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Online Class Notes
- Click on the Green Button at the botton of each class description to register. Registrations are completed separately for each class offering.
- All classes are recorded and emailed to class registrants. If you cannot attend a live class, the recording will arrive in your inbox within a few days.
- Recordings are available to view for one month past the live class session (e.g. if the last class in a series happened on January 1, the recording will be available to view until February 1)
More online sessions will be listed as they are scheduled
Winter Waterfowl for Intermediate Birders with Connie Sidles
Wednesdays: Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27, 7:00-8:30pm Tickets for the live class session have sold out. Use the REGISTER button below to sign up to receive the class recordings.
Everybody knows a Mallard, right? And Northern Shovelers are those guys with big bills, while Buffledheads are the little black-and-white 'rubber duckies." But do you *really* know your waterfowl, even the so-called easy ones? Can you identify each species by gender, in eclipse, in flight, and by voice? Western Washington is the winter home for more than three dozen different species of swans, geese, and ducks. As an intermediate birder, it's possible to know them all, in all their guises. Let master birder Connie Sidles take you on a virtual journey through our state's waterways to discover the ins and outs of our winter waterfowl. The class recordings will be available until February 27, 2021.
Birding 101 with Jane Lester & Jack Stephens
Thursdays, January 14 & 21 from 7:00-9:00pm Tickets for the live class session have sold out. Use the REGISTER button below to sign up to receive the class recordings.
If you’re just getting started with birding, it’s natural to be a little overwhelmed. What are the little brown birds on my feeder? What are all those cool ducks we have in winter, and how can I tell them apart? I heard a woodpecker in the park – what kinds do we have in Seattle? Which birds live here year-round and which are just passing through? Once you learn how to find birds, observe them carefully and identify them, birding becomes a fabulous lifelong hobby that only gets better and better with time.
From Mountains to Molehills: An Introduction to the Mammals of Washington with Mike Donahue
Tuesdays, January 26 & February 2 (The latter being Groundhog Day!) from 7:00-9:00pm
This class will give an overview of the mammal diversity in the state, emphasizing the species most likely to be seen, their natural history, and where to see them. Mike recommends A Field Guide to Mammals of North America North of Mexico by Fiona Reid. Mike grew up in Washington State and has been seeking out mammals as well as birds over the last 40 years. In 2013 he did a Washington State mammal big year.
Who’s Watching You? with David B. Williams
Thursday, February 18 from 7:00-7:45pm
Do you ever have the feeling that you are being watched when you walk in downtown Seattle? You are probably right. Hundreds of eyes peer out from buildings in the city observing your every step. Neither human nor electronic, these ever-present watchers belong to dozens of carved and molded animals gazing out from Seattle buildings. Based on my book, Seattle Walks, this 1.5 mile virtual walk through Seattle’s central business district will reveal a menagerie of beasts fabled, fantastic, and fierce, including lions, eagles, ducks, pelicans, and walruses. No binoculars needed. Participants in this class will benefit most when they bring their full range of birding sensibilities – sensory awareness, observation of details, some understanding of the environment or ecosystem, and a readiness to be surprised.
Butterfly Gardening with David Droppers
Thursday, February 25 from 7:00-8:30pm
David will enthusiastically introduce you to the world of butterflies, and how inviting them into your backyard will reveal how they are connected to a number of other species of urban and suburban wildlife. Not only will participants learn about what plants to include in their garden to attract butterflies, but they will get a glimpse into butterfly biology – how they see the world, what additional resources they need, all centered on how to design your garden for maximum attraction. And remember, this is complementary to inviting birds to your yard – think of it as gardening for bird food! Watch your garden come alive with bloom and wings!
Nesting and Nourishment: A Travel Through Washington’s Interdependent Birds and Trees with Brendan McGarry
April 12th and 26th from 7:00-9:00pm
Most of us have undoubtedly raised binoculars to follow birds through a nearby canopy, but how often do we consider the deep relationships and reliance many species of birds have on native trees? In many cases birds and trees are inextricably linked: conifer seed crops dictating finch populations and aspen groves as apartment blocks for cavity nesting species. Join in on this jaunt across the state and consider our many iconic tree species and the birds that live with, on, and in them.
Introduction to Gulls of the Pacific Northwest with Hans deGrys: You may purchase tickets to recieve the recording using the green registration button below.
Wednesday, December 16 from 7:30-9:00pm
$15 sliding scale; pay what you can
Identifying gulls can be one of the most intimidating tasks for beginning birders. We will spend the evening exploring the clues that make gull ID possible (and even fun?). The class will also look individually at the 14 or so most common gulls of Washington, and practice separating them using field marks and other clues. The focus will be primarily on adult gulls, but we will dabble a bit into immature plumages and common gull hybrids of the Seattle area. This session is suitable for beginning and intermediate birders. The recording will be accessible until January 16, 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Christine Scheele via email at christines@seattleaudubon.org.
Updated March 5, 2020, 10:00 a.m.
Public Health — Seattle & King County has released new proactive public health recommendations meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Seattle Audubon is responding to these latest recommendations with additional changes to our activities. We undertake these changes to reduce risks for the members of our community at higher risk of severe illness. We will continue to evaluate as new information becomes available. (Resources are listed at the end of this document.)
Contact information for the relevant staff is listed for each activity, if you have further questions or concerns. Seattle Audubon is also following recommendations for employers and limiting staff who will work from the office. Through this challenging time in our community, we encourage everyone to act with kindness and compassion, and to support those in the community who most need our collective actions to help reduce the spread of this disease.
New Registration System Coming Soon!
GENERAL GUIDELINES
- Stay home when you are sick. Do not go out in public when you are sick.
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue and wash your hands immediately afterward.
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and water. If no soap is available, use a hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol content.
- Avoid touching your face with unclean hands.
A variety of classes on birding and natural history are taught throughout the year by qualified instructors who are experts in their respective fields. Classes support the Seattle Audubon mission of appreciating, understanding, and protecting birds and their natural habitats.
- New classes open for registration quarterly (March 1, June 1, Sept. 1, Dec.1); if the 1st of the quarter falls on a Sunday or a holiday registration will open the following day.
- To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions, including helpful tips for finding class venues, click here.
Visit the Master Birder page to learn more about that two-semester program.