Please send articles, photos and announcements for the February 2025 Shorelines to Sharon. If you are running late, let me know when to expect your article and what it’s about.

Sound Waters University is Saturday, February 1, at Coupeville High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register now: $70 Ticket: Includes General admission to all sessions + selection of one elective class Limited Space. Ticket sales close on January 22nd for the Event and Field Trips Add-ons. ‘

Learn more about the 31st Anniversary of Sound Waters University and about the work of Sound Waters Stewards, here.

Please note the location change to the Bayview Cash Store. Any member is welcome to attend the monthly Whidbey Audubon Society Board meetings. Only board members may vote. The meetings are usually the fourth Thursday of each month, except November, July and August. The Board Members have the right to call special meetings.

To attend or to put an item on the agenda contact Secretary Janet Jernigan.

A day of inspiration as Sound Waters University celebrates The Power of Place—Voices for the Salish Sea. Engage in current Salish Sea research and approaches to deepen your sense of place and opportunities for engagement. Attend to learn, engage, and be inspired as a voice of action to ensure the Salish Sea ecosystems are sustained and flourish. Learn more here.

The soaring Osprey logo represents the majesty and splendor of this region. The all-attendee Voices sessions and an elective class option focus on:

• Salish Sea geography, its interconnected food web, and current challenges and issues,

• The braiding of Indigenous knowledge and mainstream science and,

• The Salish Sea marine environment and its stewardship.

$70 Ticket: Includes General admission to all sessions + selection of one elective class Limited Space. Ticket sales close on January 22nd for the Event and Field Trips Add-ons. Register here.

Visit Whidbey Audubon Society’s display.

Birding Deception Pass: a Whidbey Audubon and Deception Pass State Park partnership. Walks are designed as a great opportunity for birders of all levels. Practice bird identification skills, explore unique bird habitats and learn from other birders. It is recommended you bring your own binoculars and/or scopes, though there will be a few on hand to borrow. A Discover Pass or day permit is required for each vehicle. Whether arriving from the north or south on SR20, you will come to a stoplight at the bottom of a hill. Turn west into the main park entrance. Drive past the welcome station and follow along the winding road until you reach a stop sign, then turn left. Take this road all the way down to the end, which will lead you to the West Beach parking lot. Restrooms are available at this location. Look for a large sign, “Bird Walk.”

Deception Pass State Park bird watching with State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist Akiko Nakagawa and Whidbey Audubon partner Sarah Schmidt.

For more information contact Akiko or call 360-499-6320. The Deception Pass State Park Events Calendar is here.

Birding in Neighborhoods North Whidbey (BINN) outings are on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. We meet in the parking area of the month’s destination. To be added to (or removed from) the monthly outing reminders contact Denise Marion, dpmorder@gmail.com or Nancy Luenn nluenn@gmail.com

Birds are exquisitely designed creatures of the air, but have you ever thought about how the underlying structure of a bird’s bones and skeletons help birds move and fly? Flight is not just a matter of flapping your wings harder, it actually requires many special adaptations and compromises that impact all aspects of a bird’s life.

In this presentation we will learn about some of the fascinating adaptations we can observe when we look at a bird’s skull, beak, eyes, wings, legs, and feet. Many of these features are hidden by feathers, yet they uniquely shape every aspect of what we see when we watch birds. Expect to come away with a new understanding and appreciation for the hidden mechanics of how birds eat, sleep, and move, along with an understanding of how feathers interact with a bird’s skeletal structure.

David Lukas is a well-known naturalist and author based in the Methow Valley. He has written seven books and contributed chapters to another forty books on a tremendous range of nature topics. He has also led thousands of natural history tours, classes, workshops, and presentations.

Join us for this virtual program on Zoom by registering below. You will receive the zoom link when you sign up. The program is free and open to the public.

Typically there are large concentrations of waterfowl and raptors. The area is considered one of the top winter raptor viewing sites in the U.S. Some walking will be involved; be prepared for some mud. Bring a lunch for this all-day field trip. A Discover Pass or day permit will be needed for each car. Due to narrow road shoulders and limited parking, carpools are particularly important. Meet at the Coupeville Library parking lot at 8:30 a.m. or at Windjammer Park (turn right at Beeksma) in Oak Harbor at about 9 a.m. We’ll plan to start back about 3 p.m. to arrive before dark.

Trip leader is Jay Adams, call 207-441-7357 for questions or if you need to cancel. The trip is limited to 10 participants. It is FULL as of 12/17. To be put on the waiting list, please register below. Snow or ice cancels this trip.

Any member is welcome to attend the monthly Whidbey Audubon Society Board meetings. Only board members may vote. The meetings are usually the fourth Thursday of each month, except November, July and August. The Board Members have the right to call special meetings.

To attend or to put an item on the agenda contact Secretary Janet Jernigan.

The location of the meeting is yet to be determined.

Birding Deception Pass: a Whidbey Audubon and Deception Pass State Park partnership. Walks are designed as a great opportunity for birders of all levels. Practice bird identification skills, explore unique bird habitats and learn from other birders. It is recommended you bring your own binoculars and/or scopes, though there will be a few on hand to borrow. A Discover Pass or day permit is required for each vehicle. Whether arriving from the north or south on SR20, you will come to a stoplight at the bottom of a hill. Turn west into the main park entrance. Drive past the welcome station and follow along the winding road until you reach a stop sign, then turn left. Take this road all the way down to the end, which will lead you to the West Beach parking lot. Restrooms are available at this location. Look for a large sign, “Bird Walk.”

Deception Pass State Park bird watching with State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist Akiko Nakagawa and Whidbey Audubon partner Dave Parent.

For more information contact Akiko or call 360-499-6320. The Deception Pass State Park Events Calendar is here.

Birding Deception Pass: a Whidbey Audubon and Deception Pass State Park partnership. Walks are designed as a great opportunity for birders of all levels. Practice bird identification skills, explore unique bird habitats and learn from other birders. It is recommended you bring your own binoculars and/or scopes, though there will be a few on hand to borrow. A Discover Pass or day permit is required for each vehicle. Drive past the Deception Pass State Park entrance sign to the right and enter the boat ramp parking lot. Restrooms are available at this location. Look for a large sign, “Bird Walk.”

Deception Pass State Park bird watching with State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist Akiko Nakagawa and Whidbey Audubon partner Jim DeForrest.

For more information contact Akiko or call 360-499-6320. The Deception Pass State Park Events Calendar is here.

Birding in Neighborhoods North Whidbey (BINN) outings are on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. We meet in the parking area of the month’s destination. To be added to (or removed from) the monthly outing reminders contact Denise Marion, dpmorder@gmail.com or Nancy Luenn nluenn@gmail.com

Birding Deception Pass: a Whidbey Audubon and Deception Pass State Park partnership. Walks are designed as a great opportunity for birders of all levels. Practice bird identification skills, explore unique bird habitats and learn from other birders. It is recommended you bring your own binoculars and/or scopes, though there will be a few on hand to borrow. A Discover Pass or day permit is required for each vehicle. Navigate to Rosario Beach Rd. Please note this address does not take you all the way to the parking lot. Follow to the end of the road until you reach the metal gates to enter the Rosario parking lot. Restrooms are available at this location.  Look for a large sign, “Bird Walk.”

Deception Pass State Park bird watching with State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist Akiko Nakagawa and Whidbey Audubon partner Patty Cheek.

For more information contact Akiko or call 360-499-6320. The Deception Pass State Park Events Calendar is here.