[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written by a Reader. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The B-Town Blog nor its staff:]

Letter to the Editor:
This is a note of thanks and appreciation to Dr. Tara Luckie and Karli Rose from the Environmental Science Center, the Burien Parks Department and the many volunteers for organizing and putting on the February 17, 2018 Birdfest.
Kharli Rose of the Environmental Science Center delivered tips on how to ID birds and helped participants learn to recognize and count them at Dottie Harper Park.
Andy Waters, who is one of the owners of Wild Birds Unlimited in Burien, presented on how to attract birds to your backyard, demonstrated what new devices are helpful to feeding and attracting birds and, shared anecdotal stories about the birds most commonly found in Burien. Wild Birds Unlimited is one of the twenty-year sponsors of this event.
The Seattle Audubon Conservation Science Coordinator, Jennifer Lang shared data and stories from 10 years of Puget Sound Seabird Surveys. Seahurst Park was one of the first sites for this study project. And, the project is still looking for coastal bird sighters to help gather data on these open sea birds that come in close to humans for six months of the year. If you are interested in working on this project contact her at Seattle Audubon. Burien Seahurst Park’s waters have lots of these open sea bird visitors annually.
Myself and the kids at the Birdfest event loved pulling a part owl pellets to see what owls eat. We found mostly mice and voles skulls, jaw bones and rib bones. We also discovered a Bushtit nest right outside the window of where the event was held. A serendipitous and delightful surprise. A fun and educational time was had by all. Many thanks!
In Asian cultures, this is the Year of the Dog. For scientists and the Audubon, this is the Year of the Bird in recognition of Audubon’s 100-year anniversary.

– Bob Edgar

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