BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY (BHAS) is a chapter of the
National Audubon Society, representing Lewis, Mason, and
Thurston counties in the state of Washington. It is a
volunteer-based, non-profit organization whose 1,300+ members
share interests in birds and other wildlife, their habitats, and
natural history. Our goals are to promote environmental
education and recreation and to maintain and protect our
ecosystems for future generations.
We also work with the
state Audubon office (Audubon
Washington).
Next BHAS Monthly Program Meeting is
February 12th (Thurs.), 7pm.
Presentation:
"Experience
T and T"
by
Sheila McCartan and Tom Schooley
Sit back and be transported to
a place far removed from
the
gray
winter days of the PacificNorthwest.
Join
Sheila McCartan and Tom Schooley
as they share
their
experience
visiting and birding
The Republic
of
Trinidad and
Tobago off the
coast of
Venezuela.
These tiny islands are home to
over 420 species of birds.
Learn
about the important conservation
work and education
programs
of
the Asa Wright Nature Center.
For a little added
twist, there is
a
connection in this story to James Bond!
__________________________________________________
Everyone is invited to the program meetings. You don't
have to be a member.
BHAS Program meetings are held on the second Thursday of
the
month. (exceptions: no March, July, or
August meetings).
Meeting Location
(except for the June picnic):
First Christian Church
701 Franklin Street SE
Olympia, WA 98507
Arrive at 7:00 pm to socialize –
the program will begin promptly
at 7:30 pm.
Current issue of the Echo newsletter:
January-February 2015
Echo
(PDF, 374 kb)
The next deadline for submitting articles
will be Feb 1, 2014 (for the Mar-Apr 2015 Echo)
Every Wednesday, 8:00 am —
11:00 am, Field Trip:
Phil Kelley leads a
Birding
Walk at
Nisqually NWR.
Meet at the Nisqually Visitor Center.
First Saturday of each month,
Birding and Breakfast
-
First Saturday of each month,
different location each time within Lewis, Mason, or
Thurston County. Birding at 7:30 am and breakfast at
9:00 am.
For more information, contact Deb Nickerson at 360-754-5397.
Third Monday of each month at
4:30 pm, Event:
Birds and Beer (Olympia)
Gather with birders at the Fish Tale Brewpub on the
third Monday of each month. People will share their “best
birding spots in our area.”
Come ready to share where
and why you go birding in a particular spot. People new to
our area will benefit from your knowledge. We will
gather at the couches in the back. Location: Fish Tale Brewpub,
515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia
Last Wednesday of each month
at 5:00 pm , Event:
Birds and Beer (Shelton)
Meet other birders from Mason County or those who happen to
be in the area. Discuss good places to bird and the
interesting birds you have sighted recently. Have a beverage
and or a bite to eat with us.
Come ready to share where
and why you go birding in a particular spot. People new to
our area will benefit from your knowledge. Location: Smoking Mo's Kitchen
203 W Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA. See
map.
Third Thursday of each month, 8:00 a.m: Field Trip:
Guided
Birding at Eagle’s Pride Golf Course
at
JBLM
Eagle’s Pride Golf Course,
which most of us only glimpse as we speed by on I-5, has
many acres of undeveloped ponds, meadow, and conifer and deciduous forest, just one-half mile from the Nisqually
River. Over 72 species of birds have been documented so far on
these Thursday field trips.
This trip will
be from 1-3 miles long on relatively level ground, and
explore forest, water, and open area species.
No security passes are required. Trip starts promptly
at 8:00 a.m. at the golf course driving range parking lot.
Location: Exit 116 (Mounts Road), turn north, turn
right into Eagle’s Pride Golf Course clubhouse parking area,
go down ramp and make an immediate, hard left onto driving
range access road (narrow road). Proceed to driving range
parking area.
For questions, contact David Wienecke at
david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or (253) 964-0341 (office) or (760)828-8788 (cell).
Event:
Upper Skagit Bald Eagle
Festival Location:
Concrete, Rockport, and Marymount, Washington
Bald eagles are thick on the Upper Skagit River from December
through February, feeding on salmon carcasses. The Upper Skagit
towns of Concrete, Marymount and Rockport invite you to come see the
eagles and enjoy the towns’ hospitality.
The Skagit River Bald Eagle
Interpretive Center is open every Saturday and Sunday in January
from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and will be open during the Christmas
holiday break through January 2. Most every weekend in January,
local experts will offer guided hikes along the wild and scenic
Skagit River at 11:00 a.m. and informative presentations at 1:00
p.m. To obtain information about the Interpretive Center’s full
schedule of activities, call 360-953-7626 or see www.skagiteagle.org.
