Birding in Neighborhoods - South
The last few shortest days of the year found us at Sunlight Beach once, Deer Lagoon West side most often, and once to Lone Lake looking for a Canvasback Duck which had been hanging out there. Though we missed the Canvasback, it is just Duck Season now and everywhere you go there are at least eight or ten different types of water fowl….
Read Cathi Bower’s full report.
Get to Know the Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
What’s so special about a Western Tanager? Just about everything. To start, their color is spectacular. Their diet gives them the red color from a rare plumage pigment called rhododoxathin. No other tanager has this plumage….
How I Built My Own Hummingbird Nectar Heater
When Audubon Board Member Patricia Duarte-Pocock moved to Whidbey Island from Southern California, she quickly realized that if she wanted to keep her hummingbird feeders up all winter, she’d need one that was heated. So she built her own! And you can, too.
Comment Now on the Deer Lagoon Draft Comprehensive Plan!
In this letter, Carlos Andersen shares his concerns regarding the recently released draft/proposed Island County Comprehensive Plan updates and encourages members to comment on the current plan.
Field Trip Report, November 15
Steve and Martha Ellis describe a day spent exploring areas of Fort Casey State Park, the Keystone Boat Launch, and Crockett’s Lake. The 13 attendees found a total of 45 bird species!
Dogs Pose a Growing Threat to Raptor Food at Greenbank Farm
While dogs and wildlife have co-existed for many years in the off-leash area at Greenbank Farm, there has been a noticeable increase in dogs digging up, pursuing, and killing small mammals over the past year.
Birding in Neighborhoods - North
November and December trips to Deception Pass State Park and Keystone Harbor provided excellent winter birding. Calm conditions at Deception Pass revealed seabirds, forest birds, and shorebirds, with memorable sightings of a Great Blue Heron against the Olympic Mountains and…
Read Nancy Luenn’s full report.
Meet the Audubon Leadership: Michelle Munro, Membership Committee Chair
Michelle Munro stepped into the role of Membership Committee chair earlier this year. We talked with her about her involvement with Audubon and her advice to other backyard birders.
Successful Grateful Birds Book Launch Benefits Whidbey Audubon, LittleBIGFest
Govinda Holtby reports that the October 26 launch of Grateful Birds, an illustrated book she published with her husband, Matt, was a great success! More than 65 people attended, enjoying music performed by David Licastro’s ukulele class (accompanied by Stephen Barbour) and seeing bird specimens from Whidbey Audubon’s collection.
Gratitude Post: In a Big Year, It’s the Little Things
In this article, Cathi Bower introduces us to Daniel/Danny/Dan Bernard. “Earlier this fall, he quietly arrived on our island to find his 126th Washington bird, a Parasitic Jaeger. Back on January first this year, Dan set out from his home in Michigan for a unique type of Big Year, and not just the kind that comes to mind. He created a project for himself which he has titled People, Places, Birds…”