Purple Martin Nest Box Monitoring 2026 Season
The Western Purple Martin season started off with January news of Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife and Stan Kostka of Arlington (former Secretary of the international Western Purple Martin Working Group) together forming a new Washington Western Purple Martin Working Group to compile nesting data. Close to home, Linda Rhodes volunteered to take over monitoring of the nest boxes at the old pilings on Crockett Lake.
Mary Hollen of the Whidbey Audubon Society has been monitoring these remarkable birds on Lagoon Point since 2014.
July’s Big Day
Our Birdathon team, Raven For More (Madrone Ruggiero, Martha Ellis, Steve Ellis), conducted a birding Big Day on July 28, 2026. The purpose was to determine which species are present in July and to “ground truth” what birders can realistically expect to find in midsummer.
Volunteer Birders Needed — Make a Difference for Seabirds
The Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) is seeking volunteers to join this long-running community science program.
Volunteers take part in seven coordinated surveys at coastal sites, conducted once per month on the first Saturday from October through April.
Photo by John Strung, Long-tailed Duck.
Whidbey Audubon Joins the Motus Program Tracking Tagged Birds and Other Flying Animals
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.