Beaks and Bills

  January 2023

Of Birds and Bird-Watchers

by Joe Meche As fascinated as any behavioral anthropologist might be, I am always interested in origins and personal stories of how we all came to be and eventually evolved into who or what we are today. One special niche … Continue reading

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  December 2022

Winter Birding

by Joe Meche It goes without saying that the November rains and colder temps heralded a most dramatic shift from fall into early winter. It’s the seasonal transition that you should be used to if you’ve lived in the Pacific … Continue reading

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  Oct/Nov 2022

Two Road Trips for This Fall

by Joe Meche Alberta Bound Not only was “Alberta Bound” one of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs back in the day, but it was also the theme of our annual fall getaway this year. In the planning stages, we decided … Continue reading

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  September 2022

September Song in Two Parts

by Joe Meche   Birding on the Water As July segued into August and our annual heat wave descended upon us, birding became less fun with the warmer weather. With the addition of crowds of humans and crowds of mosquitoes … Continue reading

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  August 2022

One If By Land, One If By Sea

by Joe Meche Silver Lake Revisited As the grandkids aged. part of our summer vacation ritual has been a big camping trip to points here and there. We ranged far and wide from Alta Lake and Pearrygin Lake State Parks … Continue reading

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  July 2022

May in the Methow Valley

by Joe Meche The Methow River is a tributary of the Columbia River in north central Washington. Its watershed is in mostly pristine habitats and wilderness areas, so a cleaner free-flowing river would be hard to find. With recreation and … Continue reading

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  June 2022

Back to the Eastside

by Joe Meche A traditional spring routine for me has been to spend time on the Washington coast from mid- to late April to sample the spring shorebird migration. I’ve always found adequate camping facilities on both the north and … Continue reading

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  May 2022

The Oregon Coast

by Joe Meche A quick scan of the Oregon coastline, from the Columbia River to the California state line, leaves no doubt as to the potential for access to a myriad of opportunities for all recreational pursuits. The stunning beauty … Continue reading

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  April 2022

Orcas Island

by Joe Meche To celebrate the 26th anniversary of our marriage in Baja, we treated ourselves to another getaway. This time we chose to take the ferry to Orcas Island and the historic Rosario Inn. Not quite as warm and … Continue reading

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  March 2022

Marching Into Spring

by Joe Meche By the time you read this month’s Whatcom Watch, we will be a short three weeks away from the first day of spring. Given the weather events we’ve all experienced since November, it couldn’t come a day … Continue reading

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