JOIN US FOR A CELEBRATION OF BIRDS & NATURE. BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND GET READY FOR A WEEKEND FULL OF FUN!

- Presentations from local authors, artists, scientists and naturalists
- Educational exhibits, optics, and bird themed art for sale
- Kids activities: owl pellet dissection, crafts, games and hands-on exploration
- Photo Contest: stop by and vote for your favorites!
 Guided Walks and viewing stations
- Boat cruise
- Native Plant Sale

Schedule:

September 9, 2023

SATURDAY INDOORS

Bird Fest Exhibits Hall
Saturday 10:00 – 3:00pm, FREE
Frances Anderson Center Gym, 700 Main St. in Edmonds
Educational exhibits, optics, and bird themed art for sale.  Kids activities: owl pellet dissection, crafts, games and hands-on exploration.  Photo Contest: stop by and vote for your favorites!

PRESENTATIONS
Saturday 10:30 - 3:15pm, FREE
Edmonds Plaza Room, 650 Main St. in Edmonds

10:30 – 11:30am: Tony Angell: Of Ravens, Crows and How Birds Exploit the Niche of Time
11:45am – 12:45pm: Don Norman and Ingela Wanerstrand: Right Plant: Right Bird
1:00 – 2:00pm: Dr. Peter Hodum: Of Puffins and Petrels
2:15 – 3:15pm: Barbara Ogaard: Turkey Vultures (meet a live turkey vulture!)


SATURDAY FIELD ACTIVITIES
Edmonds Marsh, Willow Creek Guided Walk

Saturday, 7:30 - 9:30am
Registration required ($5). Register here
Join Jack Stephens to bird some short trails at the Willow Creek Fish Hatchery and the Wildlife Habitat & Native Plant Demonstration Garden, and a short walk uphill to a paved path for a good view of the marsh from the south and a couple of ponds. The Edmonds marsh also has level paved walkways and boardwalk. We will drive between the marsh and the hatchery/garden area to avoid walking along Highway 104. Less than two miles. Playback might be used sparingly by walk leader. Bring binoculars.

Scriber Creek Watershed Guided Walk for Beginning Birders

Saturday, 7:30 - 9:30am
Registration required ($10). Register here
The urban forest and wetlands of this 22-acre park provide habitat for a variety of wildlife, including waterfowl, wading birds and songbirds. May include excursions to adjacent small parks. Led by Jeff and Eileen Hambleton, this walk will focus on building essential skills for beginners. Bring binoculars if you have them. (We won’t have any loaners available this year). Easy level trails and boardwalk, may cross urban streets with crosswalks to explore two additional parks, less than two miles. No “pishing” or playback of vocalizations will be used to attract birds.

Richmond Beach Guided Walk for Beginning Birders

Saturday, 7:30 - 9:30am
Registration required ($5). Register here
Join Joe Sweeney for 2-3 leisurely paced miles, including some hills and steps. We will first walk the main paths and steps in this very scenic park. Then, we’ll return to our cars, grab our spotting scopes, and walk the short distance to the beach for some seabird watching overlooking the Puget Sound. The weather is usually cooler on the beach, so wear layers and rain gear, if necessary. Bring binoculars, of Program, and a scope, if you have one. Note: Due to covid, we will not share our scopes with other participants. However, a pair of binoculars is all you need to enjoy the walk. Over by 9:30 a.m. Playback will not be used.

Southwest County Park Guided Walk

Saturday, 8:00 - 10:00am
Registration required ($5). Register here
Join Bruce Bohmke for this walk in an undeveloped, forested county park located within Edmonds. The trails include a wider, relatively level path and some narrower trails that include some short elevation changes which can be muddy if it has rained. Will include crossing the street that bisects the park. “Pishing” or playback may be used by the walk leader. Total walking likely less than 1.5 miles.

Bird-viewing platform
Saturday, 10:00 – 2:00pm
Edmonds Marsh, 180 W Dayton St in Edmonds
No registration required, FREE

September 10, 2023

SUNDAY FIELD ACTIVITIES

Accessible-ish Yost Park Guided Walk
Sunday, 8:00-10:00 AM
Pre-registration required ($5). Register here
Join Bev Bowe for a guided birding walk along the service road and paved path of Yost Park. Much of the service road is paved, and the remainder is usually hard packed.  While not entirely level, the slope is short from the parking lot to the main portion of the service road.  Birding from the service road allows some viewing into the mid canopy and even the top of some trees of the ravine. Yost Park provides habitat for numerous species of resident and migratory birds including Cooper’s Hawks, Pileated Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Pacific Wrens, and a variety of other forest birds. While there are no benches, we plan to be no further than 0.25 miles from the cars. Option to bird a little farther on a gently sloping dirt trail near the end of the service road.

