Page 20 - Demo

Sunday, October 19, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 20Bestyears COVER STORYContinued from previous page Be a detectorist and search for something preciousWith their trusty metal detectors by their side, local treasure hunters %u2014 also known as detectorists %u2014 are ready for anything. The machine%u2019s telltale chirping lets them know they%u2019re on the verge of a discovery.Tacoma resident Allan Henneberry, 59, says he%u2019s been detectoring since he was a boy and belongs to several treasure-hunting organizations, including the Olympic Peninsula Treasure Hunters Club, where he%u2019s the president.He loves to display many of his metal discoveries outdoors on his property, Christmas-tree style. His favorite find is a (circa 1884) shoe brush in the shape of a pig with a head in the likeness of Grover Cleveland.While detectoring is inherently a rather solitary pursuit %u2014 you, your thoughts and the machine %u2014 Henneberry enjoys the social aspect of belonging to a club dedicated to the hobby, where people with the same interests gather (usually monthly) to share their finds and make plans for hunts.%u201cMy highlights are the great people I have met over the years,%u201d he said. %u201cYou can learn a lot about the hobby and the regulations in a club.%u201dMetal detecting is permitted in many state parks in Washington, where hobbyists can be For avid birdwatchers, the sky is no limitIn their younger years, Jeanette Norris, 73, and her husband Steve Buck, 76, would classify certain birds as LBTs %u2014 %u201clittle brown things.%u201d But these days, the retirees call birds by their proper names.%u201cWe surprised ourselves by realizing that we were staring for several minutes at a time at large bird types, such as pileated woodpeckers, boring into tree bark several stories up,%u201d Norris said. %u201cSuddenly, it was important to figure out whether that tiny group foraging up ahead on the path was white-crowned or yellow-crowned sparrows. And the finches opened up a whole new domain to become immersed in!%u201dJeremy Lucas, vice president of Eastside Audubon Society, loves to encounter novice birdwatchers in nature.%u201cThey can%u2019t hide the smiles that grow on their faces as they go into detail about a beautiful spotted towhee at their feeder or at a lake, or seeing two different species of ducks and soon discover that we have more duck species here than they ever imagined,%u201d he said. %u201cOthers tell stories of the joy they have when they hear a call in the forest and can%u2019t quite identify it. After several minutes of meticulously going branch to branch, they finally find the bird making the sound. Look at the tail? Look at the chest? Is the bill thin or heavy?%u201dNorris said belonging to a birding organization enhances her love of the hobby. She and her husband participate in Bird Connect Seattle and the University of Washington Retirement Association birding group.%u201cIt%u2019s especially satisfying knowing that wherever we walk on any particular day, we will surely see something that catches our eye or ear, whether it%u2019s the unusual sighting of a Caspian tern floating over Union Bay or hearing the distinctive staccato call of a kingfisher staking out a pond,%u201d she said.found searching for treasure under the sand along waterfronts and shorelines. Registration is required. Detecting is also permitted on Washington Department of Natural Resources lands, as long as detectorists avoid disturbing historical or archaeological artifacts.Henneberry%u2019s advice for beginners of any age: %u201cIf you%u2019re just starting out, begin in your own yard and start figuring out your machine. Where to go birdingThe Eastside Audubon Society suggests these local locations for fall and winter birding:Bellevue Botanical Gardens: Black-capped and chestnut-backed chickadees, song sparrows, dark-eyed junco, Bewick%u2019s and Pacific wrens, brown creepers.Lake Sammamish State Park: Water birds such as gulls, grebes, and coots, as well as bald eagles looking to feed on coots.Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area, North Bend: Common and hooded mergansers, varied thrush, double-crested cormorants.Gold Creek Park and 21 Acres, Woodinville: Golden-crowned kinglet, brown creepers, downy and hairy woodpeckers winter at Gold Creek Park. At 21 Acres, white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows, and black-capped chickadees dominate. Red-tailed hawk is a resident bird.Marymoor Park, Redmond: Large flocks of cackling geese winter here. Lake Sammamish hosts buffleheads, ring-necked ducks, and short-billed and California gulls. In the river observe common mergansers, green-winged teals, American wigeons, American coots.Some of detectorist Allan Henneberry%u2019s finds are displayed Christmas tree-style on his property in Tacoma. (Courtesy of Allan Henneberry)