Summer Bird Camp Fun!

Local area children will have a special summer experience exploring the world of birds with NCAS at the Whatcom Museum during a week-long camp either July 13-17 or 27-31. NOW scholarships are available courtesy of the North Cascades Audubon Society which is offering six $50 scholarships to supplement the camp registration of $170 for museum members and $190 non-members. A sibling discount of 10% is also available. Kids will make bird feeders, bird watch along Whatcom Creek and participate in a Celebrate Urban Birds walk, engage with birds in the museum's 500+ mounted bird display and the Owl and the Woodpecker exhibit, do bird art learn about birds through interactive games and much more! Contact Chris Brewer, 360-778-8960 / cbbrewer@cob.org for more information and to apply. For more information or to register contact Chris @ 360-778-8960 or cbbrewer@cob.org.  

Save the Date Whidbey Audubon Society: International Guillemot Appreciation Days 2015

Everyone is invited to join us to learn more about this endearing seabird.  Whidbey Island is home to about 1,000 Pigeon Guillemots.

  • Friday, June 26th Happy Hour at Ott & Murphy Winery 3-5 p.m. Specials on glasses of wine. The Pigeon Guillemot Research Project will have photos and discussions of this long running study.  Red and black felt to cut out your own Guillemot feet! (204 first street Langley, WA).
  • Saturday, June 27th Morning field trip to two Guillemot colonies. Meet 8 a.m. at Freeland Park & Ride (Trinity Lutheran Church- 18341 Hwy 525).

SYRE EDUCATION CENTER OPEN MAY 9-30

The Syre Education Center, home to the Museum's collection of more than 500 mounted birds, including 12 species of owls and six species of woodpeckers, will be open from May 9 through 30, Thurs.-Sun., noon-5pm. $10 admission includes entry to all museum buildings. Special Audubon EventsAudubon Bird Tour: Now That's a Strange-Looking BirdSunday, May 17, Audubon at the Museum 1-4pm; tour at 2pmWhatcom Museum | Syre Educational CenterFree with admission / Museum members freeBirds come in many, sometimes unusual, shapes and colors with each species sporting unique eyes, beaks, feet, wings and bodies. Not just for style, these features help birds 'make a living' in the world. Audubon board member and retired biologist Owen Bamford reveals how a bird species is uniquely structured for its way of life.Audubon Bird Tour: Meet Our Raptors!Sunday, May 24, Audubon at the Museum 1-4pm; tour at 2pmWhatcom Museum | Syre Educational CenterFree with admission / Museum members freePam Borso, current North Cascades Audubon Society president, introduces key owl and hawk species and shares how these birds of prey are faring in our changing land and sea habitats. Pam will be on hand between 1-4pm to talk informally with visitors and lead a tour at 2pm.

EXHIBITIONS NEW! The Owl & the Woodpecker: Photographs by Paul Bannick

Opens May 9 through August 20, 2015Whatcom Museum | Lightcatcher, 250 Flora StreetFeaturing 25 large-format, framed color prints by Seattle photographer and author Paul Bannick, The Owl & the Woodpecker introduces museum visitors to the most important species of owls and woodpeckers in North America. Using spectacular photos, informative text, and evocative audio recordings to illustrate how these birds define and enrich the specific habitats on which they depend, the exhibition highlights the critical importance of conserving those habitats. Bird calls and woodpecker drumming sounds are provided by audio-naturalist Martyn Stewart, who has recorded more than 200,000 bird sounds worldwide. The Owl & the Woodpecker: Photographs by Paul Bannick was organized by the Burke Museum, University of Washington, created with Paul Bannick and Braided River, a partner of The Mountaineers Books. Members' preview event takes place Sat., May 9, 10am-noon at Old City Hall.

May 2015 Newsletter and Events are Online

May 2015 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF. (Click "Newsletter" in the menu.)

May and June Events and Field Trips Are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

Annual NCAS Campout

     May 28 through May 31, Pearrygin Lake State Park

For more information and to sign-up (required) contact Steven Harper at stevenharper2@msn.com or 360-650-9065. There is also additional information on our website under calendar events.

General Membership Meeting with Jim and Daphne Hamilton

     This month's exciting membership meeting! Mark your calendar. See below for date, time, and location.

Andean Hummingbird Expedition. Who hasn’t been amazed at the flight tactics of the tiny hummingbird? Fascinated by the aerial agility of these birds, University of California researcher Doug Altshuler sought to unlock their flight secrets. Through the EarthWatch Institute, Jim and Daphne Hamilton became a part of the Andean Mountain Hummingbird Project in Peru in 1998. They share the research findings and their hummingbird experiences and let you know how you can become a part of vital research projects.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:May 26th, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

Annual NCAS Elections

Officer Nominations for 2015-2016

It is customary for NCAS to conduct its annual election of officers at the May Membership Meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the meeting if there are others interested in running. The slate of officers being presented by the Board of Directors are:Pam Borso        PresidentPaul Woodcock    Vice PresidentSteven Harper    SecretarySue Parrott         TreasurerPlease be there to vote!