Feb. 3 (Tues.)
1:30 pm
BHAS Action: Are you available
for the oil hearing on February 3rd?
This bill and actions fit right within Audubon’s
climate initiative, and Audubon Washington intends to testify at the
hearing on February 3rd. Please consider helping us
achieve great turnouts, and get the legislative ball rolling in the
right direction this session. Please
RSVP to the Chapter Conservation Manager (Jen Syrowitz) at
your early convenience!
*Public
hearing to support Oil Transportation Safety Now HB
1449 [This is the governor's oil-transport safety bill]
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2015
(tentative) Time: 1:30pm Location: TBA How: Sign in as SUPPORT and/or testify.
For more information, please
contact Jen Syrowitz, Audubon Washington Chapter Associate at jsyrowitz@audubon.org
Feb. 7
(Sat.)
7:30 am
9:00 am
BHAS Field Trip/Event:
Birding & Breakfast
Want to get a head start on your
weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast on the first Saturday of
each month. Bird with us at 7:30 a.m., then enjoy breakfast at a
local restaurant at 9:00 a.m.
Or, if you’re a late riser, just join
us for breakfast and we’ll tell you what birds are in the area.
Beginning birders are welcome. No expert guide.
7:30 am: Birding from Priest Point Park (Rose Garden
Shelter)
East Bay Drive, Olympia
9:00 am: Breakfast at the Spar Café
114 4th Ave E, Olympia
For more information, contact Deb
Nickerson at (360) 754-5397 (cell).
Feb. 12
(Thurs.)
7 pm
Event:
BHAS Monthly Program Meeting
Presention:
"Experience T and T"
Sit back and be transported to a place far removed from
the gray winter days of the Pacific Northwest. Join
Sheila McCartan and Tom Schooley as they share
their experience visiting and birding The Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela.
These tiny islands are home to over 420 species of birds.
Learn about the important conservation work and education
programs of the Asa Wright Nature Center. For a little added
twist, there is a connection in this story to James Bond!
BHAS Program meetings are held on the second Thursday of the
month (exceptions: no March, July, or
August meetings).
Meeting Location
(except for the June picnic):
First Christian Church
701 Franklin Street SE
Olympia, WA 98507
Arrive at 7:00 pm to socialize –
the program will begin promptly
at 7:30 pm.
Feb. 12 – 15
(Thurs - Sun.)
Event:
Winter Wings
Festival Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon
For a sojourn in a drier ecosystem, away from our rain rain
rain, head south to Klamath Falls, Oregon for their annual
Winter Wings Festival. Klamath Lake and its environs is one
of the Pacific Northwest’s, if not the nation’s, birding
hotspots, especially during this time of year. The keynote
speaker this year will be Richard Crossley, internationally
known birder, photographer, and author of The Crossley ID
Guide.
Sure, it’s a long ways away, but there are 10 good reasons
to attend this festival, festival organizers contend. To
read their reasons, and for more information and
registration details, go to
www.winterwingsfest.org.
Feb. 13-16
(Fri. - Mon.)
Presidents’ Day
Weekend
Event:
18th
Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
Looking for a way to enjoy the
great outdoors this February? Join millions of bird watchers
across North America and the world to make your love of nature
add up for science and for the future. Participate in the
18th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count during
“Presidents’ Day” weekend.
Sponsored by Audubon and the
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, anyone—expert or novice, all
ages—can count birds from wherever they are, at home, in
schoolyards, at local parks, or wildlife refuges. Participants
enter their tallies online, see the results of their
observations within minutes, and compare to those of thousands
of others. In 2014, participants sent in over 140,000 checklists
worldwide.
These reports contribute
valuable information for science and conservation. Bird
populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux, as they
are affected by short-term weather and long-term climate change.
And while they are gathering data, participants—families,
teachers, children—enjoy nature and have fun!
Go to http://gbbc.birdcount.org/
for more information and to submit your observations during the
Bird Count weekend.
Feb. 16 (Mon)
4:30 pm
BHAS Event:
Birds and
Beer (Olympia)
(Third Monday of each month at 4:30 pm)
Gather with
birders at the Fish Tale Brewpub on the third Monday of each month.
People will share their “best birding spots in our area.”
Come ready to share where and why you go birding in a particular
spot. People new to our area will benefit from your knowledge. We
will gather at the couches in the back.
