Birding Field Trip Classes

Open Registration! March 1st & 2nd 2025

Hawks & Raptors Field Class

Two different classes but you could sign up for both!
(Saturday or Sunday 9-11 w/lunch & 12-2)

Pack your winter hat and a warm drink!

Migrating Raptors are a fascinating thing to see. Please join Barbara Peterson and I for a winter raptor viewing adventure. The Skagit Field Classes will be held on Saturday & Sunday. This is when most migrating raptors move through the Skagit Valley. It might be cold, so dress warm. We will spend two separate blocks of time birding with a lunch break in between. Most of the time we will be close to our cars and we will drive from one destination to another during each two-hour birding adventure. During our day you will have the opportunity to walk on an easy trail and/or have time to sit and view raptors through a spotting scope. We will meet at a location TBA near Edison WA.

The cost will be $55 per person and will include 4 hour (Richfield) or 4 hour birding explorations of Skagit Valley Raptors. We will take a total of 8 participants. Refunds will be given as credit unless I can fill the spot. Teenage children (and those 10 years and up that are really into birding) can attend with an adult.

Kevin O’Malley lead naturalist and birder at South Sound Nature School will be instructing the raptor field class for beginner and intermediate birders wanting to further their knowledge about birds of the Skagit area. Class will focus on bird language, behavior, nests, bird tracks, and habitats. Birding is a fascinating recreational activity and you will have the opportunity to talk about what you are hearing & seeing. The Skagit area has farmland, forest, river and Puget Sound habitats which leads to a great bird diversity.

Binoculars are recommended but not required. These are small classes have two instructors and will be geared towards adults. You can pay in check or cash but you must register and can email me at omalley23@gmail.com.

Barbara Petersen’s Bio- Barbara is a retired teacher who taught for thirty years in Highline School District's Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students where she enjoyed working with students from preschool through high school as well as their parents. Barbara is an avid birder who regularly leads Field Trips for Rainier Audubon Society’s South Sound chapter. Always striving to increase her knowledge about birds, she also participates in field trips led by other birders whenever she can. She also helps with a monthly bird census for the City of Kent at the Green River Natural Resources Area. Adding to her bird knowledge, after retiring from teaching, Barbara worked for eight years as a sales associate at Burien's Wild Birds Unlimited store. She still leads the monthly Bird Walks offered year around by the store. She has birded in several US states and in the Peruvian Amazon, Costa Rica, Ecuador, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Brazil.

Birders Tip - Some of our trips can be a longer drive. We suggest that you find a place to stay overnight close by the birding area and enjoy the area for an extra day. The areas we choose are very nice for both nature and culture. When we can commute together more easily that will also be an added benefit of car pooling.

All Classes will be taught by Barbara & Kevin

"Kevin is a wonderful guide, he easily engages with children and adults, and shares his vast knowledge of the outdoors. He brings the joy and wonder of nature to all of his events." Amanda Leon Eastside Audubon Executive Director

"Kevin's birding classes are designed not only for beginning birders, but are well suited to all skill levels. You will learn something new!" Barbara Petersen Rainier Audubon Society Board Member

“Our excellent guides, Kevin and Barbara knew enough to wait, and soon we would see that most of the places are teeming with birdlife.   Between the two of them, our guides knew a ton about bird customs, flight, and calls and both were nimble with a scope, locking in unforgettable close-ups that allowed us to see avian colors in detail. This was a great trip, highly recommended for a taste of the exotic, not very far from home.” Joan Larcom Participant