Snowy Owl in Ridgefield NWR
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A special visitor to the Ridgefield NWR as seen in December 2011.
Barred Owl seen in Longview
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Check this article in the Daily News about a Barred Owl seen in the 30th Ave area in Longview WA.
Also, some locations in Washington and Oregon have reported sightings of snowy owls, which are rarely seen locally.
"Every few years the conditions in the Arctic force some of the owls southward to find adequate food," said local birder and Willapa Hills Audubon Society member Darrel Whipple of Rainier, Oregon.
"At any rate, northwest birdwatchers are excited to see these magnificent birds whenever an irruption occurs. About 25 years ago one of our WHAS members had a Snowy Owl perch on her rooftop in Longview and stay in the neighborhood for a week, creating quite a sensation for the neighbors and local birders."
How many Birds can you see in Washington State?
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According to a recent article in the Seattle Times the present record for most birds seen in Washington State is held by Gene Hunn at 442 out of 505 species known in the state. There are thousands of birdwatchers in the state, but only a relative handful keep serious bird lists. Living up to the excitement in the recent film "The Big Year," bird listing exists for Washington State too.
The record stands at 359th avian species witnessed in the state in 2001 by Marv Breece, of Seattle, and the record is still holding up.
Check out the article for more details.
WHAS members John and Margaret Green featured in The Chronicle
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Here is some great info on birding in our local Cowlitz and Columbia Counties thanks to Willapa Hills Audubon members Margaret and John Green, which were recently interviewed by the St. Helens Chronicle.
"We've had some ducks come into the lake here and people from all over Washington come to see this," said John Green, a long time birder and member of the Willapa Hills Audubon Society. Green and his wife, Margaret, live just across the street from Lake Sacajawea in Longview. The 30-acre park offers some of the best opportunities to get involved in bird watching. "Last year we had a bird that was rare for our area, for our county, and we'd go out and walk the lake and I would run into somebody from Seattle who had come down and hey'd ask where it is," said Margaret.
For more see the article in The Chronicle.
November / December 2011 Whistler is Online
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The November / December 2011 Whistler
is available now.
Read more of its content:
- WHAS Backyard Bird Calendar;
- Membership Application Form;
- Indian Jack Slough Update;
- WHAS Donation to Wake Robin;
- President Message;
- Christmas Bird Count’s 2011 Update;
- Winter Bird Feeding;
- Wildlife Sightings;
- Penguin Program;
- Book Review: Moby Duck;
- Backyard Birding Information;
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
Bald Eagle Recovery
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More bald eagles spend the winter in Oregon than anywhere in the U.S. outside Alaska. Yet the lower Columbia River is one area in Oregon where eagles have trouble successfully hatching eggs.
Watch a recent Bald Eagle episode of OPB's Oregon Field Guide.
Christmas Bird Counts Overview 2011
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The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is citizen-science at its best. You can help with this effort, whether you have ever gone bird watching or not. You will have the opportunity to meet new people with interests in birds, or spend time with friends from previous years. Observant eyes are needed for that day: the more the better. You can point out where you see birds and experts in your group can do the identifying; if you do know some of the birds in your area, so much the better. This is your chance to help collect the information which will direct decisions in the future, decisions which will affect how much natural beauty, including birds, remains for future generations.
Bring your binoculars if you have some, boots, warm clothes and a lunch, and join us for a day outside, looking closely at some of Nature's most interesting creatures, sharing the day with people who have similar interests.
Duckling sightings at Lake Sacajawea
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It is unusual for ducks to have ducklings this time of year as well as for them to survive the raccoons which inhabit the lake area. There are perhaps a dozen eggs and 4 or 5 hatchlings as of October 12th. As of October 26th, three ducklings were still observed with their mother, who appears to be a feral domesticated duck.
Backyard Birds Calendar 2012 for sale
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Now available, the WHAS 2012 Calendar features beautiful photos of Northwest backyard birds, shown in the month they're here, along with tips on creating your bird friendly yard, as well as a special section for keeping track of your backyard bird sightings.
Urban Bird Adaptations
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Check out this Science News Article "When Birds Go To Town" for insights into how birds adapt to or are impacted by noisy environments, how trash filled diets impact birds reproductive success and what kind of reception the crows in Seattle may give you if you walk around in a caveman mask.
- September / October 2011 Whistler is Online
- Rainier's Vaux's Swifts fall update
- Check out our bird lists
- National Coverage of Proposed Coal Terminal in Longview
- July / August 2011 Whistler is Online
- Read about WHAS members in the Daily News
- May / June 2011 Whistler is Online
- Call for bird photos
- Bird spring migration maps
- March / April 2011 Whistler is Online