BirdFest, a celebration of resident and migrating birds on the North Olympic Peninsula, is set for Thursday-Sunday, April 11-14 at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 West Hendrickson Road.
Advertised in Audubon chapter newsletters across the country, the festival draws serious bird-listers as well as newcomers who seek to explore Sequim’s bays and woodlands with binoculars, event organizers note.
Co-sponsored by the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and River Center, the four-day event features multiple field trips led by expert birders, lectures about specific species (with images and video up on the big screen in Rainshadow Hall), a live raptor show, drawing and photography/optics classes and several films.
BirdFest events
Kicking off BirdFest is “Loon Stories” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 11. Daniel and Virginia Poleschook have studied, banded and photographed Common Loons in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years while working for the Biodiversity Research Institute. Images drawn from more than a million photographs that the couple has archived over the years, will be shown on the River Center’s big screen in Rainshadow Hall.
“The birds are highly intelligent, have remarkable memories and outstanding success navigating migration,” Daniel said.
“The Big Year,” a comedy that spoofs competitive bird-watching and starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin, will be screened free of charge at the Port Angeles Library’s Carver Room from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, April 12. Room capacity is limited so early registration is recommended. Mark Obmascik, author of “The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession,” will speak with the audience via Zoom prior to the screening.
A pair of RAZOR HD 8×42 binoculars and gear, donated by Wild Birds Unlimited and Vortex Optics, valued at more than $1,500, will be raffled off on Saturday, April 13. Tickets are available now in the River Center’s reception desk.
Bird Quest in Sequim
For the entire month of April, play BirdFest-Bird Quest in downtown Sequim. Find birds created by Sequim High School ceramic’s class in Sequim’s downtown shops, mark them on a game card, and when it’s full, drop it off at the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, 1192 E. Washington St.
The BirdFest-Bird Quest grand prize is a gift basket from downtown businesses and a one year membership to both the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and Dungeness River Audubon Center, valued at $55.
Last year, Olympic BirdFest last year drew more than 440 out-of-town visitors coming from as far away as Florida, and 157 local participants.
To see a complete list of events and to register, go to olympicbirdfest.org.
