Local activists Helen and Stan Engle have added a new honor to their lengthy conservation résumé. Read more...

It wasn’t my original plan, but I had my own “staycation” a couple of weeks ago. Read more...

The phrase “eats like a bird” has a meaning of its own when you feed birds. They’re pint-size pigs and eat constantly. A flock of goldfinches can demolish a pricey bag of niger thistle seeds at an alarming rate. When it comes to the calories birds consume, they put away food like they were Michael Phelps. Read more...

The state is right to examine its hunter education protocols following the tragic shooting death of a hiker by a young hunter two weeks ago. Read more...

There are two ways to reach Mount Walker’s viewpoint area: You can drive up the road or hike up the trail. This “mountain” is a foothill on the eastern slope of the Olympics. Its view encompasses Admiralty Inlet, Hood Canal and northern Puget Sound. You look across the Kitsap Peninsula and Bainbridge Island to see everything from the Olympics to the Cascades – even the Space Needle. It’s a bird’s-eye view. Read more...

This year’s nesting season seems to go on and on. The cold spring we (and the birds) experienced seems the logical reason for this. Failed nesting attempts due to cold, wet weather caused some birds to try a second nesting and others like the swallows waited awhile. Read more...

When a nonbirding trip takes us to a place where we could see some interesting birds, we try to allow the needed time. Local parks come to mind first. San Francisco is a large and busy city, but Golden Gate Park is one of the best city parks in North America. Read more...

Mount Rainier National Park officials need to find an alternative that keeps a road through the Carbon River corridor. Read more...

As summer matures, inquiries about “missing birds” begin arriving. This has been going on for several weeks. Read more...

When Lou Whittaker was first approached to help with the inaugural Climb for Clean Air in 1988, he was happy to help. Read more...

When you expect to look up, take a moment to look down. Read more...

The Hoh River and the surrounding rain forest are beautiful in July. The area can also be warm and muggy. It’s an environment bugs thrive in. Mosquitoes, deer flies and every imaginable gnat you can think of are intent on biting anything that moves. After several days of repairing flood damage, my ears, neck and hands can attest to this. The Hoh supports an environment designed to keep flycatchers happy. Read more...

If the screams, croaks or squawks echoing through the picnic area at Lake Crescent occurred after dark, you would have heard car doors slamming all over the parking lot. Young ravens experience a voice change like that of a young boy. Given the raven’s powerful vocal abilities, these are sounds you can’t ignore. Read more...

Sunshine, a comfortable spot in the shade and a good book are near the top of my favorite summer activities list. Background bird songs only make it better. Read more...

This spring seems to be producing an inordinate amount of letters and e-mails from readers requesting help in identifying a bird. Sometimes the bird’s name is obvious, and sometimes it isn’t. We all look at subjects (birds included) in different ways. What might stand out for one person is missed by another. Colors can even be seen differently, and that only adds to the confusion or mystery. Read more...