Olympic Birdfest

The North Olympic Peninsula, a strip of coastlines and forests between million-acre Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, is widely known as a great place for birdwatching. The April dates of Olympic BirdFest are timed to overlap wintering birds, such as Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks, songbirds, and seabirds with spring migration. Rufous Hummingbirds arrive in this area from Mexico with the blooming of wild red-flowering currants in early April.

Field trips are planned for Sequim Bay, Port Angeles Harbor, Dungeness Bay, Ediz Hook, Dungeness Spit, and the Elwha River, as well as trips through wooded areas and fields to view songbirds.

Two cruises around Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge are available on Sunday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In addition to field trips, birders may participate in presentations, workshops, and a banquet with a speaker and raffle. 

Sequim is the ancestral home of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (a partner of the non-profit Dungeness River Nature Center). Their Tribal headquarters are at the head of Sequim Bay at Blyn. A tour explaining traditional Northwest Coast totemic art (totem poles, masks, and signage) at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Center and their Seven Cedars Resort properties will also be offered. See https://library.jamestowntribe.org/home for more information about the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, including Zoom presentations on numerous topics.

The Olympic BirdFest is a partnership of the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, Dungeness River Nature Center and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Proceeds from this festival help support the educational programs of the Dungeness River Nature Center.