During the month of November, one bird is in the minds of many West Sound residents. While the Thanksgiving turkey may be the Bird of the Month, other birds are getting their share of attention. They are the ones that will be counted on Thanksgiving Day. Throughout the West Sound and the Western states, hundreds […]
Joan Carson
A founding member of Kitsap Audubon, the local chapter of the National Audubon Society, Joan Carson is a columnist whose primary subjects are birds, birdwatchers and birding. For more than four decades, her columns have appeared regularly in the Kitsap Sun, Tacoma News Tribune, The Olympian and the Peninsula Daily News. Joan is past president of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association and has traveled throughout North America and the world while enjoying and writing about outdoor subjects. The granddaughter of Kitsap County pioneers, she lives with her husband in Poulsbo in their own Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary that was established with the National Wildlife Federation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1976.
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Special Winter Birds
Many birds that nested in the North use the Pacific Northwest as their “south.” Their arrival at this time of the year is a winter highlight for the birding community. Audubon chapters plan their field trip schedules so members and visitors have a chance to see several of the popular locations. Some areas are considered […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Nature’s Bounty in the Fall — The Table is Set for the Birds
From late summer into early fall, the wild bird population reaches its highest numbers for the year. This year’s young account for the increase. The population boom coincides with nature’s fall abundance. Many birds, including this year’s young, won’t survive the winter. Their survival depends on the natural food supply. During the fall migration, hundreds […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Pigeon Guillemot — the Whistler
There is at least one bird that really whistles. Most of the time, when you hear what sounds like a whistling bird, it is air passing through its feathers when it flies. This “whistler” is a small, black bird seen on Northwest waters all year. The pigeon guillemot’s vocal endeavor has been described as a […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
The Birds of Summer — Swallows of Puget Sound and Western Washington
Poulsbo’s Fourth of July fireworks light up the sky over Liberty Bay on July 3. Thousands of watchers come to town. But not everyone enjoys the noisy and colorful display. Dozens of purple martins occupying their nesting gourds at Oyster Plant Park find themselves surrounded by crowds of excited onlookers. What these birds think of […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, The Outdoors
Watch for Eurasian Collared-Doves Around West Sound
Eurasian collared-doves are setting some kind of a record when it comes to colonizing North America. They aren’t native to this continent but their numbers stretch from coast to coast. This bird is a native of Europe and parts of Asia. After being introduced to this continent in recent years, their numbers exploded. They are […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Spring Surprises — Shorebirds on West Sound’s Beaches
Every spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds moving up the West Coast make coastal birdwatching exciting. Some of these migrants will spill onto shorelines throughout the West Sound region. The headline-making numbers flood coastal beaches and estuaries, but there will also be interesting birds found throughout the “Inland Sea.” Even a handful of shorebirds can […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Dueling Hummingbirds
Even before March arrived hummingbird enthusiasts were keeping an eye out for the first returning Rufous hummingbird. March is the month when these tiny bits of feather and bone return to the Pacific Northwest. They have spent the winter in the Southwest United States and Mexico. Rufous hummingbirds are the most adventurous members of this […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Landscaping for Birds in Your Garden
The gardening magazines and catalogs that arrive in January are reminders that spring in the Northwest isn’t far off. Thinking about spring gardening chores is the perfect time to consider the birds we hope to attract to our yards in the coming months. There are four factors to keep in mind when making a yard […]