Home / Events / Field Class: Autumn Beginning Birding with Laura Whittemore *FULL*
Field Class: Autumn Beginning Birding with Laura Whittemore *FULL*
This is a two-part field class on Sunday mornings: November 13 and 20. The fee covers both sessions.
New to birding? Come spend time in the field with an experienced birder ready to help you identify birds by sight, sound, and behavior. We will move at a slow pace and learn the basics of bird identification. Get to know each site’s birdlife in a relaxed educational setting.
You will drive yourself. Please bring food and water and dress for the weather.
Meeting Locations
November 13, 9 a.m. -12 p.m., Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge
November 20, 9 a.m. -12 p.m., Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
Meeting information: Laura will email exact meeting locations closer to the program.
Calling all beginning birders!
Join Laura Whittemore to learn the basics of how to identify birds by sight and sound at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and Whitaker Ponds.
The biologically rich wetlands, fields, and forests of this wildlife refuge host numerous species of birds. Get to know different species of songbird, swallow, woodpecker, waterfowl, raptor, and whatever else flies our way. A morning at this refuge learning about birds is a great way to start the day!
We’ll walk a loop trail taking us through open floodplains and fields, coniferous forest, and oak woodland in a quest to find and identify birds by sight, sound, behavior, and habitat.
See below for trail information and here for a more detailed guide of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge created by Access Recreation.
Parking: Large parking lot with three ADA parking spaces, and one accessible van spot. Public Transit: Take the bus right to the front entrance! Check out the Tri-Met bus schedules for Route 93 (daily) and 94 (weekdays only). We’re at Stop ID# 12743. Look for the kiosk at the bus stop for maps and information. Follow the trail from the bus stop, 100 yards to the Wildlife Center and main trailheads. Rest Stops: Multiple benches are available along the route.
Distance: Anywhere from .5 – 1 miles. Exact distance will be determined by the needs of each participant. Pacing: Slow, with frequent stops at benches to view and listen for birds. Elevation Changes: 2-5% grade for 0.1 miles. The rest is flat. Trail Tread: Cemented ground in the parking lot and surrounding the restroom facilities; the path changes to compacted gravel Bathrooms: ADA compliant bathrooms are available at the start of the route.
Whitaker Ponds Nature Park Accessibility
Whitaker Ponds is one of industrial Portland’s success stories and is now one of the birdiest hotspots in the city. We’ll spend a few hours enjoying a variety of songbirds, waterfowl, woodpeckers, and hopefully some raptors as well.
Whitaker Ponds, photo by Tara Lemezis
Parking: Large parking lot Public Transit: TriMet bus #75 makes a stop at the corner of NE 47th Avenue and Columbia Blvd and visitors can walk north from there to the park entrance. Rest Stops: None, but we will move slowly.
Distance: 1 mile Pacing: Slow, with frequent stops at benches to view and listen for birds. Elevation Changes: None Trail Tread: Trails are flat, and typically 4-6 feet wide with gravel tread. There are two wooden ramps with gentle pitch down to the pond and the slough. Bathrooms:There is one ADA-accessible portapotty at the site in the parking lot.
Field Class Details
Fee: $65 members / $85 non-members
When: This is a two-part class on Sunday mornings: November 13 and 20.
Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Adult Education Classes, Field Trips, and Bird Alliance of Oregon Birding Days Cancellation Policy
