E V E N T S

Field Trips

All field trips leave from Festival Headquarters except Friday field trips, which leave from the Grays Harbor NWR Office on Airport Way.

Tokeland, Grayland and Westport Loop - $35
Friday, 9am - 4pm
           Field Trip Leaders: Ruth Sullivan, Tim O'Brien, and Jim Pruske
This field trip will take you to the best shorebird viewing areas along the coast! Target birds are 22 species of shorebirds including Snowy Plover, Willet, and Long-billed Curlew. Good numbers of waterfowl and other water species will be encountered along the way. "Streaked" Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs will also be sought after at Midway Beach Road. There will be some walking at Midway Beach Road; the remainder of the day will involve short visits to key areas in search of shorebirds. Bring a lunch and dress appropriately.

Ocean Shores - $25
Friday, 10am - 4pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Bill Shelmerdine, Phil Kelley, and Kristin Stewart
Saturday, 10am - 4pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Tim O'Brien and Diane Schwickerath
This beautiful coastal resort town hosts some of the best birding spots on the West Coast with more species per location than anywhere else in the State of Washington. The tour will visit a variety of habitats and upwards of 60 species may be found. Highlights on this trip include: Semipalmated Plover, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit and Sanderling. Wandering Tattler, Surfbird, and Rock Sandpiper are possible on the Jetty.

Point Grenville - $30
Saturday, 8am - 2pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Marcus Roening, Faye Hands-McAdams, and Diane Yorgason-Quinn
Point Grenville is a great vantage point from which to observe sea birds over the open ocean. Pelagic Cormorants, Common Murres and Tufted Puffins nest in the scenic seastacks. This may be the southern-most nesting area for the "Sooty" Fox Sparrow. Point Grenville is on Quinault Tribal lands and a Tribal guide will accompany the trip. Uneven, easy to moderate path; wear appropriate footwear.

Lake Quinault and Rain Forest - $25
Saturday, 8am - 2pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Janet Strong and Mary O'Neill
The finest temperate rainforest is at the foot of the Olympic Mountains. The natural history of the old growth forest, especially plant life, will be emphasized on short hikes with views of majestic trees, forest birds, and breeding habitat for owls and murrelets. Birds possibly seen on this trip include: Steller's Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Winter Wren. With luck, we may also find American Dipper, Gray Jay, and Merlin. Trails are easy to moderate walking; wear appropriate footwear.

In Search of Coastal Raptors - $20
Saturday 8:30am - 12 noon
          Field Trip Leaders: Dan Varland and Suzanne Tomlinson
With the wind of migration in our wings, we will walk the Sandpiper Trail at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge searching for birds of prey. We will learn field identification skills, study the habitats and behavior, as well as have fun! Birds of prey in the area include Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, Kestrels, and Northern Harriers.

Westport - $25
Saturday, 10am - 4pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Bruce LaBar, Charlie Wright, Jan McMillan and Ann Haarer
Sunday, 10am - 4pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Phil Kelley, Dianna Moore, and Rachel Lawson
  Another special coast town, Westport is famous for its picturesque marina, fishing, and whale watching trips. Excellent birding places are the Westport (South) Jetty and Half Moon Bay, Johns River Wildlife Area, and Bottle Beach. Scores of species will be found including: Greater Yellowlegs, Red Knot, Sanderling, and Western Gull.

Shorebirds for Beginners - $15
Saturday 10:30am - 2:30pm
          Field Trip Leaders: Scott Morrison and Rachel Lawson
  The bus takes you to the Sandpiper Trail at Grays Harbor NWR where you will walk to the prime shorebird viewing area at the tip of Bowerman Pennisula. As the shorebirds gather on the mudflats, you can learn to distinguish a Western Sandpiper from a Dunlin. Other possible birds include: Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot, and Peregrine Falcon.

 Lectures

Other Events

Keynote Speaker and Dessert Reception - $15
Friday, 7pm - 9m
The evening will start with a dessert reception at 7pm. At 7:30pm, the keynote speaker, Dr. Julia K. Parrish will present her program Listening to Birds: Seabird Ecology and Conservation in the Pacific Northwest. (Read more at the bottom of this page.)

Guided Walks at Grays Harbor NWR - Free
Friday, 10am - 12 noon
Sunday, 12 noon - 2pm
Join a naturalist along the Sandpiper Trail during peak shorebird viewing times. The trail is flat and easy walking, about 2 miles round-trip. Bring binoculars. Meet at the Refuge Kiosk on Airport Way.

Shorebird Festival Run
Saturday, 9am - $15 pre-registration; $18 day of race
This event includes 10K, 5K and 2 mile runs. There is also an over 70 age division for males and females. Awards will be given to overall winners of each race as well as 1st-3rd in each age division. Pre-register (360-532-5700, ext. 240) for a Shorebird Festival T-shirt!

Shorebird Festival Poster Contest Awards Ceremony - Free
Saturday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Grays Harbor County students, grades 1-6, design Shorebird Festival Posters for competition. Winning posters are displayed and awards are given during the Shorebird Festival.

Birder's Bazaar - Free
Saturday, 9am-5pm
Exhibitors and vendors of bird and nature items (such as bird feeding supplies, books, wildlife art, and crafts) will be present to sell their goods and answer your questions.

Click here to see a list of vendors and exhibitors!

Banquet Dinner, Auction - Elks Hall
Saturday, 5pm-9pm; $20 pre-registration, $22 at the door
Doors open at 5pm with a no-host bar followed by dinner at 6pm. A live auction, with great items from local businesses, will follow dinner. Pre-registration is strongly recommended for this event. The Elks Hall is located at 7th and K in downtown Hoquiam. All proceeds benefit the Shorebird Festival and Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.

Community Day at the Festival - Free
Sunday, 9am - 2pm
Hoquiam and other Grays Harbor County residents are invited to join Festival events including the Nature Fun Fair from 9am to 2pm, a lecture on shorebird identification at 10am, and shorebird viewing at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge from 11:30am to 3:30pm with a guided walk at the Refuge beginning at 12 noon.

 

Listening to Birds: Seabird Ecology and Conservation in the Pacific Northwest Dr. Julia K. Parrish, Keynote Speaker Julia K. Parrish is a Professor of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. She also serves as the Director of the Program on the Environment, an undergraduate environmental studies unit, and as the Executive Director of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST). This is a citizen science project linking hundreds of coastal residents to the health of the nearshore marine environment. Professor Parrish's areas of expertise include seabird biology, animal aggregation, and marine conservation issues surrounding fisheries. Her current research is focused on the Common Murre, a ubiquitous fish-eating seabird of the coastal marine environment. Professor Parrish has worked to decipher the forces effecting Murre population health, including changes in forage fish availability, the effect of increasing predator populations, transitions in climate, habitat availability, fishery by-catch and the impact of oil spills. Her research on seabird led her to start COASST, where coastal residents are trained to collect scientific data on the identity and condition of beachcast carcasses, by surveying local beaches in a standardized manner on a monthly basis. Professor Parrish has been honored as a NOAA Environmental Her (1998), has received the Seattle Aquarium Foundation Research and Conservation Award (2008), and been nominated for the National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer of the Year (2006) for her citizen science work.        Common Murre (copywrited Julia Parrish)