June 10 – Pratt Loop Trail: Walking and seated birders appreciated the calm sunny day. Sitting quietly in a single spot allowed birders to observe birds well and for a long time. The seated birders were delighted when a Common Raven perched on the back of the trail sign, poked its head over the top and comically evaluated the birders. Eventually there were four ravens capering on the lawn.

Read 0n to learn what was seen on June 10 and also the July and August BIN-North trips.

Seven of us spent July 30 to August 2 camping and hiking at Sunrise, Mount Rainier National Park. We car-camped at White River Campground and took excursions up the hill to Sunrise.

Three of us arrived on Thursday to secure first-come first-serve campsites. I spent the afternoon walking on the Glacier Basin Trail which begins in the campground.

On Friday, I planned to do a scouting trip to climb Mount Fremont but due to logistics, I went up solo but with many other hikers. I stopped at a pullout on the road up and observed a black bear feeding in a meadow. I heard Ptarmigan at the top but could not locate them. Spectacular views of The Mountain from the Mount Fremont lookout. I saw a Swainson’s Hawk and Prairie Falcon on this hike.

On Saturday, three of us met at the Sunrise parking lot at 7 a.m.

On Sunday, June 7, 2026, 25 of us met on the deck of the Blitz captained by Todd Sawin. A cloudy sky, occasional gusts and a few sprinkles had us wondering about things to come but the double rainbow gave us hope for a great trip. This day was scheduled perfectly during a 24-hour window of worthy weather with a clearing sky and lack of significant wind. We bounced over the swells at the bar between the jetties and the seas eventually relaxed to a 4-foot multidirectional swell with no sheep on the pond (white caps). Read more…

Our bird trip started the evening of May 19. Most of us had arrived earlier by several days. Roger Melendez Peria had dinner with us and then gave a talk about the trip showing us the regions of Costa Rica, weather we could expect, and then had each of us talk a little about ourselves. We bonded like a bevy of quail and felt like family members from then on.

Iris missouriensis at Admiralty Inlet Preserve. Photo Credit: Jim Zimay

May 13: BINN visited Admiralty Inlet Preserve on a cool gray day. We planned a hybrid excursion to accommodate birders who are having trouble walking. Halfway around the meadow, two birders set up their folding chairs while the others continued on the trail toward an ancient windswept Douglas Fir. 
The highlight for the seated birders was listening to Orange-crowned Warblers warbling.

Cinnamon Teal photo by Mary Jo Adams

At the always satisfying Deer Lagoon back at the end of April we identified nearly 50 species, including Ospreys and Caspian Terns who have arrived, and the most glorious Cinnamon Teals hanging with about eight other types of ducks all mingling together!  A Savannah Sparrow posed for a long time for good looks.  Everyone is sporting their very best breeding plumage, and busy! 

Great time of the year to see the park! A nice mild spring day with broken clouds provided soft light for our walk. The six of us met up with State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist Lyla Biddle.

Birding in Neighborhoods North (BIN North) outings are on the second Wednesday of the month. We meet at 9 am in the parking area of the trip’s location. To be added to — or removed from — the monthly outing reminders, email Nancy Luenn

Early Spring is still loaded with duck sightings at Deer Lagoon (everything but Wigeons!) - Ring-necks, Buffleheads, scaup, goldeneyes, Mallards, Pintails, and geese, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers, and everyone is stunning in their new seasonal plumage.

Birding in Neighborhoods South (BIN South) meets every other Thursday morning. Contact Cathi Bower.

Seven people came to the Freeland County Park Small Sit on a damp Saturday, April 11, to enjoy a variety of fauna including both birds and sea mammals! Two children in attendance looked at the wildlife and played on the playground.

The rain subsided just after the beginning of the Sit and conveniently stayed away until just before the Sit ended, giving us humid conditions but good lighting for viewing out on the water.

Lyla Biddle, Deception Pass State Park AmeriCorps Interpretive Naturalist writes this trip description:

On April 4th, 23 field trip attendees enjoyed a stunning spring day at Rosario Beach. The morning began with trip leader Madrone Ruggiero providing some hands-on learning in the form of several sleepy moths, a valuable food source for a variety of bird species found in the park.

Back at the end of February out at Deer Lagoon, that Redhead was still out there hanging with the scaup and some Ring-necked Ducks and all the other many species to be expected — Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, wigeons, Mallards, Green-winged Teals, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Coots, a Common Goldeneye and Canada Geese.
Cathi describes what was seen during March though the first day of Spring at Deer Lagoon and the Greenbank Farm.