Eastside Audubon birding class to teach basics and advanced techniques

Beginners, people new to Puget Sound, and birders with some time behind the binoculars will all find plenty to learn in a four-part field class with Eastside Audubon starting Jan. 22.

January 6, 2012 5:54 pm
Golden-crowned Kinglet at Marymoor Park. This locally common but often hard-to-spot bird is one people will likely learn to find in Brian H. Bell’s class
Golden-crowned Kinglet at Marymoor Park. This locally common but often hard-to-spot bird is one people will likely learn to find in Brian H. Bell’s class

Beginners, people new to Puget Sound, and birders with some time behind the binoculars will all find plenty to learn in a four-part field class with Eastside Audubon starting Jan. 22.

Brian H. Bell, a professional birding and nature guide and co-author of “Birds of Washington State” (Lone Pine), will lead outings on four consecutive Sundays to combine instruction on birding principles with experience in some of the most enjoyable birding destinations in the region.

In the first three morning sessions of the birding class, the group will visit Marymoor Park (Redmond), Union Bay Natural Area (“The Fill,” Seattle), and Discovery Park (Seattle).

The final session will be a full-day field trip on Feb. 12 to a location that Mr. Bell will choose for the best birding possibilities available at the time.

Instruction will cover identification techniques, etiquette and ethics, field guides and other publications, and how to choose binoculars.

“The instruction includes classroom-type material,” Mr. Bell explains. “But the class is basically about being out in the field and seeing the birds. The material in the class applies to everyone, not only beginning birders.”

Fees for the class are $80 for Eastside Audubon members, $90 for non-members. A carpool contribution for the full-day field trip is additional.

For details about each session of the birding class, visit the Eastside Audubon website at: www.eastsideaudubon.org/birding/classes; click “Birds of Puget Sound, with Brian H. Bell.”

Class size is limited to 14, so early registration is encouraged. Registration is open now at Eastside Audubon: office@eastsideaudubon.org or (425) 576-8805.

About Eastside Audubon

Eastside Audubon is the National Audubon Society chapter active in Bellevue, Bothell, Carnation, Duvall, Issaquah, Kirkland, North Bend, Redmond, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Woodinville, and unincorporated East King County.

The mission of Eastside Audubon is to protect, preserve, and enhance natural ecosystems and our communities for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.