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 work with the
state Audubon office (Audubon
Washington).
This month, we invite Auduboners and their guests to the traditional
potluck picnic at the Rose Garden Shelter at Priest Point Park in
Olympia.
We’ll begin gathering at 5:00 pm to do a bit of birding, then plan
to eat around 6 pm. The shelter is covered, so come—rain or shine! BYO plate and
utensils (but we will supply paper plates, cups, and cutlery for those who
forget). Please bring something yummy to share, and we’ll provide the soft
drinks.
David Jennings from the WDFW State Fish and Wildlife Commission will
be attending as our special guest, and will be available to answer questions.
BHAS Program meetings are held on the second Thursday of the
month.
BIRDATHON
Field
Trip: Nisqually National
Wildlife Refuge Leader: Phil Kelley Estimated species: 60
Sign up NOT required.
May 17-20
(Thurs-Sunday)
Event:
Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest 2012
Leavenworth, WA
Explore the natural beauty of North Central Washington State during
the 10th annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest. The Leavenworth area
features spectacular habitats ranging from snow-capped mountains to
sunny ponderosa pine forests, to lush riparian zones, to
shrub-steppe.
All field trips are led by experts
and professionals in their field and are for birders of all skill
levels. A wide variety of migratory and resident birds are here for
the breeding season. Hear their songs while you stroll, bike, boat,
or van during the height of wildflower season. While birding is the
heart of the weekend, activities also include wildflower walks, arts
events, and family activities to ensure fun and learning for
everyone, and with enough built-in "down time" to explore the
friendly Bavarian village of Leavenworth.
Event:
Meadowlark Nature Festival
Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, British Columbia
The Meadowlark Nature Festival has once again been voted the ‘Best
Annual Community Event in the South Okanagan’ and 2012 will see a
special 15th Anniversary event. The Festival has evolved in to one
of Canada’s premier outdoor nature celebrations offering over 80
environmental tours and events held under the open sky, which take
people from Canada’s unique desert to the alpine meadows high above
the Okanagan Lake. People from across North America and as far away
as Europe now come and enjoy the activities led by prominent
naturalists, educators, artists, experienced guides and scientists.
Activities include guided walks and hikes, birding field trips,
geology and history tours, horseback riding, cycling tours,
indigenous culture tours, kids' events, canoe trips, art exhibits
and classes, and much much more. All are designed to be fun and
informative for people of all ages and abilities.
For over four
decades Audubon families have been camping over Memorial Day weekend
at the Wenas Creek Campground.
Officially
named the Hazel Wolf Wenas Creek Bird Sanctuary, it’s located SW of
Ellensburg, in an “Important Bird Area” and has been assured of
protective status by WA Dept. of Natural Resources. The “primitive”
campground along the north fork of Wenas Creek has exceptional
opportunities for birding, botanizing and enjoying spring in the
eastern foothills of the Cascades.
There are wonderful field trips scheduled, and there will be an
old-fashioned campfire in our “approved” firepit device each
evening. We do story telling and recapping the sightings of the day.
Please visit Webmaster Michael Hobbs’ beautiful Wenas Website to see
Hazel Wolf’s familiar smiling face and get lots of downloadable
information about our campout:
http://www.wenasaudubon.org.
There's a bird checklist,
wildflower checklist, outline of field trips and program, directions
to the campground, and lots of photos.
For people who don’t “do websites,” contact the website and we’ll
send you printed information.
Every vehicle will be required to have a “Discover Pass.”
The easiest way to get the pass online is at:
http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov. The cost for the yearly
pass is $30.
Bring friends, family, and join us at Wenas Memorial Day Weekend for
as many days as you want to stay - May 25-28, 2012!
June 2 (Sat)
6:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Field Trip: West
Rocky Prairie
Leader: Gary Wiles
This is a new trip to a relatively new unit of South Puget Sound
Wildlife Area. West Rocky Prairie is located near Millersylvania
State Park and is one of the largest parcels of high-quality native
prairie remaining in Thurston Country. Other habitats include oak
woodlands and mixed alder/fir forest. We expect to see a good
variety of open-country and forest birds.
Please note that the area is undeveloped and has no bathroom
facilities. Parking is limited, so we'll carpool to the site.
Carpooling vehicles will need a Discover Pass. Dress for the weather
and bring water, snacks, and sunscreen. Group size is limited to 12.
Meet at the L & I parking lot in Tumwater at 6:30 a.m.
