Back at the end of February out at Deer Lagoon, that Redhead was still out there hanging with the scaup and some Ring-necked Ducks and all the other many species to be expected — Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, wigeons, Mallards, Green-winged Teals, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Coots, a Common Goldeneye and Canada Geese.
Cathi describes what was seen during March though the first day of Spring at Deer Lagoon and the Greenbank Farm.

Two participants joined trip leader Madrone Ruggiero on a cloudy and damp walk through South Whidbey State Park on March 19. The whistle of a Varied Thrush heard from the parking lot started us off on a trend of heard, but not seen birds. After examining a couple common late winter moths including Cerastis enigmatica, whose larvae eat salmonberry bushes that are just beginning to break bud, we set off through the campground. Our first sighting of spring in the campground was a Bigleaf Maple tree with swollen flower buds just beginning to open, which got the group started on the topic of edible plants. See more.

Sunny skies and calm seas welcomed the dozen attendees of the Flintstone Park Small Sit on Saturday February 28. At the start of the sit a flock of Northern Pintails dabbled in the shallows at the edge of the water while a small flock of Short-billed Gulls rested on the sand. Two pairs of Mallards among the pintails gave us an opportunity to compare the females of the two species. …

March 7: A highlight of this 2-hour field trip occurred before it even started: an adult Bald Eagle skimmed the surface of the bay and caught a surf smelt in each of its talons. The trip itself, with 16 attendees, commenced at the marina.  Several Bufflehead were there, along with a pair of Pied-billed Grebes. A Belted Kingfisher dove a couple of times from the railing of a sailboat. Other waterbirds included Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Red-breasted Mergansers, Canada Geese, and Pigeon Guillemots.

Of course, birds and plants go together better than just about anything. Last month Whidbey Audubon joined up with the WSU Master Gardeners all day Whidbey Gardening Workshop and marketplace on Saturday, March 21. We shared bird and habitat insights with the gardeners who came through, and also shared the space with Pacific Rim Institute. We really fit nicely there together.

Currently, there are no Motus antennas on Whidbey Island. The antenna will be able to detect tagged birds that use Crockett Lake and Admiralty Inlet as they migrate through Island County. The information gained will allow scientists and researchers further insight into migratory patterns and may provide the basis for future local conservation efforts. 

Whidbey Audubon Society (WAS) encourages everyone’s help in raising funds for the scholarship fund and the general fund of WAS. This is a major fundraiser for WAS and the only fundraiser for the scholarship fund. But secretly it is just a great excuse to bird for a full 24 hours for your heart’s delight either with others or on your own.

All teams will need to register in the month of April.

Mussel Watch is a biennial survey of ~85 locations throughout Puget Sound for chemical contaminants. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) established Mussel Watch in 2012 and it continues to operate the program. For the first time, Deer Lagoon became a monitoring site for the 2025﹘26 survey!

Ellen Nelson, At-Large WAS Board Member and Liaison to the Salish Sea Guillemot Network, reports that 2026 Pigeon Guillemot (PG) breeding survey season is beginning and shares how you can get involved. Also, a new book about PGs is out this month!

“Now that we’ve had that spring tease for a few days there, we’ll recollect these past winter weeks, which began with hot cider and goodies at Freeland Park back on Christmas Day! A surprising turnout of birders and birds—up in the park and along the shore that morning we saw and/or heard over 30 species.

Since then, from the East and West dikes at Deer Lagoon we’ve observed the season and tides turn….” Read about the species spotted in Cathi Bower’s report.

“On January 19, uncharacteristically flat water and clear skies brought fewer birds than normal to the Keystone Harbor with seven humans and only a few Glaucous-winged hybridgulls attending the sit.…On the first day of February, a dozen people came by the Coupeville Wharf small sit…The highlight of the sit for the field trip leader was helping an enthusiastic new birder from the mainland identify their mystery birds they saw from the ferry….”

Trip leader Madrone Ruggerio shares his report.

“We started our field trip at Libbey Beach Park, taking advantage of the high tide that brought seabirds close to shore. The water was choppy, but the birding was great with the morning sun highlighting the seabirds…We moved on to Hastie Lake Park. The tide was pushing waves against the breakwater, but the sun was warm and the wind had settled. The birding was equally good…”

Learn about the species the group spotted in Nancy’s Luenn’s article.