Seattle Audubon is offering a wonderful array of classes in the next
several months, something for every level of interest. If you would
like to sign up for a class, please contact the Nature Shop, Monday
through Saturday, between 10 am and 5 pm, at 206 523-4483. The list
of classes through mid March follows.

Gulls of Washington, Part 2: Immatures
with Michael Donahue

This class is intended for birders who have taken other gull classes
and are already comfortable (or at least close!) to identifying
adults. It's time to tackle those immatures! Two classroom sessions
will cover identification of immature plumages of the gulls that
regularly winter in the Puget Sound region.

There will be a half day (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) field trip to visit
several local gull hotspots.

Class: Tuesdays, January 17 and 24, 7-9 p.m.
Location: Douglas Classroom, CUH
Field Trip: Saturday, January 28 or Sunday, January 29. Sign up for
one of these field trips at the first class. Instructor will lead
field trip both days. Note: if class enrollment is 13 or less, the
field trip will be on Saturday, January 28.
Cost: $60 members, $75 nonmembers for lectures and field trip. $40
members, $55 nonmembers for lectures only.
Limit: 26 for lectures and field trip. 14 additional spots for lectures only.

Birds of the Puget Sound Area
A Four Week Field Course for Birders
with Brian Bell

Learn by doing! In this four-part course you will learn basic
principles, etiquette, field guides, equipment and identification
techniques for successful birding and practice them in the field. Good
for experienced and beginning birders. Early spring is a great time to
bird in Seattle and Puget Sound with some wintering birds still
present and early returning migrants. Come join us for all four
sessions of this class, or for individual sessions, and have fun.

Session 1: Class meets at the SAS Nature Center followed by a field
trip to the Montlake Fill (Union Bay Natural Area).
Session 2: Field trip to Discovery Park.
Session 3: Field trip to Spencer Island.
Session 4: Field trip to be determined.
Class/field trips: Sundays, January 22, 29 and February 5, and 12,
8:00 AM - noon.
Cost: Four session class $50 members, $65 non-members, or per single
session $15 members, 20 non-members (limited to 15 participants per
session)

Raptors of Western Washington
with Jim Flynn
Have you struggled to put a name to the hawk that visits your yard or
the one you always see on your way to work? Using slides and
information sheets on ID, habitat, migration and nesting habits, we
will learn about 17 western Washington diurnal raptors ? hawks,
eagles, accipiters and falcons. Extensive handouts and references will
allow you to keep learning even after the class sessions end. During
the field trip to Skagit County we will practice ID and discuss
feeding and other behaviors while seeking out a wide assortment of
species.

Classes: Wednesdays, January 18 and 25, 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: CUH, Douglas Classroom
Field Trip: Saturday, February 4 or Sunday, February 5, 7AM to 6PM.
Sign up for one trip at the first class. Note: If class enrollment is
13 or fewer, the field trip will be on Saturday, February 4.
Carpooling mandatory.
Cost: Lectures and field trip $65 SAS members, $80 nonmembers.
Lectures only $40 members; $55 nonmembers.
Limit: 24 for lectures and field trip. 15 additional spots for lectures only.


Learn your Loons & Grebes
with David Drummond, Research Wildlife Biologist
These graceful marine birds, swimmers and divers of the winter
saltwater, pose interesting field ID challenges. Their bioecology is
equally intriguing to explore. Join us for an in-depth look into life
histories of loons and grebes via handouts, discussion, and images, as
well as a fun cruising field trip through Deception Pass and around
Fidalgo Island. Sign up for just the lecture, just the boat trip, or
both.

Class: Friday, February 10, 7:00-9:30 PM
Location: CUH, Douglas Classroom
Cost: $25 members, $40 nonmembers for lecture. $50 for boat trip.
Boat trip: Saturday, February 11, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Meet in La
Conner at 10:00
AM. Sign up for the boat trip separately through Viking Star at (360)
466-2639 or 888-207-2333.
Limit: 25 for lecture. 40 for boat trip.


Dabbling Ducks
with David Drummond, Research Wildlife Biologist
Here is an opportunity for beginner to intermediate level birders to
strengthen their dabbling duck spotting and identification skills. We
will explore aspects of their biology and ecology in the classroom and
out in the field. The family Anatidae is a diverse and intriguing
group. In this class, we will focus on wintering dabbling ducks on
freshwater. Join us for an in-depth look! Please bring lunch and
binoculars and plan to carpool to local spots.

Class and Field Trip: Saturday, March 4, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Location: CUH, Douglas Classroom
Cost: $35 members, $50 nonmembers
Limit: 25


Diving Ducks
with David Drummond, Research Wildlife Biologist
This class offers new to seasoned birders an opportunity to build
confidence with diving duck locating and accurate identification to
age and gender classes. Fun factoids of their fascinating life history
will be shared in images, literature, and interactive discussions in
class and on the field trip. Our target group is diving ducks
wintering on marine waters. Don't miss this colorful cast of northwest
cool characters! Please bring lunch and binoculars and plan to carpool
to local
spots.

Class and Field Trip: Saturday, March 11, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Location: CUH, Douglas Classroom
Cost: $35 members, $50 nonmembers
Limit: 25


Blackbirds of the Americas.
Gordon Orions, blackbird researcher and Professor Emeritus of Biology
at the University of Washington
The 95 species of American Blackbirds (Family Icteridae) range from
southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. They live in most kinds of
environments, and among them they have most forms of social
organization found in the entire avian world. Consequently they have
been used by many investigators to test hypotheses about such topics
as social organization, mating systems, brood parasitism, habitat
selection, and foraging behavior. Only seven species breed in
Washington State, but they have been favorite subjects for research.
This class will provide an overview of this remarkable family of birds
and describe the contributions to knowledge generated by field studies
of their behavior.

Class: Thursday, March 16, 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: CUH, Douglas Classroom
Cost: $25 members, $40 nonmembers
Limit: 35


Vicki King, Seattle
vkbirder at gmail.com