Seattle Audubon is offering the following excellent classes this
winter. To sign up, please contact the Nature Shop between 10 AM and
5 PM, Monday through Saturday at 206 523-4483.

Landscape Geology and History of the Seattle Area
With Arthur Campbell, M.S. geologist and local land use planner

Geologic forces and human activities have shaped the landscape in the
Seattle area. The development of Seattle into a major urban area over
the past century has been accompanied by especially dramatic changes
to our region, and today's landscape in the Seattle area is
dramatically different than the landscape at the end of the nineteenth
century. Hills have been leveled; rivers have been moved; the edges
of rivers, lakes, and coasts have been "hardened", and low-lying
wetlands and intertidal areas have been filled. This class will
describe the geology of the Seattle area, the major landscape changes
that have occurred in the past century, and our continuing adaptations
to the geologic forces that shape our region.
In a non-technical manner, this class will focus on geology and
history, along with a bit of engineering. The class will be geared
toward those who may not have much knowledge of geology, but have an
appreciation of landscapes, an interest in their formation, and a
willingness to ask questions.
The lecture will provide background for the following weekend's field
trip and will include a discussion of general geologic topics using
aspects of Seattle's geology as examples. In two different day-trips
out of Seattle, we will visit locations in and surrounding the city.
Details about the field trip will be discussed at the lecture.
Lecture: Tuesday, December 6, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Douglas Classroom,
Center for Urban Horticulture
Two-day field trip: Saturday ? Sunday, December 10 and 11
Cost of the lecture only: $35 members, $50 non-members
Cost of the lecture and two-day field trip: $45 members and $60 non-members
Limit: 30 for the lecture and 20 for the field trip

Corvids of Western Washington
with Bill Webb, Ph.D. Student, University of Washington

The Corvidae (crows, jays, and ravens) is a large family with 115
members worldwide. Corvids are known for their intelligence and
curiosity, and some species have influenced human culture and
mythology for many years. This course will cover both the common and
the less familiar corvids that occur in western Washington. In this
class we will discuss each species' distribution, field marks, life
history, behavior, and cultural significance, as well as other
relevant topics.

Bill Webb is entering his fourth year in the Wildlife Sciences PhD
program in the College of Forest Resources at the University of
Washington. He is studying the ecology and behavior of the Common
Raven on Washington's Olympic Peninsula for his dissertation research.
Bill completed his MSc. Degree at the University of California,
Riverside in 2001, where he studied juvenile survival and movements of
the Common Raven in the Mojave Desert.

Class: Saturday, December 10, 4:00-6:00 PM
Location: Room 304/306, Anderson Hall, University of Washington
Cost: $20 members, $35 nonmembers
Limit: 20


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)

Thank you
Vicki King, Seattle
vkbirder at gmail.com