south from as far away as the North Slope of Alaska, thousands of these little travelers rest and feed on the mudflats around Dungeness Bay. We’ll hit Three Crabs and Dungeness Landing, two of the hottest hotspots in the state (with 254 and 218 species respectively). Bring a scope if you have one, and be prepared for sun and wind. Meet at the Haines Place Park and Ride (across the street from Safeway) at 9 AM. We’ll carpool from there. Max of four cars. RSVP to Steve Hampton, stevechampton@gmail.com
Salish Coast Elementary’s Discovery Road entrance native plant garden. We will be weeding the beds of thistles and other invasives. Bring weeding tools and buckets if you have some. We will also be clearing out weeds in the wire cages protecting our plantings. Park on Grant Street or on Discovery by the school.
For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com.
Meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. Group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather - no bright clothing, please.
Work party at Duck Heaven on the NE corner of Kah Tai. Please park along 19th/Blaine near the Recovery Cafe. We will be repairing wire cages and clearing out grass and weeds around the young trees our chapter has planted there over the last eight years.
For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at (360)-385-0307 or ptrose53@gmail.com
Check out the birds at the Kah Tai Lagoon and adjacent woodland. Maybe there will be some southbound shorebirds. Meet in KTLNP’s parking lot across the street from Henery Hardware. Leader Ron Sikes. RSVP not necessary. For directions or other questions, email b1rdbrush@gmail.com
Meet at 8:30 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
We will be removing invasives (i.e., Scot’s broom, spurge laurel, holly and ivy) and picking up trash. Scot’s Broom pullers, garbage bags and garbage grippers and refreshments will be provided. Park in the Chase Bank parking lot. We will also be making and installing 20 cages for the fall planting. Look for the white pickup next to the bench closest to Chase Bank. For more information email ptrose53@gmail.com or call 360-385-0307.
Meet at 8:30 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
The public is invited to attend our May community program, Uptown at Lawrence & Tyler.
Cindy Daily of Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue will bring her live Ambassador birds. These birds are ones who have either been rehabilitated after suffering injuries sufficient that they cannot be released to the wild but are calm around humans or have been patterned on humans so that they cannot survive in the wild. Some also serve as foster parents to rescued young of their species. This is a wonderful educational program especially for children to see live birds and learn about their behaviors. For more information email ptrose53@gmail.com or call 360-385-0307.
Short Farm is one of the more popular and interesting local birding spots. It was recently purchased from the Short family by the Port of Port Townsend, a public entity. The Port is currently in a public “visioning process” to determine exactly how the 253-acre property should be managed. The website for that process is here: https://portofpt.com/shorts-family-farm/.
While all the planning meetings are open to the public, only a few are specifically designed to take public comment. The next one is set for Wednesday, May 15. Check the link for more information and times.
Invasives removal and trash pickup. We will be removing invasives (i.e., Scot’s broom, spurge laurel, holly and ivy) and picking up trash. Scot’s Broom pullers, garbage bags and garbage grippers and refreshments will be provided. Park in the Chase Bank parking lot and look for the white pickup next to the bench closest to Chase Bank. For more information email ptrose53@gmail.com or call 360-385-0307.
Beginners and newcomers welcome!
A “Big Sit” involves seeing how many birds you can see or hear from a given spot for a given length of time. We’ll run this like an open house and social gathering, meaning you can join or leave at any time. The location will be the magnificent meadow and viewpoint at Alexander’s Bluff (48.137, -122.766) (just west of the Vault Loop Trail) at Fort Worden. We’ll be there from 10 AM to 1 PM. If the weather is nice, this should coincide with vulture and raptor migration, so it will double as a “hawk watch.” Regardless, it should be primetime for spring migration of neotropical migrants (e.g. flycatchers, vireos, warblers, etc.). Bring a lawn chair if you want!
Early birders can meet at Reveille Cafe by 9 AM (we’ll be there by 8:30 for coffee). From there, we’ll walk up behind the buildings to Battery Way East, ending up at Alexander’s Bluff by 10 AM. This south-facing slope is often very good for birds on a spring morning. No RSVP necessary. Just stop by the bluff any time you want, or join us for the walk up! Trip Leaders are Steve Hampton and Ali Kasperzak. Contact Steve at stevechampton@gmail.com for any questions.
Presenters: Katie Haman and Scott Pearson
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/846321439207?aff=oddtdtcreator
Description: The presentation focuses on the ecological and epidemiological aspects of the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among Caspian Terns, Glaucous-winged Gulls (and their hybrids) and Harbor Seals. This outbreak appeared to spread from tern colonies on the lower Columbia River to several locations in the Puget Sound region with the highest mortality rates observed on Rat Island. The outbreak resulted in very high mortality rates for adult and chick terns on Rat Island and appeared to have regional flyway level impacts to tern populations. Interestingly, there was little mortality to adult gulls on Rat Island despite high mortality to gull chicks.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT HAS HAD TO BE CANCELED DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES
Meet at the Milo Curry parking lot near Four Corners, off of Discovery Road. This will be a stumble-free slow walk along the paved Larry Scott Trail deciphering all the myriad bird songs. We should get good views as well. This is such a rich time to bird as the full contingent of resident and migratory birds are busy with their lives and oblivious to birders and their peering binoculars. Limit of 12 people. Contact Monica Fletcher: monicaflet@gmail.com or by phone 360-379-3136.
Meet at 8:30 AM at the parking area straight down the dirt road just beyond the meadows. Discover Pass required for parking.You must contact leader Beverly McNeil to register: bevybirds53@gmail.com. The group size is limited to 5. If the weather is bad we may cancel. Bring binoculars and water, if desired. Distance is 1.5 miles and time of outing is usually 3 to 4 hours. We normally go around the whole lake on Trail B, Anderson Lake State Park (https://parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/anderson_lake_state_park_overview_map_pdf_1.5mb.pdf). Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing for changeable weather. Please avoid wearing bright clothing.
