This Wings Over Whidbey field trip met at wind-blown Fort Casey State Park. We started our efforts atop the high bluff in order to scope for waterbirds. A large flock of Rhinoceros Auklets with interspersed Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants was found immediately. …

On another cool gray morning, eleven birders met at the Pacific Rim Institute on May 14 to look for birds and wildflowers. Hearing that Barn Owls are nesting in the 1910 pole barn, we walked in the direction of the forest….

Whidbey Audubon welcomed two new officers and two new members and bade goodbye to four members in May. We appreciate members who have given of their time and talents in the past and who are filling vital roles going forward.

I had the pleasure of leading the first official Whidbey Audubon trip to Reifel in many years. Twelve enthusiastic participants and I met at the Reifel entrance station…

Five enthusiastic participants met me and the state park employee at the locked gate to the Hoypus Point Road.

Our much-loved picture windows have been killing birds for generations because birds can’t distinguish habitat reflected in windows from real trees and sky. Have any birds hit your windows this year? There are simple actions you can take to prevent bird window strikes and save lives.

Bird nesting is in full swing, and our actions can support or jeopardize eggs and nestlings. Steve Ellis shares guidelines for observing nests and actions you can take to give birds a better chance of reproducing.

There is still time to sign up as a survey volunteer! There are openings for regular beach monitors and substitute monitors, primarily for sites from mid-Island-Greenbank and North to Oak Harbor and we could definitely use volunteers with Navy Base access for the colonies on the base.  

Online and in-person volunteer trainings will take place May 14, May 21, May 28 and May 28.

On April 9, ten birders met at Joseph Whidbey State Park on a cool gray morning. We walked into a forest full of spring green leaves and birdsong. Among the species we identified were Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Golden-crowned Kinglet.…

Conservation Committee Chair Jackie Lasater shares updates about the Kelp Forest Protection Bill and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and a call for help identifying who removed an Osprey nest from a Greenbank telephone pole.

Elections will be held at the May 8 membership meeting to fill the executive officer positions of secretary and treasurer. Both positions are for two-year terms. 

We are exceptionally fortunate to have two strong candidates running for these positions.

Six teams will be gathering pledges from friends and family members and recording the species of birds they see during a 24-hour period in early May. The funds they raise will support Whidbey Audubon’s scholarship program and the general fund.