Location: Fish Tale Brewpub
515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia
For questions, please contact Deb Nickerson at 360-754-5397 ordebranick@gmail.com.
Feb. 18 (Wed)
7:30 AM
Field Trip:
Lobby Day
Lift-Off Bird Walk - Tumwater Historical Park
Leader: Craig Merkel
Location: Tumwater
Historical Park (down the hill from the Crosby House)
777 Simmons Road SW, Tumwater, WA
Join us for a bird walk
before Audubon Lobby Day activities begin. Meet at Tumwater
Historical Park by the large play area at 7:30 am and walk
the Deschutes River and Capitol Lake listening and looking
for waterfowl, shorebirds, passerines, and raptors.
Some may want to carpool or
be dropped off so they can walk directly to the Women's Club
for the 9:30am start of Audubon Lobby Day. All are welcome;
you do not need to be attending Lobby Day to join in this
field trip.
Feb. 18 (Wed)
9:30 am
Legislative Event:
Return of
Advocacy -Audubon Lobby Day
Location:
Woman's Club of Olympia
1002 Washington St Se
Olympia, WA
Here is our chance to
collectively meet and talk with our legislators on issues of
importance to our state, nation, and world. Audubon members
from all over the state will be coming to Olympia on
February 18th for this chance to have their voices heard in
small group meetings with legislators and other governmental
officials.
Our Black Hills Chapter, along with Audubon
Washington, will be organizing and hosting this one-day
event. More volunteers are needed to prepare for the dozens
of members we expect. For more information, please
contact Deb Nickerson at debranick@gmail.
Feb. 19 (Thurs)
7pm-8:30pm
(doors open at 6:30pm)
Event:
South Sound Estuary Association (SSEA)
Discovery Speaker Series
Presentation:
Results from the
Ruckelshaus Center’s
Capital Lake Assessment
Location: LOTT’s WET
Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia
Chris Page from the Ruckelshaus Center will teach us
about their approach to collaborative problem solving, how
they applied the process for the Olympia’s Capital Lake
assessment and a summary of the results.
Free and open to the public thanks in part to The Russell
Family Foundation, Washington Foundation for the
Environment, presenters donating their time, and the many
members/supporters who join SSEA to help keep these programs
going.
Feb. 25 (Wed.)
5:00 pm
BHAS Event:
Birds and Beer (Shelton)
(Last Wednesday of each month at 5 pm)
Meet other birders from Mason County or those who happen to
be in the area. Discuss good places to bird and the
interesting birds you have sighted recently. Have a beverage
and or a bite to eat with us.
Come ready to share where
and why you go birding in a particular spot. People new to
our area will benefit from your knowledge.
Please note
time: 5 pm.
Location: Smoking Mo's
Kitchen
203 W Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA. See
map.
Feb. 28 - Mar. 1
(Sat. - Sun.)
Event:
Port Susan Snow Goose and
Birding Festival Location: Port
Susan, Washington
Every year,
thousands of Snow Geese descend on the Stillasquamish and Skagit
River deltas. The Port Susan Snow Goose and Birding Festival
attracts participants who come to see these large numbers of Snow
Geese, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Bald Eagles, herons, ducks, and
many other species, even including Snowy Owls and Gyrfalcons!
Sponsored by the Pilchuk Audubon
Society, most events and tours are free. To see a calendar of
events, check their website www.snowgoosefest.org
.
Mar. 7
(Sat.)
7:30 am
9:00 am
BHAS Field Trip/Event:
Birding & Breakfast
Want to get a head start on your
weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast on the first Saturday of
each month. Bird with us at 7:30 a.m., then enjoy breakfast at a
local restaurant at 9:00 a.m.
Or, if you’re a late riser, just join
us for breakfast and we’ll tell you what birds are in the area.
Beginning birders are welcome. No expert guide.
7:30 am: Birding at Woodard Bay Natural Resources
Conservation Area Trail
7000 Whitham Rd NE, Olympia, WA
9:00 am: Breakfast at Woodard Bay NRCA (bring your
own)
Discovery Pass Required. For more information, contact Deb
Nickerson at (360) 754-5397 (cell).
Black Hills Audubon Society will hold its 28th Annual
Dinner and Auction the evening of Saturday, March 7, 2015
.
This year’s event will be
held at
South Puget
Sound Community College (SPSCC),
in the Student Union Building, on Olympia’s west side.
Invitations to the event will be mailed in late January. A
catered buffet dinner will be offered again this year.
