Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has a rich and varied landscape with many birds to see in in the spring. Check it out here.

We have binoculars to loan but bring your own if you have them. Wear good walking shoes and bring an identification app (download here) or field guide, if you have one.

All bird walks will start at the Headquarters building parking lot. We will walk the Stubblefield Trail and hook up with the Pine Lakes Loop Trail. This walk takes about 2 or 3 hours, but you are welcome to leave early.

Maximum of 10 participants. Contact Joe Cooney via email (jcooney805@gmail.com) or phone (509-951-3179) to sign up.

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has a rich and varied landscape with many birds to see in in the spring. Check it out here.

We have binoculars to loan but bring your own if you have them. Wear good walking shoes and bring an identification app (download here) or field guide, if you have one.

All bird walks will start at the Headquarters building parking lot. We will walk the Stubblefield Trail and hook up with the Pine Lakes Loop Trail. This walk takes about 2 or 3 hours, but you are welcome to leave early.

Maximum of 10 participants. Contact Joe Cooney via email (jcooney805@gmail.com) or phone (509-951-3179) to sign up.

Oak Titmouse, photographed by Frank Lospalluto

The Klamath Bird Observatory

Presented by Elva Manquera-DeShields

The Klamath Bird Observatory near Ashland in southwest Oregon studies and conserves birds in the Pacific Northwest and throughout their migratory ranges.  Elva Manquera-DeShields, who serves as the Observatory’s Science Communications, Outreach, and Conservation Partnerships Manager, will explain the science and role of birds as indicators that help inform natural resource management and nurtures an environmental ethic.  She will describe the Observatory’s current projects on the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network, Western Purple Martin, Oregon Vesper Sparrow, bird banding program, and Avian Knowledge Northwest.

Elva grew up in Oregon, received her bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Oregon State University studying herpetology, worked for the Oregon State Arthropod Collection, and volunteered on swallow surveys. While earning her Master’s in Environmental Education from Southern Oregon University, she interned with the Klamath Bird Observatory and has been on the staff full-time now for three years. One of her favorite parts of her job is getting to work with the community and introduce them to the wonderful world of birds and whatever other creature crosses their path during a bird walk.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person or virtually online. If participating in-person, please arrive around 5:45pm for our usual meet-and-greet. Our speaker will be presenting via Zoom.

To participate via Zoom, simply link to the meeting before 6:00pm by clicking here and following the instructions. If you already have the Zoom app installed on your computer, you can directly enter the Meeting ID of 865 1754 6679 and the passcode of 302788.

Join Madonna Luers and Woody Myers the second Saturdays of Spring -- March 8, April 12, and May 10 -- to watch the procession of migrating species at Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area just outside the town of Reardan in Lincoln County, just west of Spokane (350 E Railroad Ave Reardan, WA, see map below)

This is an easy, family-friendly gathering starting with a brief introduction to the area and spotting waterfowl species on the lake from the parking lot, then a quarter-mile walk on an ADA-accessible pathway to a viewing blind where scopes will be available to help participants see birds.

Expect to see a variety of ducks, geese and other waterbirds, as well as raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle, plus a few songbirds.

No pre-registration required, just show up and stay as long as you wish!

Trumpeter Swans, photographed by Cortney Litwin

Join Richard and Sandy Sollie, along with their 6-year old granddaughter, on a child-friendly walk through Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. The pace will be suitable for all ages and the emphasis of this adventure is fun!

Get a bit of exercise and enjoy a relaxed introduction to birding as we walk the Pine Lakes route and the hiking trails near the Wildlife Refuge’s Headquarters where you will meet your guides, Richard and Sandy Sollie. The Pine Lakes Trail is flat and easy to navigate for all abilities.

Please bring binoculars, cameras, etc. to help you see the birds clearer. If you don’t have this equipment, we’ll have a scope and a couple extra pairs of binoculars available for those who would like to borrow them.

During the walk, the Sollie’s will assist you in locating the amazing variety of birds we have in the Inland Northwest. You will see a variety of ducks and geese and may even get lucky and see some swans. You will certainly find a variety of beautiful songbirds such as bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, nuthatches, and blackbirds. Don’t worry if you don’t know what these species are yet, the Sollie’s will help you find and identify them. Soon you’ll begin to notice them on your own and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to finding them during your own local outings!

Exposing children and their families to birding is especially important to the Sollie’s. Their passion and patience will make even novices comfortable. We hope you can join them!

You can let the Sollie’s know if you’re planning on attending by email (contactme@richardsollie.com) or phone (509-981-9003).

Precious Things Fermentation Project, 8403 N. Bruce Road Spokane 99217

Birder Level: Everyone, especially beginners *age 16 and older please

Description: This unique event will start with a short nature walk on established forest trails, looking for and talking about birds for an hour or less. Then we’ll gather at the (heated) taphouse for some no-host beverages (including non-alcoholic choices). We’ll then learn more about birds by playing some Birding Trivia games with prizes.

Target species: Nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers

What to bring: Curiosity, good walking shoes, food if desired for post-walk session, cash or cards for beer/wine/beverage purchases, sharp wits for birding trivia competition. Some binoculars will be available, but bring your own if you have some.

 Questions? Email conservation@spokaneaudubon.org

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has a rich and varied landscape with many birds to see in in the spring. Check it out here.

We have binoculars to loan but bring your own if you have them. Wear good walking shoes and bring an identification app (download here) or field guide, if you have one.

All bird walks will start at the Headquarters building parking lot. We will walk the Stubblefield Trail and hook up with the Pine Lakes Loop Trail. This walk takes about 2 or 3 hours, but you are welcome to leave early.

