The holidays are a time for resting a bit from gardening tasks and especially a time for friends and family. Since gardening and birds often go together, if you’re lucky, you may see a snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) passing through this region. It’s … read more

“Happiness is a new spotting scope,” especially if you are a birdwatcher — or birder. When it comes to Christmas gifts for those interested in birds, optical gear is perfect for both beginning and experienced birders. Let your pocketbook be your guide. Excellent … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

Birds have almost as many strategies as people do for getting together. Avian mating styles have been a topic of recent research and ornithologists now recognize how subtle and diverse bird partnerships really are. Monogamy: The most typical type of partnership is monogamy, … read more