The north end count, officially known as Washington Oak Harbor, was conducted on Saturday, Dec. 20. Strong winds battered the 33 volunteer participants that day. 

A total of 109 species were found and 16,595 individual birds were tallied. Many team leaders felt the winds that gusted over 30 mph were a factor in reducing bird numbers.

Read Steve Ellis’s full report.

Whidbey Audubon is adding “small sits” to our field trip offerings. The idea of a small sit is to offer a type of field trip that may allow some who are unable to attend traditional walking field trips an opportunity to go birding and enjoy the outdoors.

The sits will introduce both well known and lesser known birding spots on Whidbey Island that have accessible areas.

On January 14, the view from Windjammer Park resembled a watercolor painting. Smooth silvery water below and thick fog above. The still water made it easy to find seabirds. Species identified included Surf Scoters, a White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads and scaup. Close to shore we saw…

Read Nancy Luenn’s full report.

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.

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….

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.