September 26th from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Scan for marine birds on Admiralty Inlet from the edge of Camp Casey. Look for the scope and benches at the beachside fire pit and come join us for a midday seawatch. Likely species include marine birds such as Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Common Loon (with others possible), Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres, gulls, Red-necked and Horned Grebes, Surf Scoters. Other possibles include Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt's Cormorant, various alcids, and sea lions. There will be one scope to share, if you have a scope or binoculars please bring them.
September 25th from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Captain Coupe Park, 600 NE 9th Street Coupeville
Hang out and bird the incoming tide for early fall arrivals and resident birds. No walking for this field trip, just sit or stand and enjoy the birds. There will be enough beach to interest shore feeding species and a scope available to scan the cove for marine birds feeding in the deeper water. Expected species include: Surf Scoter, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Loon, gulls (Glaucous-winged Hybrids with the possibility of others), along with shoreline species such as Great Blue Heron, American Crow, Belted Kingfisher. Less likely species include Black Oystercatcher, White-winged Scoter, Pigeon Guillemot, and Bald Eagle. Depending on migration timing we could have other marine species such as Bufflehead, both goldeneyes, Red-throated, and Pacific Loons.
This small sit is limited to 15 attendees. Attendees are free to come for as long or short as they want within their hour time slot. Chairs will be available and a small number of loaner binoculars. There is a handicapped accessible restroom at the park and the parking area/viewing area is packed gravel and cobble with a slight slope. Beginning birders and children (with a guardian) are welcome! Service animals only please.
September 25th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Captain Coupe Park, 600 NE 9th Street Coupeville
Hang out and bird the incoming tide for early fall arrivals and resident birds. No walking for this field trip, just sit or stand and enjoy the birds. There will be enough beach to interest shore feeding species and a scope available to scan the cove for marine birds feeding in the deeper water. Expected species include: Surf Scoter, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Loon, gulls (Glaucous-winged Hybrids with the possibility of others), along with shoreline species such as Great Blue Heron, American Crow, Belted Kingfisher. Less likely species include Black Oystercatcher, White-winged Scoter, Pigeon Guillemot, and Bald Eagle. Depending on migration timing we could have other marine species such as Bufflehead, both goldeneyes, Red-throated, and Pacific Loons.
This small sit is limited to 15 attendees. Attendees are free to come for as long or short as they want within their hour time slot. Chairs will be available and a small number of loaner binoculars. There is a handicapped accessible restroom at the park and the parking area/viewing area is packed gravel and cobble with a slight slope. Beginning birders and children (with a guardian) are welcome! Service animals only please.
September 26th from 10 AM to 11 AM
Join Sound Water Stewards on the beach to learn about the local shoreline habitat and how it supports bird populations in the area. With a focus on geology and the intertidal zone, we’ll take a closer look at the unique features of the shoreline and discover how the land, water, and wildlife are all connected. Come explore, learn, and enjoy the beauty of our shoreline!
Limited to 15 participants. Meet at the Sound Water Stewards tent at Wings over Whidbey.
September 26th at 8:00 AM
Come and explore a Whidbey Island wonder and one of the best locations for birding on the island, with 219 different bird species! This is a great trip for experienced and novice birders alike.
Limited to 10 participants. Meet near the public access point at the south end of Deer Lagoon Road. Please carpool if you can and be sure to not to block driveways when parking or use them to turn around.
September 25th at 12:00 PM
Come and explore a Whidbey Island wonder and one of the best locations for birding on the island, with 219 different bird species! This is a great trip for experienced and novice birders alike. We will be taking advantage of incoming tides so we can see an abundance of waterfowl.
Limited to 6 participants. Meet near the public access point at the south end of Deer Lagoon Road. Please carpool if you can and be sure to not to block driveways when parking or use them to turn around.
September 26th from 2 PM to 3 PM
During this walk, starting from the Native Bee Society tent at WoW, we will discuss the bees we see, where they nest, overwinter, and their larvae develop. As well as what stage (larva, prepupal or adult) they spend the winter. We will discuss parasitic (cuckoo) bees and their hosts. We will discuss the difference between bees and flies and the difference between bees and wasps. Depending on the bees we see you might learn how to identify one or two bees to species. There are close to 700 species of bees in Washington State, some have not yet been identified and the Washington Bee Atlas has been finding a few new species each year.
September 26th from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Come enjoy the birds of Whidbey in their habitats surrounding the Wings over Whidbey festivities. We will provide binoculars so that families with children can explore the birds in and around Camp Casey and Crockett Lake.
Registration is per person! Meet at the Whidbey Audubon welcome tent.
