About Us
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Birding the Sound is a small team of passionate birders and naturalists based near the Puget and Long Island Sounds. Our goal is to provide birders of all levels, from beginners to advanced, with guided tours and courses that enhance their skills and knowledge of the incredible wildlife all around us.
We also provide private individual and small group tours for birders of any level in the Seattle area, customized to the birders’ specific birding goals.We have a tremendous responsibility to fight for the future of the planet, and helping people connect with and understand nature is an important part of that.
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We “bird the sound” often, near the waters of the Puget Sound in Washington and the Long Island Sound in Connecticut and New York, but we also take a particular interest in bird and animal vocalizations, birding by ear skills, recording field audio, and contributing to audio research.
Our goal is to help others with these skills, in addition to the fundamentals of birding and bird identification.
Birding is becoming an increasingly popular hobby for people of all ages. It further connects people with nature and the environment, with the places that they live in or travel to, and with other enthusiastic community members. Research continues to show the incredibly positive benefit that birding, including listening to and identifying bird song, has on our minds and bodies.
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Birding the Sound adheres to the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace and to the American Birding Association’s Code of Birding Ethics. We firmly believe in respecting all animals, plants, habitats, and fellow people that we interact with.
We are active advocates for the environment, including being a part of the fight against climate change, the development of hyperscale data centers, and the loss of habitat for wildlife.
We are committed to fostering inclusive, dynamic, and safe experiences for all who go birding or take courses with us.
Meet the Team!
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Joe is a naturalist, music educator, and field audio enthusiast, who grew up in Fairfield, CT. He enjoys all aspects of birding including bird identification, research, environmentalism, photography, videography, and recording bird vocalizations. Joe has worked as a teacher naturalist for both Birds Connect Seattle and the Connecticut Audubon, and has led birding classes, guided tours, and census data projects throughout Washington and Connecticut, including as a part of the Puget Sound Bird Festival. He has experience working with naturalists of all ages, from young kids to adults. Alongside his own field study, Joe has been a student of Birds Connect Seattle’s Bird University Program (formerly their Master Naturalist program) taught by ornithology professors Dr. Ursula Valdez and Dr. Jack DeLap, as well as multiple courses by renowned local birder and master naturalist Connie Sidles.
In addition to his professional work as a birder, Joe received his Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Washington and has worked as a certificated music educator and curriculum designer in public, independent, and non-profit settings both part and full time for the last nine years. His study of melody and sound, including tone, timbre, pitch, phrasing, cadence, and more, plus his experience in teaching music to a wide-range of learners, has lent itself to teaching bird vocalizations in an approachable and exciting way to birders of all experience levels. He has a profound love for the Puget Sound and Long Island Sound areas, and loves helping others learn about and observe the wildlife and biodiversity of these incredible places.
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Danielle is a photographer, writer, and community organizer originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, she developed a lifelong curiosity and appreciation for the natural world. Danielle’s passion for nature continued to evolve when she moved to Boston, MA, and received her degree in writing and publication from Emerson College. Her love of people, storytelling, and nature intertwined while being inspired along the waters of New England.
Enthralled by the beauty of the Puget Sound and Salish Sea, Danielle moved to Seattle in 2019 and began birding throughout the Pacific Northwest several years ago. She continues to hone her photography, writing, and bird identification skills. In the education and tech world, Danielle has worked as a student experience coordinator, administrator, and project manager. She’s excited to create experiences for others to learn and appreciate more about the natural world around them.