Olympic BirdFest

The North Olympic Peninsula, a strip of coastlines and forests between million-acre Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de ****, is widely known as a great place for bird watching.

The April dates of Olympic BirdFest are timed to overlap wintering birds such as Harlequin and Long tailed ducks, songbirds, and seabirds with spring migration. Rufous hummingbirds arrive in this area from Mexico with the blooming of wild red-flowering currants in early April.

Field trips are planned for Sequim Bay, Port Angeles Harbor, Dungeness Bay, Ediz Hook, Dungeness Spit and the Elwha River, as well as trips through wooded areas and fields to view songbirds.

Two cruises around Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge are available on Sunday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In addition to the field trips, birders may participate in presentations, workshops and a banquet with a speaker and raffle.

Sequim is the ancestral home of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (a partner of the non-profit Dungeness River Nature Center). Their Tribal headquarters are at the head of Sequim Bay at Blyn. A tour explaining traditional Northwest Coast totemic art (totem poles, masks, and signage) at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Center and their Seven Cedars Resort properties will also be offered.

Schedule of Events:

7:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Gardiner Beach & Diamond Point

Trip Leader: John Gatchet

Diamond Point, once called Clallam Point because it was once the site of a S’Klallam stronghold, sits at the junction of Discovery Bay and the Strait of Juan de ****. The Point is just 2.5 miles south of Protection Island, a National Wildlife Refuge with one of the largest seabird nesting sites in Washington State. The currents here are especially swift during tide changes. And because the boat ramp and point are also adjacent to protected forest uplands, it’s a great place to see waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds with a minimal amount of walking. In the late 1800s, Diamond Point was a medical quarantine station where ships entering Puget Sound were required to stop for fumigation and passengers required to disembark for a health check, and if they failed, were held here. Several original buildings remain.

Location: Meet at Gardiner Boat Ramp, Sequim, WA 98382.

Price: $30.00

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Protection Island Cruise - Trip 1 & 2

Trip Leader: Barb Blackie

This 3-hour boat trip aboard the M/V GLACIER SPIRIT will cruise around Protection Island, a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge. Marine birds and mammals will be the targets of this trip, and we should see Rhinoceros Auklets, Long-tailed Ducks, Common Murres, loons, cormorants, gulls, harbor seals, and possibly porpoises, elephant seals, and sea lions. The GLACIER SPIRIT is an enclosed, comfortable boat (although the best wildlife viewing is done out in the weather), and snacks and beverages are available for a small price. This trip is limited to 65 persons and will probably sell out rapidly, so get your reservations early.

Note: Do not bring scopes or tripods.

Launch from: Near the north boat ramp at John Wayne Marina, 2577 W Sequim Bay Rd, Sequim, WA 98382.

Price: $95.00

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue Meet and Greet

Meet the ambassador birds from Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue (DBWBR).

DBWBR is a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center located in Port Townsend, WA. Rescued birds are found throughout the Olympic Peninsula and are brought to the Center where they are treated for illnesses and injuries and eventually released back to their natural habitat. In this presentation you will hear all about what it’s like at a rescue hospital and meet some of their non-releasable raptors and learn their individual stories. Photographs are allowed and questions encouraged! Donations to DBWBR are appreciated. You can visit their website here: http://www.discoverybaywildbirdrescue.com/index.html

Location: Dungeness River Nature Center – Rainshadow Hall, 1943 W Hendrickson Rd, Sequim, WA 98382.

Price: $25

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: “Stuffed”: A film on the art of taxidermy

A sassy younger generation is taking taxidermy to a new level. Stuffed, an independent-film favorite, explores the genre in a whole new light, while highlighting artistic creations and the change in museum interpretation of birds and wildlife. After the film, 25-year-old taxidermist Elizabeth Barrett, who repaired the River Center cougar’s snarl, will talk about some of the unusual challenges that have appeared in her Port Angeles shop, and her parents, siblings, and schoolmates’ reaction to her preoccupations.

Location: Dungeness River Nature Center – Rainshadow Hall, 1943 W Hendrickson Rd, Sequim, WA 98382.

Price: $20.00