$45/person, 12 students max
Instructors: Pam Borso, Paul Woodcock, and Lyle Anderson

REI Community Room, 400 36th St. Bellingham, WA

Sign up for class by emailing our Executive Director Steve Walker. Payment will be taken on arrival at the first day of class.

The North Cascades Audubon Society and the Community Boating Center co-present a class on seabird identification, including the most commonly seen diving birds that use the Salish Sea for wintering, feeding and nesting. Species included in the talk are Loons, Grebes, Cormorants, Scoters, Alcids, some gulls, and others. The course fee includes a Sibley’s laminated guide: Seabirds of the Pacific Coast. Instructors will show slides of birds in breeding and non-breeding plumage and discuss feeding, nesting and wintering habits around the Salish Sea. Course content will include discussion of best practices for recreational boaters who may approach birds or habitat, and tips for buying binoculars. At the end of class, students may continue to learn on North Cascade field trips or participate in citizen science seabird counts lead by expert birders. Keep an eye on the North Cascade Audubon website for field trip listings.

About the instructors: Paul Woodcock, Pam Borso and Lyle Anderson are birding enthusiasts who have taught this course as an integral part of the Marine Bird surveys, which are conducted at Cherry Point and Sandy Point. The North Cascades Audubon Society has represented the interests and importance of wildlife, habitat and the environment in Whatcom County since 1970. Through scientific research, environmental education, stewardship and advocacy, NCAS provides a variety of services and opportunities for members and the public to engage with the natural world.