Audubon Society classes put focus on local birds

The Willapa Hills Audubon Society will be holding birding classes for those interested in learning more about local birds.

Beginning Birding is for people who are either completely new to bird watching or who have watched birds for a short time and would like to know more. The class is designed to provide new birders with the techniques and skills to help them identify unfamiliar local birds.

Instruction will include information on birding equipment, reference materials and field guides, identification techniques, field marks and some avian natural history.

The class will be taught by two active Willapa Hills Audubon Society members, both of whom are biologists. Carlo Abbruzzese has been watching birds for over 15 years and Ann Musché has 30 years experience.

The first class will be held on March 15 at the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge near Cathlamet from 8-9:30 a.m. with a field trip at the refuge from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The second class session will be held on March 29 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Longview Public Library. A field trip to Lake Sacagawea from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. precedes the class. The cost is $13 and class size will be limited to 13 participants.

To register for Beginning Birding or with questions, contact Abbruzzese at puffbird@juno.com or 360-425-6133, or Musché at mrm@willapabay.org, 360-484-7119.

Doug Robberson will teach Warblers and Vireos, a multimedia class including photos, vocalizations, and video on warblers and vireo species in SW Washington.

The class will be taught on April 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Longview Public Library with a field trip on April 12. The field trip will take place at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge from 8 a.m. to around 11 a.m. to noon.

Robberson has been teaching birding classes for Portland Audubon Society, Tualatin River keepers, and the Friends of the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge for over 10 years and has been birding for 18 years.

The cost for the class will be $8 and space is limited.

The Intermediate Birding class will cover some of the lesser known and hard to identify species of Southwest Washington. Some of these species have confusing vocalizations, while others are shy or tend to stay up high so they are not as often seen.

This class will be a follow up to the Beginning Birding class and will focus on species that are difficult to tell apart.

The class will be taught on April 24 from 6-8 p.m. at the Longview Public Library. There will be no field trip associated with this class. The cost for the class will be $6 with limited space.

To register for both the Warblers and Vireos class and Intermediate Birding, or for more information on any of the classes, contact Abbruzzese.

Cutline hereThe team from Lower Columbia Karate, front row,l-r: Michael Mouliot, Matt Miller, Tonya Mouliot; back row, l-r: Bob Jungers, Bill Gale, Jim Wilson.