Getting Down and Dirty for the Birds!

Saturday Work Parties with the Whatcom Land TrustIf you’re interested in helping improve habitat for birds, fish and all wildlife, join the Whatcom Land Trust (WLT) in a Saturday work party on one of their conservation sites. The necessary tools and gloves will be provided and carpooling is always encouraged. Some of these sites have limited parking and access, so it’s important that you sign up by contacting WLT’s Volunteer Coordinator, Dennis Conner at Dennis@whatcomlandtrust.org or 360-650-9470 #107. Jensen Family Forest Park, May 2, 9am-Noon Meet at this park, conserved by WLT and managed by Whatcom County Parks & Recreation, to remove invasive plants and maintain a short forested trail. Directions: From Bellingham, travel north on I-5 to Custer and take the exit for Birch Bay - Lynden Road (Exit 270). Turn right on Birch-Bay Lynden Road and turn right onto Stein Road after 1.5 miles. Look for WLT signs, the parking lot will be on the right. Clark’s Point, May 9, 8:45am-NoonJoin in at this WLT Conservation Easement property to restore the hillside where an escaped fire burned native vegetation. Volunteers will be planting native trees and shrubs and removing invasive plant species. Directions: From Bellingham, travel south to Fairhaven, take 12th Street south, turn left onto Chuckanut Drive and turn left into Fairhaven Park. Due to limited parking, we will meet at Fairhaven Park at 8:45am to coordinate carpooling before heading to Clark's Point.

April Newsletter and Events are Online

April 2015 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF. (Click "Newsletter" in the menu.)

April Events and Field Trips Are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

Annual NCAS Campout

     May 28 through May 31, Pearrygin Lake State Park

For more information and to sign-up (required) contact Steven Harper at stevenharper2@msn.com or 360-650-9065. There is also additional information on our website under calendar events.

General Membership Meeting with John Bower

     This month's exciting membership meeting! Mark your calendar. See below for date, time, and location.

Bird Migration in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is an exciting place to experience bird migration, with birds moving through this region in almost every month of the year. Migration patterns in the Northwest are complex. Tremendous numbers of shorebirds, marine birds, and songbirds migrate along the Pacific Flyway, some of them flying all the way from the Arctic to as far south as the Patagonia region of South America. Many other species migrate from near and far to spend part of the year in the Northwest, including hawks, eagles, and marine birds.  And some species are altitudinal migrants, moving between the mountains and the lowlands at different times of the year.  In this program John Bower will investigate these different migratory patterns, highlighting migratory hotspots in this region, as well as underscoring the importance of local ecosystems for maintaining migratory bird populations.John Bower teaches field biology, ecology, natural history, evolution, environmental issues, and popular music studies at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University.  His current research involves repeating important components of the 1970’s Marine Ecosystems Analysis (MESA) census to document recent marine bird population changes in inshore marine waters.  His past research includes conservation biology of seabirds and the endemic Juan Fernandez firecrown hummingbird on Chile’s Isla Robinson Crusoe, and acoustic communication in birds and whales.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:April 28th, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

March Newsletter, Field Trips and Events

March 2015 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF. (Click "Newsletter" in the menu.)

March Events and Field Trips Are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

General Membership Meeting with Martha Jordan

     This month's exciting membership meeting! Mark your calendar. See below for date, time, and location.

Swans of Winter. Trumpeter swans, the largest waterfowl in the world, have been brought back from the brink of extinction and once again grace our skies and waterways. They trumpet the success of our conservation efforts and continue to call us to action to protect farmland and wetlands.  Join Martha Jordon, well-known swan biologist, to learn about the life history and biology of Washington’s native trumpeter and tundra swans. The program will include new information on the migration patterns of tundra swans and how the North Cascades serve as a link connecting the west and east sides of our state for both species of swans.  Martha will shed some light on the problems and controversies these birds face on their wintering grounds and what is needed to ensure their future. Get updated on the swan lead poisoning die-off, habitat issues and more.  Martha will share some excellent photos that help clarify the difficult identification of these swans and will provide free swan identification pamphlets at the meeting. Discover ways in which you can contribute to our understanding of swans in Washington just by doing what you already do outdoors.Martha Jordan has a degree in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University.  She began to look at swans in the late 1970s as an independent citizen, and by 1984 had contributed much information to state and federal agencies on the status of trumpeter swans in Washington State, including the first swan management plan.  She was a long time board member of The Trumpeter Swan Society (TTSS) and currently chairs the Washington Swan Stewards, the local TTSS group.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:March 24th, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

Beach walkers and Birders Wanted!!

