You Don’t Have to be a Bird Aficionado to Enjoy Mark Salvadalena’s ‘Birding Bainbridge Island’. It’s For Hobbyist and the Like

“The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind” – Singer-Songwriter Carly Simon

Bainbridge Island’s natural environment is a wonderful place to observe nature, meditate, get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, or as the Eagles once crooned, find that ‘Peaceful, Easy Feeling.’ Head down a path in the Grand Forest and you’re liable to spy a deer, and any number of squirrels or rabbits, plenty of rabbits. Wander around the upper reaches of Fort Ward or Port Blakely Park and you could happen upon a bear, or maybe a racoon or two. Stroll the beach at Manitou and you’re likely to see a curious seal pop its head out of the water, or if you’re lucky, maybe a diving Spinner Dolphin and his or her mates.

We have some wonderful animal friends to keep us company on Bainbridge Island. But what’s even more entertaining for many of us is our fine feathered friends – the birds! Maybe because they squawk and talk, and sing and chortle, birds seem a little closer to us than other wild animals. And, let’s face it, what human isn’t envious of these creatures who are able to dip and dive and move so gracefully in space. Who hasn’t stopped and watched an eagle soar above your head or a flight of swallows moving in unison over an open field, veering in one direction, and then just as suddenly in the opposite direction. How do they do that?

Islander Mark Salvadalena has been wondering the same thing ever since he was a kid growing up in Everett, fascinated by the flight and behavior of European Starlings. After teaching a class on birding for more than a decade through the Bainbridge Island Metro Park District, Salvadalena decided to knit together a book a few years ago based on his class notes, and at the behest of his family.

The result? “Birding Bainbridge Island,” which he self-published in 2025. Essentially, it’s a 186-page guide to some of the most common birds found around the island, as well as public lands on Bainbridge where many bird species can be found. The author has collaborated with photographers John Knox and Sue Larkin to bring the visual aspects of the book to life. Some of Knox’s photos of birds in action are stunning.

Salvadalena defines a birder “as a person who observes, studies and identifies birds as a hobby.” He’s not overly serious about tagging every bird he hears or sees in the wild, like some people you might occasionally run into who are donning large binoculars and are attempting to record sounds while you trundle by making a little too much noise. “I’m more into inspiration, not so focused on identification,” he says. “I don’t stress about birds I’m seeing.”

The local bird “expert” has pinpointed about 115 species he can “reliably find” on the island, from the Rhinoceros Auklet to the Common Yellowthroat. He says at least 300 species have been recorded on Bainbridge at one time or another.

At a recent presentation to volunteers of the Banbridge Island Library, Salvadalena loaded up his Power Point presentation and asked those in attendance to identify the sounds of birds they were hearing without the benefit of an accompanying picture. There were screeches from the likes of Red-wing Blackbirds, Great Horned Owls, Black-capped Chickadees, and Red-breasted Nuthatches.

The most common bird on Bainbridge Island, you ask? No, it’s not the seemingly omnipresent Bald Eagle, nor the somewhat obnoxious-sounding California Seagull, nor the squawking Black Crow. It’s the American Robin. Once you think about it, Salvadalena is right, they’re everywhere, just not as majestic as a cawing Blue Heron or a diving Osprey. Before moving to the island, Salvadalena spent time as a Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon, where he developed an appreciation of the Clark’s Nuthatcher. Since arriving on Bainbridge, he’s volunteered at Islandwood and done any number of birding field trips through the Parks District.

The book he says is meant for “anyone curious about local birds,” and is designed to be used alongside The Sibling Guide to Birds (2nd edition) and the Merlin Bird ID app. “Both are excellent tools for learning bird identification. This guide adds local context and tips to help you get started,” he says. In addition, Salvadalena relied on ebird.org to help him track and explore bird sightings by location and season.

The book is easy to use, with each common species identified and the time of year when they are most likely to arrive and spend time. There’s a great index of the bird species in the back, with accompanying list of 20 some odd public places to find them. There’s also a Species Checklist to help you keep track of your findings.

One thing Salvadalena pointed out was the number of unusual species, such as the Western Sandpiper, that call Bainbridge home during the course of a year.

These fragile little fellows, who weigh about an ounce or so, stop by during their migration period in the summer and early fall. You might see them scurrying about on Murden Cove or Schel Chleb. “We have special places that birds find and take advantage of,” says the author.

Salvadalena says bird species on Bainbridge have changed over the past century or so, due to logging (most of the island was clear-cut back in the latter part of the 19th century), and the emergence of climate change. For example, the island used to have a population of Spotted Owls, but that species couldn’t survive as well when the big woods were removed and couldn’t compete with the likes of Great Horned Owls.

To a lesser extent, changes in climate have led to Barred Owls migrating from the Great Plains to the Pacific Northwest, Salvadalena notes. House Finches were once a bird of the Southwest. No more. They are here. Likewise, Starlings and Rufus Hummingbirds have expanded their reach to Bainbridge Island. “If you have Western Flycatchers (at your place), you have a healthy yard,” says Salvadalena.

Maybe the most intriguing migration story are those of the Purple Martin. The bird, that resembles a Starling, lost a lot of its wetland migration habitat to development. But thanks to volunteers around the world, including on the island, Purple Martin’s are surviving and thriving. They are typically here from mid-April to early September and nest in boxes (maintained by volunteers) near Doc’s Marina Grill, Eagle Harbor Drive, Fletcher Landing, and the newest one at the site of the old Strawberry Plant off Weaver Way.

“They also use cavities in structures, such as pilings,” Salvadalena says. “They are especially active and vocal around their nesting sites.”

Birding Bainbridge Island can be purchased at the Bloedel Reserve, Bay Hay & Feed and Wilderness in Downtown Winslow. You can also check out Salvadalena’s website for more information: bainbridgebirding.org

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