Programs & Classes

OPAS Backyard Birding: Purple Martin Class & Field Trip (a 2-part program)

Presenters: Ken Wiersema and Dow Lambert 

Thursday, July 16, 2026

(Part I) 9:45 a.m. at Rainshadow Hall, Dungeness River Nature Center

(Part II) 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tide Flats adjacent to 3 Crabs Road, Sequim. Limited to 12 participants.

Registration required. 

Suggested donation: $5.00

Purple Martins are the largest members of the Swallow family in North America. Due to habitat loss, climate change, and nesting competition with human-introduced species, Purple Martins are nearing a “threatened” status in Washington State. Since 1998 the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society has resourced and led annual projects that provide safe and species-specific, human made, nesting cavities for Purple Martins. Our goal is to help them nest and reproduce successfully and remain a part of our state’s vibrant array of birds.

Part I of this program will be a classroom orientation at the River Center, including background information on Purple Martin migration range, nesting requirements, and diet, as well as 26 years of local data on the Purple Martin’s progress in adapting to our human-made nesting cavities on the Olympic Peninsula.

Part II of this program will be a field trip of a quarter-mile walk on to the tide flats adjacent to 3 Crabs Road (Google Map). We will show you the largest nesting colony of the birds in Clallam County, show you inside their nest boxes with an endoscope camera to count eggs or young birds, and observe the behavior of the adult birds feeding and defending their nests. Please dress for the weather. Wear waterproof shoes or boots that extend to at least above your ankles, preferably to mid-calf. Even if it’s not windy, air temperature on the tide flats will be ~ 5° cooler than on shore. Sun protection advised. Also, bring your binoculars and/or your scopes for up-close views!

Please Note: The field trip , Part II, depends on weather. If it’s raining or high winds exist or are forecasted, we will postpone the field trip, as it’s unsafe to send one of our volunteer team up a ladder in winds exceeding 10-12 mph. Check the OPAS website on the day before, or the day of the program for updated information on the weather. We’ll also announce any needed adjustments to the field trip in the Part I, in-class program.

We encourage participants to attend both the indoor class and the tideflats field trip. However, participants may choose to attend either the indoor or outdoor segment. Although admission to the class is free, we suggest that you consider a donation of $5 per person to support our ongoing education and bird conservation programs.

Our current Backyard Birding series for the ‘25-’26 year ends with this extra program. A new series of programs will begin in September 2026.

Note: A waitlist will be enabled for this trip. If you decide to cancel your reservation, please email [email protected] so that the next person on the waitlist can attend.

Register here for the field trip portion of this program.

Purple Martins at nest box—Photo Dee Renee Ericks