Wings Over Water

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! 🐦🌊 It truly took a village to bring this event to life, from our incredible volunteers, to the knowledgeable wildlife experts who led guided bird walks, and a special thank you to Paul Bannick for his insightful keynote presentation on The North American Woodpecker and Peter Cavanagh for your fascinating talk about your book How Birds Fly. We’re so grateful to the organizations that hosted free kids' activities, including Wild Whatcom, Heart of Play, and Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, and Joe Meche for making nest boxes! Your efforts helped spark curiosity and connection with nature for the next generation of bird lovers. And of course, thank you to every attendee, partner, and supporter who made this year’s festival such a success. We loved sharing the beauty of birds and nature of the Pacific Northwest with you and can’t wait to see you again next year! 🦅💙

Tonight is the night! Don't miss Paul Bannick's Keynote Presentation at 5pm at the Blaine Community Center! Paul will be sharing insights from his newest book, Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers, taking us into the fascinating world of these incredible forest architects and exploring how woodpeckers support healthy ecosystems (even in our own gardens!). 📍 Location: Blaine Pavilion 🕕 Time: 5:00 PM 💲 Cost: Free! Thank you Team Stauffer for sponsoring this event! We can’t wait to spend the weekend celebrating birds, wildlife, and the amazing connections that make up the natural world. If you love birds or nature, we’d love to see you there! Join us Friday–Sunday in Blaine, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo for a full lineup of birding activities and events. 🦅 Plan your birding weekend and see the full schedule here:

Last chance to sign up for the San Juan Cruises birding and wildlife cruise tomorrow! There will be 2-hour cruises from 10am-12pm and 12:30pm-2:30pm that depart from Semiahmoo! Just one of the many fun activities we have planned at Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! To register for the birding cruise and a full event schedule, check out our website! /

Only 1 day away from the All-Day Birding Expo at the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Blaine Community Pavilion, enjoy free activities for the whole family: Sardis Raptor Center live raptor presentations, kids’ activities, art & craft vendors, wildlife exhibits, displays, and more! Just one stop on the many cool activities happening at the festival this weekend! /

Take a virtual trip with wildlife ecologist and nature photographer Gregory Green as he explores the microcosmic world of macro and close-up photography in his presentation, Macro Madness – It’s a small, small world after all. On the resort theater’s 156-inch screen, Greg will take you not to some foreign land abroad, but to the Lilliputian world of our local forests, ponds, beaches, and gardens. From dragonflies to slime mold, mushrooms to barnacles, bumblebees to frog eggs, and the repeating patterns of garden flower corollas and ice crystals, Greg will reveal a world that is wholly visible yet rarely seen. Greg is a career wildlife biologist, writer, photographer, and ecology instructor at Western Washington University. He is also teaching the photography workshop following at 10:30.

Only 2 days to go until the keynote presentation by @paulbannick at the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! 🐦 Paul will be sharing insights from his newest book, Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers, taking us into the fascinating world of these incredible forest architects and exploring how woodpeckers support healthy ecosystems (even in our own gardens!). 📍 Location: Blaine Pavilion 🕕 Time: 5:00 PM 💲 Cost: Free! Thank you Team Stauffer for sponsoring this event! We can’t wait to spend the weekend celebrating birds, wildlife, and the amazing connections that make up the natural world. If you love birds or nature, we’d love to see you there! Join us Friday–Sunday in Blaine, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo for a full lineup of birding activities and events. 🦅 Plan your birding weekend and see the full schedule here:

🦅 1 Day to Go! Tomorrow, the 23rd Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival takes flight! Join us in Blaine, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo for a weekend full of birding adventures, guided field trips, photography workshops, cruises, kids' activities, and plenty of chances to spot incredible birds along Washington’s beautiful northern coast. We can’t wait to see everyone flock together for an unforgettable weekend of birding! 🐦 /

2 Days to Go! 🦢 The countdown is nesting down to the final days! Get ready to explore the incredible birding habitats of Blaine, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo during the 23rd Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival. With expert-guided field trips, a birding expo, cruises, and photography workshops, there are plenty of ways to spread your wings and discover something new. Grab your binoculars, the birding adventure begins soon! 🐦 /

3 Days to Go! 🦅 Just 3 days until the flock gathers! Whether you're hoping to add a new bird to your life list or capture the perfect wildlife photo, the Wings Over Water Festival has something for everyone. We have a weekend full of fun birding activities for the whole family! Check out our website for a full event schedule! 🦆 /

There are still a few spots for this Saturday, March 14, birding cruises at the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! @sanjuancruises will bring one of its larger ships, the Salish Express, with ample indoor and outdoor seating. Their wildlife experts will help identify the birds and wildlife of Boundary Bay and Semiahmoo Bay! There are two cruise times: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. This video was taken during a cruise last year, and it was cool to see this bay from a new perspective! Spots are limited, so if you are interested, please sign up on our website! /

Join us this Sunday for a Treats and Tweets presentation where we dive into the world of bird song with biologist Chris Templeton! 🐦🥐 We will have a light, nourishing continental breakfast featuring fresh fruit, yogurt, breads, and pastries, including whole-grain and gluten-free options, along with freshly brewed coffee, tea, and fruit juice. As we undergo the annual springtime transformation, one of the most conspicuous changes is the incredible abundance of bird song. These vocalizations fill the air with music-like sounds that are a delight to our ears! Biologist Chris Templeton will take us to “Songster School” to explore avian bioacoustics, offering a fresh way to listen to the songs of spring. His presentation will highlight bioacoustics research by his group on song sparrows, known for their beautiful songs. You may just leave here whistling a tune! Limited to 50 people, so register today! /event/breakfast-for-birders-2019/

It's never too young to be a birder! We have so many fun kids' activities planned this Saturday at Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival! 🐦 Bring the family to Blaine on Saturday, March 14 for a full day of free, kid-friendly birdtastic fun! Thank you to everyone who has partnered with us to offer more kids' activities than ever at the festival this year! 🕙 10 AM – 3 PM | Blaine Community Pavilion • Family crafts & activities • Make a bird suncatcher with author/illustrator Lori Kothe • Kids’ Nest Box Building (while supplies last) 🦅 Live Raptors with Sardis Raptor Center 📍 Blaine Community Pavilion • 10:30 AM • 12:30 PM • 2:30 PM 🌿 Birds & Beaks: Family Bird Investigation 🕥 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Blaine Marine Park Fun hands-on activities and a short bird walk with Wild Whatcom naturalists. 📖 Bird Storytime & Squawk & Draw 📍 Blaine Community Center Storytime with author Lori Kothe at 11:30 AM & 1:30 PM. 📚 Kids’ Storytime, Crafts & Snacks 🕛 12 PM – 2 PM | Blaine Harbor Boating Center 🌊 All Day: Self-guided Bird Bingo Story Walk at Blaine Marine Park. ✨ Most activities are free and drop-in. Perfect for families with kids who love nature, crafts, and birds! 🗓 Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival 📍 Blaine, Birch Bay & Semiahmoo 📅 March 13–15, 2026 🦅 To check out the full event schedule and plan your birding weekend with us, visit our website! /