Tickets to the evening’s activities will cost $30 and must
be purchased in advance. Information about the entrée
choices and ticket purchasing will be in the invitation and
on our website.
The dinner is our major
social activity of the year, giving members and friends of
BHAS a chance to come together to celebrate the chapter’s
achievements of the past year.
Event:
South Sound Estuary Association (SSEA)
Discovery Speaker Series
Presentation:
Shorebirds of
Puget Sound
Joe Evenson PhD, WDFW
Location: LOTT’s WET
Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia
Joe Evenson PhD, will teach us about shorebird
populations in Puget Sound. Joe will talk about the science
used to count shorebirds, the changing trends, and the
relationship with forage fish populations.
Free and open to the public thanks in part to The Russell
Family Foundation, Washington Foundation for the
Environment, presenters donating their time, and the many
members/supporters who join SSEA to help keep these programs
going.
Apr. 4
(Sat.)
7:30 am
9:00 am
BHAS Field Trip/Event:
Birding & Breakfast
Want to get a head start on your
weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast on the first Saturday of
each month. Bird with us at 7:30 a.m., then enjoy breakfast at a
local restaurant at 9:00 a.m.
Or, if you’re a late riser, just join
us for breakfast and we’ll tell you what birds are in the area.
Beginning birders are welcome. No expert guide.
7:30 am: Tenino’s Mull Street Marsh
9:00 am: Breakfast at Huntamer Foundation site
For more information, contact Deb
Nickerson at (360) 754-5397 (cell).
Apr. 30 (Thur.)
6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
BHAS
Audubon Outreach Committee
Meeting
Audubon Outreach
welcomes new members, creates opportunities to bird and socialize
together, assists with chapter projects and events, and organizes
educational experiences for Thurston, Lewis, and Mason counties.
By volunteering alongside others we get to know each other better.
Help with Annual Dinner in
March of each year
Come to First Saturday Birding
and Breakfast and answer questions about Black Hills Audubon
Greet or bring refreshments at
a Program meeting on the 2nd Thursday of the month
Staff a table with Audubon
materials and answer questions about Black Hills Audubon at
local events
Post birding events on website
event calendars of local radio stations, newspapers, Chamber of
Commerce and others.
Post Birding and Breakfast and
Birding and Beer posters at local libraries and businesses.
Location: Deb Nickerson's home,
3013 Azalea Court SE, Olympia, WA.
Newcomers are welcome!
Audubon Outreach meets the last Thursday of September, January, and
April. Contact Black Hills Audubon Society at 360-352-7299 for location
of future meetings.
Publications Chair & Webmaster:
Deb Jaqua ................................ 360-491-3325 Webmaster
Sign
up for BHAS Alerts by sending an email to the
Webmaster.
We will then send you an invitation that you will need to confirm (so that
someone else doesn't "accidentally" sign you up!)
State Conservation
efforts. Read about issues involving birds, other wildlife, and
their habitats at the state level.
National Action Alerts.
The National Audubon Society has set up this special Web site to give you an
easy and convenient way to communicate with your lawmakers and newspapers on
national conservation issues that impact birds, wildlife and our shared
environment. Remember, your letters will make a difference -- so take action
today!
The Education Committee has been busy creating
well-attended
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.
In 2009, BHAS awarded its first Dave McNett Environmental Educator of the Year
Award, honoring long-time volunteer Dave McNett.
Black Hills Audubon Society receives 4% of every purchase from this page to support our conservation program and other goals. Our prices are exactly the same as Amazon.com! All purchases are managed by Amazon.com. Use the search link below to make all of your Amazon.com purchases, or
go to our book store page for selected items.
Ever see a dead bird on a beach and
wonder why it succumbed? Would you like to help scientists
find out why?
COASST (Coastal
Observation and Seabird Survey Team) is a citizen science project based at the
University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in partnership
with local community and environmental organizations, and state and federal
agencies. COASST volunteers collect data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds
on a monthly basis to establish the baseline, or 'normal' pattern of beached
bird mortality on North Pacific beaches. Baselines are crucial for assessing the
impacts of oil spills, fisheries, and climate change. Data collection by COASST
volunteers helps address important marine conservation issues and protects
marine resources.
Lists of COASST trainings and more information about COASST
are posted on their website at
http://www.coasst.org.
From the main page, click on What's New. Then click on the Training Sessions
tab.
BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Sit back and be transported to
a place far removed from
the
The 
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.