September 25th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
West Beach, Deception Pass State Park, is a varied habitat. We will begin with a seawatch out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca for seabirds returning from the arctic. Next we will look out over Cranberry Lake, a freshwater lagoon. After that, we will walk through the forest looking for birds and then admire the 850 year old contorted Douglas Fir.
We will meet at 9 AM at the north end of the West Beach parking lot. The tour will take 1.5 - 2 hours.
This trip will run in any weather. Wear appropriate clothing. Bring binoculars. Spotting scopes if you have them.
September 26th at 8:00 AM
We start by looking for seabirds from the bluff and then proceed to walk through the forest. Possible sightings at the park include Rhinoceros Auklets, grebes, Cedar Waxwings, woodpeckers and many more species. We then drive to the Keystone Boat Launch to look for cormorants and Harlequin Ducks. Next we drive the length of Crockett's Lake, searching for waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.
This trip is limited to 15 attendees. All vehicles entering the park will need a Discover Pass. Meet near the lighthouse in the park. Be prepared for walking.
September 25th at 1:00 PM
This trip offers the chance to encounter forest birds, seabirds, waterfowl and shorebirds. We'll walk the bluff trail after visiting Pondilla Lake. The park is home to chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and is the most reliable spot on the island for crossbills. Eagles and Black Oystercatchers are often present. There's also a good chance to view seals and sea lions.
The trip is limited to 12 attendees. We'll meet at Libbey Beach Park at the end of Libbey Road and then carpool into the park. All vehicles entering the park will need a Discover Pass. Be prepared for walking.
September 26th, departing 8:45 AM from Keystone Ferry Terminal
Join us for a pelagic trip on the Coupeville - Port Townsend Ferry route! This is a great open water crossing for birds and marine mammals and an underrated destination. We hope to find pelagic birds and winter resident birds that have returned from nesting in the boreal forest and arctic. I make this crossing frequently and am often surprised by what I find. Anything is possible.
Please arrive early (at least by 8:30) to purchase round trip tickets at the kiosk inside the building to the left of the ferry dock. Bring binoculars. Spotting scopes won’t be necessary. This trip will run in any weather. Wear appropriate clothing. We will meet on the upper right forward deck or in the ticketing area. I will be the guy with binoculars!
We will take the 8:45 AM Coupeville Ferry (unless cancelled by tides) and return on the 9:30 AM Port Townsend Ferry. If participants want to spend one and one-half hours in Port Townsend we can take the later ferry back. A Discover Pass will be needed if you park in the boat launch area adjacent to the ferry landing. Parking along the road is free.
September 25th at 9 AM
Come and explore a Whidbey Island wonder and one of the best locations for birding on the island, with 219 different bird species! This is a great trip for experienced and novice birders alike. We will spend some time listening and scanning from 3 primary locations. 1 spotting scope will be available for everyone to use, but participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars.
Limited to 10 participants. Due to the shortage of parking on Deer Lagoon road and out of respect of the neighbors, we may meet at Bayview Park and ride and carpool to the lagoon if all participant spots fill up.
September 25th, 2026 | 5:00 PM Doors | 6:30 PM Presentation
Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge | 63 Jacobs Rd, Coupeville, Washington
In this brand-new presentation, award-winning author and photographer Paul Bannick uses his intimate yet dramatic images, up-to-date science and first hand narratives to explore the lives of woodpeckers and their importance to our habitats in Western Washington and beyond. Bannick’s startling images reflect their shared behaviors as well as some surprising exceptions and adaptations. More than just a backdrop, the varied habitats reveal wildly rich stories of their own.
Paul’s presentation will include material from his new book, Woodpecker: A Year in the Live of North American Woodpeckers, silver award winner of the 2025 INDIES Book of the Year in the Nature category. Woodpecker is a stunning follow-up to Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls; giving bird lovers yet another gorgeous photographic tribute, engaging natural history, and a compelling call to preserve the habitats that sustain these most iconic of birds. He will be available for signing after the presentation.
Paul Bannick’s camera work is so revelatory that Woodpecker is like sight for the blind. Never has this keystone species been portrayed so intimately. His prose explains that the extraordinary hammering that seems like tree vandalism is actually the work of forest doctors, as vital as they are beautiful. A lovely, informative book.
—William Dietrich, author of The Final Forest
No other author/photographer has come close to creating a book like this. Bannick’s photos are breathtaking, his prose elegant, his knowledge of woodpeckers encyclopedic. If you love birds, read it. Then keep it handy because it has a second function as a field guide.
—Ted Williams, former editor of Audubon Magazine and award-winning wildlife writer
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