BEACHWALKERS & BIRDERS WANTED!
Help make a difference for the environment by collecting data for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST). COASST is a citizen science project dedicated to involving volunteers in the collection of high quality data on the status of coastal beaches, and trends of seabirds. Our goal is to assist government agencies and other organizations in making informed management and conservation decisions, and promote proactive citizen involvement and action. COASST volunteers systematically count and identify bird carcasses that wash ashore along ocean beaches from northern California to Alaska.  Volunteers need NO experience with birds, just a commitment to survey a specific beach (about 3/4 mile) each month.
If you are interested in participating, join COASST staff for a full, 6-hour training session. Hear about how COASST started, learn how to use the custom Beached Birds field guide, and try out your new skills with some actual specimens.  There is no charge to attend a training, but plan to provide a $20 refundable deposit if you would like to take home a COASST volunteer kit complete with a COASST Beached Birds field guide. Training activities take place indoors. There will be a break for lunch, so please plan on packing one or buying something in the area.
Saturday, March 14 – Bellingham, WA
 
10:00AM-4:00PM
Fairhaven Branch Library
Northwest Room
1117 12th Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
 
To reserve your spot at the training session, please contact coasst@uw.edu or 206-221-6893. If you can’t attend this event, please check our website at www.coasst.org or call 206-221-6893 for additional information on upcoming events and trainings.

2015 Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Projects (WCAMP) Amphibian ID Trainings and Survey Season

2015 Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Projects (WCAMP) Amphibian ID Trainings and Survey Season WCAMP is hunting for enthusiastic volunteers to learn about and collect data on amphibians in the lowlands of Whatcom County. The first part of each training will be in the classroom and the second part in the field, with a focus on identifying the egg masses and adult forms of various amphibian species. In return for these free trainings WCAMP asks volunteers to commit to a minimum of 12 hours of survey time between March 1 and May 1, 2015.Saturday, February 28, 10 AM-3 PM, BP Lands in FerndaleThis training is sponsored by BP and will provide volunteers a great way to see and survey areas that are not open to the public.Sunday, March 1, 10 AM-3 PM, Lummi Island Heritage Trust (LIHT)This training will be held on Lummi Island at the Otto Preserve. Survey work will be focused on LIHT lands or other Lummi Island habitat. Preference will be given to Lummi Island residents.Saturday, March 7, 10 AM-3 PM, Maritime Heritage Park, BellinghamThis training is for our County-wide program with survey work occurring throughout the County. To sign up please provide the following​ to Vikki Jackson at vikki@whatfrogs.org : name, email, phone, and date of training you prefer. You can learn more about this program at www.whatfrogs.org. 

Alert! Swans aloft!

imgres The Friends of Tennant Lake and Hovander Park are sponsoring the annual Swan Program February 21, 2015 at 7:00 AM at the Tenant Lake tower.  See the swans take off from their roost on Tenant Lake to fly to their fields for daily forage.  Join us to see these magnificent birds take off and fly sometimes right by the tower and then stay to enjoy some hot drinks and a program by WDFW agent Paul DeBruyn.

February Newsletter now on Line!!

February 2015 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF. (Click "Newsletter" in the menu.)

Feb Events and Field Trips Are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

General Membership Meeting with Gary Slater

     This month's exciting membership meeting! Mark your calendar. See below for date, time, and location.

Reintroduction of the Western Bluebird to the Pacific Northwest. The western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) was a common inhabitant in oak-prairie and other open habitats in western Washington and southwestern British Columbia until the early-1900’s when habitat loss and fragmen- tation and competition for nest cavities from exotic species triggered a wave of extirpations across the region. Since 2007, Ecostudies Institute and other conservation partners have been working to restore a regional popu- lation through reintroduction. Join us as Gary Slater of Ecostudies talks about the first successful reintroduction of a migratory passerine species, the progress and setbacks to this conservation program, and the important role that private landowners play in the recovery of this iconic species.
Gary Slater is the founder of Ecostudies Institute (www.ecoinst.org). He received a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Purdue University (1989) and a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida (1997). His current research focuses on the reintroduction ecology of passerines and shorebird monitoring and ecology in Puget Sound.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:February 24th, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

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January Events - Happy New Year!

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January 2015 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF. (Click "Newsletter" in the menu.)

Jan Events and Field Trips Are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

Thank You and Happy New Year!   Thanks to everyone who participated in NCAS events this year, everyone who helped with this year's Christmas Bird Count and to everyone who attended our Holiday Potluck. See you next year! General Membership Meeting with Mitch Friedman

     This month's exciting membership meeting! See below for date, time, and NEW location.

