Tag Archives: Otter’s Pond

by | April 20, 2015 · 10:11 am

Birdfest on Orcas

teri_cropBy Teri Williams

Spring is my favorite time of the year for so many reasons.

I’m back in my garden, seeds are sprouting, flowers are blooming, and birds are nesting and singing.

From hummingbirds zipping around my garden to eagles nesting across the valley, we have a huge variety of birds to appreciate.

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Get your birding book out and enjoy learning about these little chirpers! This photo was found Googling birds in the San Juan Islands.

And Orcas celebrates our feathered friends with a little help from the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the annual Birdfest, a celebration of birds! This year, the Orcas Island Birdfest runs for four days: Thursday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2.

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Sharp Shined Hawk

 

The schedule is packed with bird walks and nature tours, workshops, a fine art exhibition and scientific symposium, all focusing on the wonder of birds and grassroots solutions for maintaining healthy populations.

Even if you are not a “birder,” this is an unforgettable experience showcasing the natural splendor of the San Juan Islands.

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Hooded Mergansers at Otter’s Pond, ready to have ducklings in a month.

Grab your binoculars, pack your Birding in the San Juan Islands by Mark G. Lewis, put your hiking boots on and get ready for some local color and sound.

Wood peckers are easy to spot

Pileated woodpeckers are easy to spot.

Visit www.otterspond.com for a list of birds you can see on Orcas Island.

For information about the 2015 Birdfest and a complete calendar of events, visit  OrcasIslandBirdFest.com.

Happy Birding!

 

 

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by | February 18, 2014 · 9:56 am

Life on Orcas is Going to the Birds

birds of orcas island

By Teri Williams

Life on Orcas is going to the birds!

Don’t believe me? Come see for yourself on April 10 – April 12.

teri williamsOn Thursday, April 10, Orcas kicks off the first annual Orcas Island Bird & Wildlife Festival with a dinner at Rosario Resort’s Beach House. Featured speaker will be Thor Hanson, conservation biologist and author of the book Feathers. Hanson  lives in the San Juans and will share his knowledge of all things wild on Orcas Island. There will be a Silent Auction to add to the fun, and help secure funding for future festivals.

The perfect place to stay while experiencing the festival is at Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast. Otters Pond, renowned as a prime birding spot, is home to hundreds of bird species and certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat. At the breakfast table, you will enjoy a front row seat to flurry and feathers and as a variety of birds dine in the feeders just outside. Innkeepers, Carl and Sue Silvernail, provide more than a ton of bird seed each year to attract some of the Northwest’s most colorful flying wildlife.

otters pond prime birding spot

Enjoy a front-row seat to flurry and feathers at Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast.

Sue reports that just this week, they are seeing Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, House and Purple Finches, Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Spotted Towhees, Crossbills, American Robins, Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Bald Eagles, Anna Hummingbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds. On the pond they are seeing Hooded Mergansers, Ringed Neck Ducks, Pied Billed Grebes and Mallards.  She says they  are watching for Rufus Hummingbirds, White-crowned and Golden Sparrows and Pine Siskins.

Sponsored by the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, BirdFest will offer activities sure to please all who enjoy the birds and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. The still-unfolding line-up of walks, talks, workshops and activities are ideal for all ages and experience levels. Stay tuned for more information and events to be announced! Meanwhile, here are some helpful links to help you plan for BirdFest.

Birds of Orcas Island

Make a reservation at Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast

And if you want to stay forever, find out more about Otters Pond B&B for sale.

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce

Rosario Resort & Spa

San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau

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Aside

A Breakfast to Remember

Posted by Teri

Otter's Pond

Otter’s Pond

I was honored to receive an invitation to breakfast from Carl and Sue Silvernail, owners of Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast. The date was the Friday before Easter week-end and the B&B was booked for the holiday. However, Carl and Sue found time to share their home located on a tranquil forest-wetland, Otter’s Pond, with a few of us locals.I met Carl and Sue 15 years ago when they were purchasing this home and needed a permit for the Bed and Breakfast. Permit in hand and the purchase behind them, they set out to create a romantic, cozy, nature based island getaway where people will feel welcome and relaxed.The home sits on the edge of Otters Pond where a variety of wildlife swim, swoop and waddle. I’m saying this pond is alive! I watched the newly arrived hummingbirds sip sweet nectar adjacent to several bird feeders loaded up with bird seed. The amount of bird seed Carl and Sue need on hand was shocking, but the affect is something all visitors will remember

Melt in your mouth sorbet

Melt in your mouth sorbet

I arrived that morning to find Carl and Sue busy in the kitchen creating tasty, colorful courses soon to put smiles on their guest’s face. First course was a melt in your mouth guava sorbet. Presentation is everything and each course was a feast to the eye before your taste buds wanted more. Spiced baked pears followed with a very simple presentation, yet also a promise to the palette. Just when I thought it could not go on, a mini dutch apple pancake was served with lemon.

I found myself asking for the recipe and Sue handed me a recipe book show casing her favorite recipes, Featherbed Eggs and Other Favorite Recipes.  I served my husband dutch apple pancakes for Easter!!!

Taking time to share this special place with a few of us locals that morning before a busy week-end tells you the business plan for the B&B is about people and comes from the heart. Give Carl and Sue and call 1-888-893-9680 or check out their website www.otterspond.com and tell them Teri sent you 🙂

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island? Contact T Williams Realty – we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | May 15, 2012 · 4:43 pm