SEQUIM — Organizers of the 13th annual Olympic Peninsula BirdFest set for April 15-17 are encouraging participants to sign up for programs now, saying some have already sold out.
Olympic BirdFest is produced through a partnership of the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, Dungeness River Audubon Center and Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
Proceeds support the educational programs of the Dungeness River Audubon Center at 2151 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim.
BirdFest is timed to overlap wintering birds and the beginning of spring migration, organizers say.
Field trips are planned for Sequim Bay, Port Angeles Harbor, Ediz Hook, Dungeness Spit, the Elwha River, Salt Creek and Neah Bay.
Additional trips are planned through wooded areas to view songbirds and locate owls in the evening.
Also scheduled is a tour explaining the Jamestown S’Klallam tribal totem poles at the Tribal Center and 7 Cedars Casino.
The tour, led by master carver Dale Faulstich, will be offered from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. April 15 and 16. It will begin at 7 Cedars Casino, 270756 U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn.
Each tour is limited to 16 participants. Tickets are $25 each.
Banquet
The April 16 banquet, live auction and raffle will feature guest speaker Tony Angell, an author and birding enthusiast, who will talk about owls.
His book, The House of Owls, will be available for purchase.
The banquet will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Jamestown S’Klallam’s Red Cedar Room, 1033 Old Blyn Highway. The price is $30.
Other events still available include:
■ San Juans cruise — April 12-14, leaving from the John Wayne Marina, 2577 W. Sequim Bay Road, aboard the MV Glacier Spirit with naturalist Bob Boekelheide.
Pricing is $850 per person for double occupancy and $925 for single occupancy. Participants can register online at http://tinyurl.com/pdn-sanjuancruise.
■ Birding by land, sea — Two-day tour leaving at 7 a.m. April 18 in Neah Bay and led by Boekelheide and Denny Van Horn.
Participants will see birding hot spots on Makah lands and take a six-hour boat trip to view pelagic seabirds and marine mammals.
The price is $525 per person for both days. The limit for the trip is 22 people.
■ Birding at Sequim Bay and John Wayne Marina — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 15 and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 16, launching from John Wayne Marina. Tickets are $25 each.
Sequim Bay attracts a variety of shorebirds, alcids, gulls and waterfowl, organizers say.
■ Birding Dungeness Bay and Three Crabs — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 15 and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 16 at Dungeness Landing County Park, 298 Oyster House Road. Tickets are $25 each.
■ Birding Dungeness Spit — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 15 and 16 at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Tickets are $25 each.
■ Birding from the Elwha to Dungeness Rivers — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 15 beginning at Place Road on the Elwha River. The price is $80.
■ Dawn Chorus at Railroad Bridge Park — 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. April 16 at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. The price is $15.
■ Bays and Coasts of the Olympic Peninsula tour — 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 16 beginning at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. Tickets are $80.
■ Dry Creek Waterfowl Breeding Sanctuary — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. April 16 in Port Angeles, with directions available during registration. The price is $30.
■ Bird Drawing Class with Robert Amaral — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 16 at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. The price is $30.
■ Nature & Landscape Photography with John Greengo — 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17 at the Dungeness Audubon River Center. This course, limited to 24 participants, is aimed at intermediate to advanced photographers. The price is $160.
For more information about various BirdFest activities, and to register, visit www.olympicbirdfest.org.