The State of Carnivore Recovery in Washington State. Join Mitch Friedman, Executive Director of Conservation Northwest, as he presents an overview of popu- lation status and trends, recovery efforts and legal protection levels for gray wolves, grizzly bears, lynx, fishers and wolverines in Washington State. The Washington State populations of these carnivores were all drastically reduced or eliminated during the past 150 years. Mitch will discuss what is being done to bring back these ani- mals. Mitch will also talk about the Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan for Washington and the key role Conservation Northwest is playing investing in conflict avoidance efforts to build increased social tolerance for wolves.
Mitch Friedman founded Conservation Northwest in 1988. He has a degree in zoology from the University of Washington and has received conservation awards from Sunset Magazine, Society for Conservation Biol- ogy, The Wilderness Society, and others. At Conservation Northwest Mitch has led the effort to infuse land- scape scale conservation biology into advocacy strategies. The success of this approach is evident in great gains protecting habitat connectivity between the North Cascades Ecosystem and wild areas to the south (Central Cascades), east (the Rockies), and northwest (B.C. Coast and Chilcotin Ranges), as well as recovery of native carnivores including gray wolves, fishers, lynx and wolverines.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:January 27th, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

Cherry Point Bird Surveys coming soon!

Seeking Volunteers for 2015 Cherry Point Bird SurveysTuesdays, January 6, 13, and 20, and February 3 and 10; 6 – 8 PM Attention birders, bird-lovers, and Cherry Point aficionados, here’s an opportunity to use and hone your birding skills, meet other birders, and help Cherry Point all at the same time. Following up on the past two seasons of successful trainings and surveys focused on seven birds, this class will focus on the identification of fourteen key birds at Cherry Point.  Participants will then be able to take part in Cherry Point surveys and help build trusted bird survey databases. A report for the 2013-2014 season can be found at: https://sites.google.com/a/re-sources.org/main-2/programs/baykeeper/whatcom-and-skagit-county-aquatic-reserves This project is under the direction of Dr. John Bower, Fairhaven College, Western Washington University, and is sponsored by the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stakeholder Committee, with support from the North Cascades Audubon Society (NCAS), Washington Environmental Council, and ReSources for Sustainable Communities. NCAS’es Pam Borso and Paul Woodcock will be assisting Dr. John Bower with the classes which will be held at ReSources. To register, contact Wendy Steffensen at ReSources: wendys@re-sources.org    

Pelican Dreams at the Picford

PELICAN DREAMS at The Pickford November 28- December 4A Film By Judy IrvingAuthor of "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill"Shadow Distribution is proud to present PELICAN DREAMS, a documentary film by Sundance-and-Emmy-Award winning filmmaker Judy Irving, author of "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". This film follows a California brown pelican called Gigi - from her "arrest" on the Golden Gate Bridge, to her wildlife rehabilitation care and explores the survival challenges of these birds. This film shows their Pacific coast migration, and exploring pelican's nesting grounds. Morro's story is also featured: a backyard pelican with a wing injury, and how he survives backyard pelican life. There are many struggles of a pelican such as the amount of fish available, oil spills, and climate change. This film covers many aspects and follows the lives of pelicans to help us become even more educated on this beautiful, once endangered bird. 

Annual Holiday Potluck

Please join us for our Annual Holiday Potluck
Where:  Lairmont Manor - 405 Fieldston Road, Fairhaven
When:   Tuesday, December 9
Time:    6 pm
Bring a dish to share along with a plate, utensils and a glass
We will have live music, prizes for bird trivia and our special
guest will be Photographer Doug Brown, showing us a nesting pair of ospreys.
Bring your family and join the fun!

 

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Nov/Dec Newsletter and Events

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Nov/Dec 2014 Newsletter is Online

     Go to Newsletter to download the PDF.

Nov/Dec Events and Field Trips

Christmas Bird Count     Mark your calendar! This year the CBC falls on December 14, 2014. Contact Paul Woodcock (360-380-3356) if you are interested in participating.
NCAS Holiday Potluck     Join us for delicious food, music, bird photos, and bird trivia on Tuesday, December 9 at the Lairmont Manor in Fairhaven. More details to come soon! General Membership Meeting with Doug Clark

Check our Calendar to see what's coming up this month. (Upcoming events are listed on the home page as well as on the Calendar.)

     This month's exciting membership meeting! See below for date, time, and NEW location.

The Glacial Development in Western Whatcom County. Join Doug Clark as he presents early results of his newest research project on the glacial development of western Whatcom County. The story is a fascinating tale of glacier advance and retreat interspersed with dramatic sea level rise and fall, all during a short period at the end of the last major ice age. This exceptional event shaped most of the landscape of the Whatcom lowlands and exemplifies the relevance of geology in under- standing the landscape in which we live.Doug Clark is an Associate Professor of Geology at Western Washington University, and has been teaching at WWU for the past 15 years. His research interests include processes related to mountain landscapes, glacia- tion and climate change, landslides, and active tectonics. His research areas include the mountains of central Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and western North America.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month: November 25, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!
**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building