Hi all...I have let time get away from me until I turned over the
calendar page today...four days into April already...and realized one
month from today we begin celebrating the 17th Annual Grays Harbor
Shorebird Festival, kicking off with the Tokeland/Grayland/Westport
Field Trip and the Ocean Shores Field Trip, and ending the evening
with our keynote speaker, Richard Crossley...what a day that will be!
(If you are not familiar with Mr. Crossley's book, "The Crossley I.D.
Guide", I urge you to take a look:
http://www.crossleybirds.com/ I'm anxiously awaiting the Western Edition.)

Saturday's events include field trips to Point Grenville, a second to
Ocean Shores, one to Lake Quinault and the Olympic Rain Forest, a
search for Coastal Raptors, the pairing of lecture and field trip on
basic shorebird identification right there at the Grays Harbor NWR, an
introduction to the Great Washington Birding Trail maps and locations
(and a free map!), and capping the day, our banquet and auction.

Sunday is another field trip to Westport, including a timely stop at
Bottle Beach SP, and a second lecture on shorebird identification.

Both Saturday and Sunday's events will be accompanied by the Fun Fair,
the winning posters and celebration of the artists of the posters
(grades 1-6), lots of children's activities, exhibitors ready to
educate and answer your questions, and a really great selection of
nature-related gifts, art, photos, books, clothing, binos and
scopes...oh, and food. Hoquiam's own Oriole Cafe will serve up some
tasty meals, and our favorite baker, Nancy, is joining us for the
first time.

Due to the daytime high tides, we are a week later this year, so we
are hoping for a good showing of Red Knots; they tend to show up a bit
after the main event begins, and they look pretty spectacular mixed in
with the rest of the birds.

We hope you can join us. It's a people-pleasing event, and you will
find it brings together a great group of people and birds for a really
fun time.

Dianna Moore/Registrar
GH Shorebird Festival
dlmoor2 at coastaccess.com