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Puget Sound Water Front

The Puget Sound region consists of Puget Sound itself, the islands of Puget Sound, the Kitsap Peninsula, plus the mainland counties which form both the western and eastern sides of Puget Sound leading up to the edges of the watershed in the high crests of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Read more...
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Edmonds Marsh

The Edmonds Marsh is one of the few urban saltwater estuaries remaining in the Puget Sound area. Before settlement this salt marsh occupied nearly 40 acres. Development has reduced this area to 22.5 acres. Read more...
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Guided Birding Walks

Edmonds is stop #1 on the Cascades Loop of “The Great Washington State Birding Trail” map, recently developed by Audubon Washington. The trail includes seven loops, highlighting the best birding sites throughout the state. Visit prime birding locations in Edmonds, such as Puget Sound waterfront, the Edmonds Marsh, Yost Park and other natural areas. Read more...
 

 

Join us for the 2021 Bird Fest
September 11-12

 

The Bird Fest Planning Committee is hard at work planning the 2021 event. Due to safely concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor activites such as presentations and workshops may be delivered online, while field activities for small groups will be offered in person. Please check back often for the latest information. Click HERE to view highlights from the 2020 Online Bird Fest.

 

Maria Mudd Ruth HeadshotWelcome Keynote Speaker Maria Mudd-Ruth

The Not-So Awkward Auks
The Salish Sea is home to a fascinating family of diving seabirds known as auks, or alcids. Though often described as “awkward” or “clumsy” in field guides, these web-footed birds are amazingly well adapted to life in the air, on land, and especially at sea. Maria will talk about two of her favorite auks—the shy, cryptic, secretive, tree-nesting Marbled Murrelet (the subject of her 2005 book, Rare Bird) and its clownish, extroverted, burrow-nesting cousin, the Pigeon Guillemot (the subject of her next book). 

Maria is the author of more than a dozen books on natural history topics for children and adults. She is the author of Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet, a narrative natural history an endearing and endangered seabird. Her most recent book of non-fiction, A Sideways Look at Cloud, was awarded the Nautilus Silver Medal in 2017. She lives with her husband in Olympia, Washington where she is working on two books--on Pigeon Guillemots and on lake swimming and lake ecology in Washington.

 

Calling all artists

Enter our annual Poster Art Contest for a chance to win $350. Click HERE for contest rules and to download an entry form.

 

Online Photo Contest

Amateur and professional photograhers of all ages are invited to submit entries to the annual Bird Fest photo contest, now being held online. Birds must be species found in the Puget Sound area. Prizes will be awarded to the first place winners in the Youth (17 and under) and Adult (18 and over) categories. View the contest rules and download an entry form HERE. 

 

Edmonds - A Great Place for Birding Year-Round 

Edmonds offers birders a wide variety of habitats: salt water, fresh water, wetlands, fields, ravines, woods, and lots of back yards! Several birders keep track of the species seen each year within the city limits. They have documented 263 species in the city. In a typical year 180-190 species are seen. Some are year-round residents and some are just passing through on migration. Some winter here and others just spend the summer. Some are one-time vagrants.  Click here for up-to-date online postings of bird sightings in Edmonds and other birding hotspots around Washington State.  Also check out the Bird Lore column at MyEdmondsNews.com. 

 

A warm goodbye to Bill Anderson
The Puget Sound Bird Fest Planning Committee lost our dear friend and colleague Bill Anderson, who was a long time member of the committee. Bill passed peacefully away on February 2, 2020 surrounded by friends and family. His beautiful photos will live on as a testament to his passion for birds and in particular his dedication to the preservation of the Edmonds Marsh. 
Read more about Bill's life.
Click to see Bill's photos of Edmonds Bald Eagles.

 

Puget Sound Bird Fest is organized by the City of Edmonds Parks & Recreation and Economic Development Departments.  

Birds of Edmonds, Washington

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A Complete Checklist

 Compiled and donated to the City of Edmonds by Ted Peterson, and is the result of 14 years of observations. It includes birds seen in all types of habitats within the city limits of Edmonds, Washington. The best places with public access to look for birds are the Edmonds Marsh, parks on the Puget Sound shoreline, the Public Fishing Pier, and Yost Memorial Park. See the Great Washington State Birding Trail – Cascades Loop for more great birding sites near Edmonds.
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Best Birding Practices

Learn The Pro's Best Secrets
Birders should keep an appropriate distance from all species they observe. Stay on marked trails and avoid entering restricted areas, no matter how tempting it may be to venture closer to a bird. Disturbing a bird’s feeding area or nesting sites can cause unhealthy stress and fear that may drive the bird away, not only out of range of the birder’s observations but permanently forcing the bird to find a safer, less disturbed habitat where it will not be able to be observed.

The goals of Puget Sound Bird Fest are to: Promote local birding, and conservation of habitat. Educate residents on bird-friendly gardening and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. 

Link up with the City of Edmonds

You can easily find complete tourist information about lodging, dining and shopping in Edmonds just by browsing Visitedmonds.com.

Steering Committee

The Puget Sound Bird Fest Steering Committee is composed of the following members of the community and City of Edmonds staff:

Cindi Cruz - City of Edmonds, Community Services & Economic Development
Jennifer Leach - Environmental Education & Sustainability Coordinator, City of Edmonds
Susie Schaefer - Program Chair, Pilchuck Audubon Society

Bird Fest Contact

425-771-0227

Jennifer.leach[at]edmondswa.gov

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