Helo, Tweeters,

Last night (3/3/12) the "Owl Prowl in the Owlympics" from the Dungeness River Audubon Center had a great time prowling the hills above Sequim, with cooperative W. Screech Owls, including one that sat out for everyone to view, N. Saw-whet Owls tooting non-stop at a couple stops, a booming Barred Owl flying in and hooting right above us, and several Barn Owls viewed near Sequim.

The next Owl Prowls in the Owlympics are part of the Olympic Bird Fest, March 30-April 1. Besides a variety of other great field trips, we have two Owl Prowls, one on Friday night March 30 led by Dr. Jerry Freilich (who is also our esteemed banquet speaker), and one on Saturday March 31, led by me. Check out the Olympic BirdFest website at www.olympicbirdfest.org for info and to register, then help us greet some new spring migrants and say goodbye to some old winter bird friends. All proceeds from the festival go to supporting the Dungeness River Audubon Center, a very worthwhile cause.

A little more shameless commerce -- There's also still room on the 3-day San Juan Island birding and wildlife cruise that leaves Sequim on April 1, stays two nights at Roche Harbor Resort, visits National Historic Parks on San Juan Is., cruises one day through Haro Strait and Boundary Pass to Sucia Is., then returns through the middle of the islands and over to Deception Pass on the way back to Sequim. Of course no promises, but in the past we've had good birds on these cruises (like San Juan Co. Fork-tailed Storm Petrel and No. Fulmar) and great looks at orcas, minke whales, Dall's and harbor porpoises. It's particularly interesting to see how different bird species distribute themselves around the islands, like large numbers of Pacific Loons at Cattle Pass and big multi-species feeding flocks in Rosario Strait and the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. More info for the cruise is at http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/whale-watching-and-wildlife-tours/audubon/

Bob Boekelheide
Sequim