Edmonds Waterfront Guided Walk
Sunday, 8:30 - 10:00am
Registration required ($5). Register here
Join Jack Stephens to explore the Edmonds waterfront. While we won’t have the seabird diversity of the winter months, the Edmonds waterfront can sometimes offer close views of some birds such as Marbled Murrelet or Rhinoceros Auklet. In addition, Edmonds can have hundreds of Heerman’s gulls around the breakwater who arrive after breeding season before they depart for their wintering grounds. Most of the walk will be on paved paths or a fishing pier, there may also be minimal walking on sand.

Lake Tye Guided Walk for Beginning Birders
Sunday, 8:00 - 10:00am
Registration required ($10). Register here
Join Jeff and Eileen Hambleton for an introduction to birdwatching. We will walk west then north on a paved trail between the lakefront and adjacent farm fields. Plan on about 2 hours for a leisurely 1.5 mile walk. Birding will be slow paced leaving time for birding and learning about binocular basics, choice of field guides, and birding apps. No “pishing” or playback of bird vocalizations will be used to attract birds. The trail and restrooms are accessible.

Centennial Trail Guided Walk for “Birding by Ear”
Sunday, 8:00 - 11:00 am (End time is approximate)
Registration required ($10). Register here
Centennial Trail in Snohomish County is built on the old Burlington-Northern railroad line. We’ll look and listen for the birds who live here year-round, such as Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Bewick’s Wren, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadees, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwing. Neither “pishing” nor playing recordings will be used. This leisurely walk, led by Whitney Neufeld-Kaiser and Elaine Chuang, will be from the Getchell Road access point to Lake Cassidy and back, which is 3.5 miles round trip. The trail is 10 feet wide and graveled, with benches along the way and no change in elevation. A porta-potty is available in the parking lot.

Union Bay Natural Area Guided Walk
Sunday, 8:30 - 10:30am
Registration required ($5). Register here
Join Roniq Bartanen to explore the Union Bay Natural Area, nicknamed "The Fill" - Seattle's former garbage dump. 260 bird species have been reported at this urban birding hot spot. We’ll spend time exploring this unique area rich in bird and wildlife. Tips for identifying birds will be included but our main focus will be on a more mindful birding practice which includes observing native habitat, bird song and behavior. Any age and level of birding experience welcome! Dress for weather and wear appropriate shoes. A hat/sunscreen is recommended as much of the area is out in the sun (shade spots will be sought out when available). Trails are mostly flat, packed dirt and gravel and can be seasonally muddy and wet. Please leave dogs at home as they may scare off our feathered friends.

Please note: Restrooms and water fountain are closed on Sundays at this location. There may be a nearby port-a-potty, however, we cannot guarantee that, so please plan accordingly.

How to Capture Unusual and Compelling Bird Photography Images
Sunday, September 10, 7am-1pm
Registration Required ($25). Register here
Do you want bird images that stand out, show compelling bird behaviors or unique perspectives? Would you like to be able to take images of birds that evoke emotion and distinct bird characteristics? If you are looking to take your images a step further to stand out and reflect the interesting things you see when you are watching them, this workshop will give you ideas and skills to do this. We will examine some of the following questions:

How do you overcome the challenges of bird photography?
How do you allow birds to be comfortable enough for you to get unique images?
How do you learn to see differently?
Join Ann Pultz Kramer, award-winning bird and wildlife photographer, for a one day workshop to introduce you to the exploration of capturing the images you see in your mind. We will spend the day at Montlake Fill at Union Bay in Seattle. Ann has been honored for her work in Audubon National Plants for Birds contest, North American Nature Photographers Association annual contest, Share the View national contest and placed Best in Show in her local camera club competitions. She is a supporter of ethical bird photography and practices ethical field practices.

Puget Sound Express Boat Cruise
Sunday, 3:00 - 6:00pm
Registration required ($95) Register here
The Puget Sound Bird Fest – in collaboration with Puget Sound Express – hosts a special birdwatching cruise to get the optimal viewing of sea birds returning to their nests. The three-hour cruise departs from the Edmonds Marina. Volunteer Bird Guides from the Puget Sound Bird Fest will be on board to share their knowledge about the birds and nature of Puget Sound. We will be using our newest high-speed vessel Swiftsure to travel to either Smith Island or Protection Island (depending on weather and recent sightings of birds), before returning to Edmonds. On-board we have inside seating, a snack bar and 3 restrooms available.

Date: September 9 - 10, 2023

Location: Various Venues in Edmonds , WA 98020

Click here for more Information