Marina Ritchie, the keynote speaker at the Wings Festival, wrote the following about her visit on her blog, https://marinarichie.com/ Marina's keynote address was an inspiration for bird and nature lovers!

"On the cusp of the autumnal equinox, I had the pleasure of giving the keynote speech –“Kinship with Kingfishers”– at the Wings Over Willapa bird festival on the Long Beach Peninsula of southwest Washington. Brown Pelicans sailed the Pacific waves–riding a cushion of salty air and plunge-diving with those bucket beaks to scoop up fish. On the bay side, high tinkling notes of Golden-crowned Kinglets ringed the candelabra canopies of ancient western red cedars saved from the chainsaw on Long Island and Teal Sough– protected within the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

And yes…a female Belted Kingfisher hovered above Tarlatt Slough as a river otter popped up from reflecting waters to gaze at our birding group in whiskered curiosity. The kingfisher’s cinnamon-red belt signaled–Queenfisher! A boy named Shepherd gazed through the spotting scope when she perched briefly on a refuge sign in the marsh. A juvenile Northern Harrier skimmed the grasses with easy flaps and glides.

Shepherd’s father and grandfather were there as well– three generations sharing a love of birds. Shepherd carefully printed the names of certain birds in the lined pages at the back of a bird book he clutched in his hands."