Registrations for field trips offered by the 15th annual Olympic BirdFest set for Friday through next Sunday continue to pour in, according to Coordinator Vanessa Fuller.

The home base for the festival is the Dungeness River Audubon Center, 2151 W. Hendrickson Road, which is the recipient of proceeds from the guided trips. Registration is available at http://www.olympicbirdfest.org/.

The popular Dawn Chorus and nighttime Olympic Peninsula Owl Prowl are both full, as is a cruise to Protection Island and a trip to the Dry Creek waterfowl breeding sanctuary.

But some of the some two dozen trips remained available as of late last week.

Among them are the “Neah Bay: Birding at the Beginning of the World” trip, which costs $650 per person for double occupancy and $750 single occupancy. The Neah Bay cruise is from Monday, April 16, through Tuesday, April 17. It is limited to 20 people and includes lodging at Hobuck Beach.

Guided by Denny Van Horn, Bob Boekelheide and Stacey Fradkin, the trip will explore birding hot spots in the Makah Indian Nation, which is known for bald eagles and many other birds, and — if the weather permits — go on a six-to-eight-hour offshore boat trip on the M/V Windsong to view pelagic sea birds and marine mammals.

Each day will begin with breakfast at Neah Bay at 7 a.m., with participants meeting at 8 a.m. at Washburn’s Store.

Those who want to join Boekelheide as he begins birding on the way to Neah Bay can join him at 2:30 p.m. next Sunday at Clallam Bay County Park in Clallam Bay.

Registration is separate from other festival events. To register go to https://tinyurl.com/PDN-sanjuanislands.

Two free events are planned

The BirdFest kick off will be from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. Participants can meet field trip leaders and have last-minute questions answered. RSVP is required for estimating the amount of refreshments and can be done while registering for any event.

On Sunday, April 15, Northwest Raptor Center director Jaye Moore and her volunteer staff will present eagles, hawks and owls at 2 p.m. at the Audubon Center’s amphitheater.

Other events have at least a minimal fee attached. For instance, on Friday, April 13, will be BirdFest Trivia Night at the Rainshadow Coffee House at 157 W. Cedar St., Sequim. The cost will be $5 per person at the door.

The centerpiece of the festival will be the BirdFest banquet from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14, in the Jamestown S’Klallam Triber’s Red Cedar Room.

Kokopelli Grill will cater the dinner. The guest speaker will be Claudio Vidal speaking about birds in Patagonia and Chile. A live auction and raffles are planned. Cost is $50.

Other events are field trips

On Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, will be Bays & Coasts of the Olympic Peninsula for $80, Birding Sequim Bay & John Wayne Marina for $25, Birding Three Crabs & Dungneness Bay for $25, Birding Dungeness Spit for $25.

On Friday only will be a bird drawing class with Robert Amara at the Audubon Center for $40 and balloon rides in the overflow parking field near the Audubon Center, for $10-$20.

On Saturday only will be Birding from the Elwha to Dungeness Rivers, for $80, a tour of Jamestown S’Klallam’s totem poles, Birding by Bike for $35 and a photography workshop with Bonnie Block for $45.

Speaking of photographs: The festival is hosting a photo contest for anyone, even those not registered for BirdFest. Photos must be taken between April 10-17. The winner will be announced by April 27 and receive $100 credit for next year’s BirdFest. Second prize will get $50 credit and third prize, $25. For more information see the website.

Already in progress is BirdFest-BirdQuest, which began Monday, April 2.

The game challenges participants to find and match the ceramic bird sculptures created by Jake Reichner’s Sequim High School ceramic’s class to the business where they are hidden. Game cards are available at each of the participating merchants and the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, 1192 E. Washington St.

Cards are to be turned in by 4 p.m. Saturday,April 14, at Forage Gifts & NW Treasures, 121 W. Washington St. The winner will be announced at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at the Audubon Center’s River Stag.

The grand prize includes a tour of the Northwest Raptor and Wildlife Center (www.nwraptorcenter.com) for as many as six people; a gift card to Hi-Way 101 Diner, and a one-year membership to the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (www.olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org).

The Audubon Center is a partner with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society.

For more information, call 360-681-4076 or email info@olympicbirdfest.org.