Monthly Programs
Next General Meeting Program: Thursday, June 11, 2026 in person at the Coupeville Rec Hall
Our monthly programs feature a guest speaker presenting a subject of interest to those who love birds. We have nine programs a year, with no program in July, August and December, on the second Thursday of the month, and they are free and open to the public. Drop by and enjoy the company as we all learn something new from our featured guest. See our Calendar or Events List for upcoming programs.
Banner photo by Jann Ledbetter
The Joys of One-Bird Birding
with Maria Mudd Ruth
Recorded May 14th, 2026
Whidbey Audubon members are no strangers to Pigeon Guillemots. Since 2003, these lively, charming seabirds have gained a wide and devoted following on the island as the focal species of the Salish Sea Guillemot Network. There are now 250 volunteer community scientists in this ever-expanding network of “guillemoteers” and Maria Mudd Ruth is one of them. Though her first encounters with the guillemots on Puget Sound were centered on data collection, Maria’s hour-long surveys led to a curiosity-fueled, multi-year exploration of the guillemots and the lives they live beyond the data sheets. Maria’s new book, The Bird with the Flaming Red Feet, is informed by her thirteen years among the guillemots on an inlet near her home in Olympia. Her slide presentation is a celebration of the Pigeon Guillemot, the Salish Sea Network, community science, and the joys of “one-bird birding.”
Maria Mudd Ruth is the author of more than a dozen books on natural history topics for general audiences, young readers, birders and non-birders alike. Her recent books include critically acclaimed Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet and award-winning A Sideways Look at Clouds. Since 2013, she has been a volunteer community scientist with the Salish Sea Guillemot Network and is the team lead at a raucous guillemot colony on Eld Inlet. To learn more about Maria, visit her website.
Tufted Puffin
in a Dynamic Seascape
with Dr. Scott Pearson
Recorded March 12th, 2026
The Tufted Puffin is an iconic seabird that nests on offshore islands along Washington’s outer coast and on two islands in the Salish Sea. Recent analyses suggest that the puffin is declining from the Gulf of Alaska south to California, with more dramatic declines at the southern end of its breeding range. Scott describes the species’ natural history and provides information on its status in Washington and beyond and on research and conservation efforts to benefit the species locally.
Dr. Scott Pearson is a senior research scientist at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington and his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Michigan. His research is focused on assessing wildlife population status and trends and the underlying mechanisms driving declines to help inform conservation management. His current work is focused on gaining a better understanding of marine bird and mammal diets, habitat use and quality, and the effectiveness of conservation efforts with a focus on several species of conservation concern. Scott also supervises the west-side research team for the Wildlife Program.
