Read about WHAS members in the Daily News
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Recently WHAS members Russ and Ann Kastberg as well as John and Margaret Green were featured in an Article in the Daily News. The article shows how one can create a large or small garden to suit different animals. To read more check the Daily News article.
May / June 2011 Whistler is Online
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The May / June 2011 Whistler
is available now.
Read more of its content:
- WHAS Bird-A-Thon Invitation;
- Leadership Change;
- Thank ou to our past president;
- Member Form, WHAS News;
- A Fathers Day Message;
- Backyard Birding Update;
- Primal Warbling Column;
- Event Updates;
- Bird-A-Thon form;
- Alert email list;
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
Call for bird photos
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The WHAS Backyard Bird Calendar committee is looking for good quality photos for our 2012 Backyard Bird Calendar. Last year was our first attempt at a fundraising calendar. This year we want to print more and sell them at larger venues. If you are a bird photographer or know a bird photographer we are looking for photos of birds to include either in the larger photo that will go above each month or smaller photos that we’ll include in the calendar portion.
Please contact
Bird spring migration maps
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Thanks to one of our members, who sent in an email with the link, here is a great source to learn more about spring migration for up to 31 different bird species. From the eNature website: "For each species shown below, we have created spring migration maps that show the winter range, the migratory path, and the dates when you might expect to see the first arrivals in your area." (Thanks John for the link.)
Click here to see the maps.
March / April 2011 Whistler is Online
- Details
The March / April 2011 Whistler
is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Invitation to the Annual Member Meeting with Program: “Landscaping for Wildlife” by Ann Kastberg
- Program "Remote Arctic Wilderness Wildlife” by Russian Biologist Vasily Baranyuk
- Member Form, WHAS News;
- Bird Quiz;
- Nelson Creek Update; Bald Eagle Survey;
- Amphibian Surveys;
- Earth Day Volunteers needed;
- WHAS Bylaws change;
- Backyard Birding; Program Impressions;
- CBC Results for Cowlitz Columbia and Wahkiakum county circles;
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
Backyard Bird Lists
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We are presenting three bird lists (pdf file) from the yards/backyards of WHAS members. We would welcome additional lists from others. These will be of general interest and will also help those who are new to birding or new to this area have an idea of what they might expect to see in their own yards.
While our website does have bird lists for Cowlitz County, Wahkiakum County, and Lake Sacajawea, birds from individual yards will be much more restricted. This three lists represent two residential yards in Longview neighborhoods and one fairly rural yard in Rose Valley. But we have a wide variety of “yard” habitats in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties that will result in different assemblages of birds. As we get more lists, there will be more kinds of environments represented.
If you have a bird list for your yard and would like to add it to this website, please contact
An Unusual Avian Visitor
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A long-tailed duck (previously called old squaw) was first sighted at Lake Sacajawea in Longview by Russ Koppendrayer on January 21, 2011. It is still being seen as of 2/2/2011 hanging around the Washington Way bridge and Lion's Island. The male bird is in non-breeding plumage. If it stays long, we may see it molt towards breeding plumage and develop its characteristic long tail. This sea duck is more commonly found in pelagic waters and often seen in Puget Sound in winter.
Wahkiakum CBC Results
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On Thursday December 30, 19 volunteers participated in the thirteenth Wahkiakum Christmas Bird Count. The Wahkiakum Count straddles the Lower Columbia River, including the Julia B. Hansen and Lewis & Clark National Wildlife Refuges and the towns of Brownsmead, Knappa & Westport in Oregon and Cathlamet, Puget Island and Skamokawa on the Washington side. Weather was clear with a mild east wind, with a low near 28 degrees F and a high near 40.
The final species count is 114 plus two additional count week species, which is six species above average and one short of the record for this count circle.
Two species were new to the Wahkiakum CBC: a Redhead was at Little Island and a flock of nderlings, long overdue for this count circle, were on Grassy Island. A Black Phoebe was on Little Island, and a Northern Mockingbird was seen on Puget Island. Other species uncommon in this count circle included White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, and Savannah Sparrow.
Insight into how to develop a Bird Map
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The Seattle Times has an interesting article showing some insight into the development of the last of the Great Washington State Birding Trails, the Pudget Sound Loop.
Check out the article "Audubon birders rove Puget Sound to complete the Great Washington State Birding Trail" on their website.
To see the already available maps online (for free) go to the Washington State Audubon website. Trails to download include:
- Cascade Loop;
- Coulee Corridor, covering Central Washington from Grand Coulee to Othello;
- Southwest Loop, covering Olympia to the Columbia Gorge;
- Olympic Loop, circling the Olympic Peninsula;
- Sun & Sage Loop, spanning an area from Snoqualmie Pass to Walla Walla;
- Palouse to Pines Loop, covering Asotin to Republic.
2010 Amphibian Egg Mass Surveys
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Fun with frogs, family and friends found in freshets, fens, ponds, puddles, swales and lots of water in 2010 as people paddled, puddle-jumped, waded and slogged through bogs. As early as January red-legged frog (RAAU) and long-toed salamander (AMMA) egg masses showed up in Jack’s Slough and Germany Creek. In February copious quantities of the long-toed salamander egg masses were found at the Mint Farm, northwestern salamander (AMGR) egg masses appeared in Germany Creek and near Rainier, and Margaret Green found on lone AMGR mass at the Mint Farm.
The Gray’s River toads took us on an emotional roller coaster ride. Excitement mounted
- Cowlitz Columbia CBC Results
- January / February 2011 Whistler is online
- Leadbetter CBC Results
- 2011 Backyard Bird Calendar for Sale
- Great Lewis's Woodpecker and Peregine Falcon videos
- High rate of beak abnormalities in NorthWest Birds
- Tough truths about plastic pollution
- November / December 2010 Whistler is online
- Apps for Smartphone Users
- Could Vaux's swifts migratory birds be next on endangered species list?