Reservation required. Call Gary at 360-943-8786 to reserve
your spot.
June 2 (Sat)
7:30 am
New Group:
Birding and Breakfast
– The first Saturday of every
month.
BHAS is coordinating a new group that wants to include some
socializing into their birding ventures. We’ll walk and look for
birds for a couple hours then meet again at a local restaurant for
breakfast.
June 2nd: 7:30am meet at Woodard Bay Natural
Reserve, then meet at the Spar Cafe (114
4th Ave. E, Olympia)for breakfast at 9:30am.
If you want to come for one part of the morning only, feel free to
show up when you can.
No reservation or registration
required for this event.
Beginning with the first Saturday
in July, locations will be spread amongst the three counties we
serve.
For questions or more information, please contact Debbie Nickerson at
debranick@gmail.com or 360-754-5397.
June 9 (Sat)
8 a.m. - 12 noon
Field Trip:
Woodard Bay for Beginners
Leaders: Sam Merrill and Tracy Scalici
This walk is designed primarily for beginning birders. We will look
and listen for woodland birds such as Swainson's Thrushes, Pacific
Wrens, Brown Creepers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, and Black-headed
Grosbeaks as we walk through the deep forest of cedars and Douglas
fir to Henderson Inlet. At Henderson Inlet we may see Cormorants,
Purple Martins, Great Blue Herons, and seals. We expect to walk the
approximately two-mile loop, out to the water on an easy woodland
trail with boardwalk sections and returning on a pedestrian-only
road.
To reach the Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area from
Olympia, take Boston Harbor Road north, then go right on Woodard Bay
Road, crossing Libby Road. Park in a small parking area on the left
just before crossing the bridge over Woodard Bay. Discover Pass
is required for parking. Bring binoculars if possible. Dress for the
weather.
Reservation required. To sign up, call Black Hills
Audubon at 360-352-7299. Limit 15 persons.
June 8-11 Friday-Sunday
Event: Washington
Ornithological Society
Conference
Spokane, WA
The conference of the Washington Ornithological Society is held in a
different season and different part of the state each year and
features field trips, speakers, and banquet.
Sisters, Camp Sherman, and other sites in Central Oregon
Eleven species of woodpecker graced the festival last year, as did
200 species of birds overall in beautiful central Oregon. All
proceeds - $30 for a full-day tour; $20 for a half-day tour - go to
support the East Cascade Audubon Society.
This month, we invite Auduboners and their guests to the traditional
potluck picnic at the Rose Garden Shelter at Priest Point Park
in Olympia.
We’ll begin gathering at 5:00 pm to do a bit of birding, then plan
to eat around 6 pm. The shelter is covered, so come—rain or shine!
BYO plate and utensils (but we will supply paper plates, cups, and
cutlery for those who forget). Please bring something yummy to
share, and we’ll provide the soft drinks.
David Jennings from the WDFW State Fish and Wildlife Commission will
be attending as our special guest, and will be available to answer
questions.
BHAS Program meetings are held on the second Thursday of the
month.
Members at Large:
Tracey Scalici
Shelley Horn
Leslie Lynam
Committee Chairs appointed by the Board to be
on
the Board):
Education Comm. Chair:
Debbie Nickerson
Field Trips Comm. Chair:
Kristin Stewart
Membership Comm. Chair: Margery
Beeler
Publications Comm. Chair: Deb
Jaqua
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!)
Echo is the newsletter of the
Black Hills Audubon Society. It contains the
Refrigerator Pages, which provides a calendar of upcoming program meetings,
field trips, and other events.
You will need to download the Adobe Acrobat reader if you don't already have it.
State Conservation
efforts. Read about issues involving birds, other wildlife, and
their habitats at the state level. This site is sponsored by the Policy
Office of Audubon Washington in Olympia. Read the Legislative
Newsletter,
Birds Eye View, and keep informed or get involved.
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.
Honor the Black River in western Thurston County, the Deschutes, the Nisqually, other Pacific Northwest rivers, or rivers around the world with this special creation.
Wildlife Checklists
Butterfliesin Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties (30Kb Word file).
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 
Officially
named the Hazel Wolf Wenas Creek Bird Sanctuary, it’s located SW of
Ellensburg, in an “Important Bird Area” and has been assured of
protective status by WA Dept. of Natural Resources. The “primitive”
campground along the north fork of Wenas Creek has exceptional
opportunities for birding, botanizing and enjoying spring in the
eastern foothills of the Cascades.
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.