Maximum of 10 participants. Contact Joe Cooney via email (jcooney805@gmail.com) or phone (509-951-3179) to sign up.

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has a rich and varied landscape with many birds to see in in the spring. Check it out here.

We have binoculars to loan but bring your own if you have them. Wear good walking shoes and bring an identification app (download here) or field guide, if you have one.

All bird walks will start at the Headquarters building parking lot. We will walk the Stubblefield Trail and hook up with the Pine Lakes Loop Trail. This walk takes about 2 or 3 hours, but you are welcome to leave early.

Maximum of 10 participants. Contact Joe Cooney via email (jcooney805@gmail.com) or phone (509-951-3179) to sign up.

Join Madonna Luers and Woody Myers the second Saturdays of Spring -- March 8, April 12, and May 10 -- to watch the procession of migrating species at Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area just outside the town of Reardan in Lincoln County, just west of Spokane (350 E Railroad Ave Reardan, WA, see map below)

This is an easy, family-friendly gathering starting with a brief introduction to the area and spotting waterfowl species on the lake from the parking lot, then a quarter-mile walk on an ADA-accessible pathway to a viewing blind where scopes will be available to help participants see birds.

Expect to see a variety of ducks, geese and other waterbirds, as well as raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle, plus a few songbirds.

No pre-registration required, just show up and stay as long as you wish!

Spokane Audubon’s Save-A-Bird Team Update
Presented by Mike Borysewicz

Save-A-Bird team volunteers respond to requests from the public for help with injured, sick, or vulnerable birds in the Spokane County area. Mike Borysewicz will present an update on this effort, which has been underway since 2021. Mike is a team co-chair, SAS board member, and retired USDA Forest Service wildlife biologist.

In 2024 team volunteers responded to 370 separate incidents. The team logged 343 hours for this effort, drove 4,368 miles, and received $1,595 in mileage reimbursements. In most cases, team members simply provided advice / coaching to the reporting parties. A total of 90 cases required physical intervention by the team members, usually involving bird captures and transports to cooperating veterinarians. Thirty percent of the cases involved collisions with windows, vehicles, and other infrastructure; 20 percent were falls from nests or fledglings on the ground; 10 percent involved cats or dogs; and nine percent were “abandoned” or “lost” birds. Reported incidents included a total of 56 native bird species such as crows, robins, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks and geese, and nine non-native or domestic species such as pigeons and starlings.

Mike warns that although his presentation has some “happy endings,” it also includes photos and descriptions of injured, diseased, and dead birds.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person or virtually online. If participating in-person, please arrive around 5:45pm for our usual meet-and-greet. Our speaker will be presenting in-person.

To participate via Zoom, simply link to the meeting before 6:00pm by clicking here and following the instructions. If you already have the Zoom app installed on your computer, you can directly enter the Meeting ID of 823 3479 6176 and the passcode of 143061.

Local Environmental Groups Discuss Issues

Our March 12 meeting will feature a panel of local environmental group leaders discussing individual and collaborative work on issues. The panelists, who will each make brief presentations about their organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals before a question-and-answer discussion session, are:

Ruth Gifford, executive director of Dishman Hills Conservancy, which permanently protects and manages the Dishman Hills Natural Area and ecosystem while connecting people to nature through conservation, education, recreation, and stewardship;                                                                             

Dave Schaub, executive director of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, which works with the community to identify and protect special places throughout the region using legal agreements with landowners and partners to improve lands for habitat, clean water and air, native plants, and public enjoyment

Amanda Parrish, executive director of The Lands Council, which preserves and revitalizes Inland Northwest forests, water, and wildlife through advocacy, education, effective action, and community engagement;

Jule Schultz, Waterkeeper of Spokane Riverkeeper, which protects, preserves, and restores the Spokane River watershed so that wild native fish thrive, pollution is eliminated, and the community is engaged

Join Madonna Luers and Woody Myers the second Saturdays of Spring -- March 8, April 12, and May 10 -- to watch the procession of migrating species at Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area just outside the town of Reardan in Lincoln County, just west of Spokane (350 E Railroad Ave Reardan, WA, see map below)

This is an easy, family-friendly gathering starting with a brief introduction to the area and spotting waterfowl species on the lake from the parking lot, then a quarter-mile walk on an ADA-accessible pathway to a viewing blind where scopes will be available to help participants see birds.

Expect to see a variety of ducks, geese and other waterbirds, as well as raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle, plus a few songbirds.

No pre-registration required, just show up and stay as long as you wish!

This trip has been postponed to March 1st due to predicted extreme cold and possible snow and bad roads

Meeting Place: Latah Yokes parking lot at 7am

4235 S. Cheney Spokane Rd.

Leaders: Bea & Jim Harrison

beaharrison@gmail.com

jbh21951@gmail.com

Bea (830) 313-0610 or Jim (509) 934-7460

This is a day-long trip to the “Banana Belt”, better known as Lewiston, Idaho & Clarkston, Washington. We will caravan/carpool to the birding hotspots of this area and could see close to 50 species, including hundreds of ducks, many at close range, including Wood Ducks, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Ring-neck Ducks, Buffleheads, etc. In addition, we often see American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Gray-crowned Ros-Finch, a variety of gull species, and White Pelicans.

• Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, boots and rain gear. It can be very windy and wet. All walks will be short and easy, in public parks with restrooms.

• Bring binoculars, scopes and cameras if you have them. If you need to borrow good binoculars, let us know ASAP, so we can bring some.

• Bring lunch, water, snacks.

• RSVP via phone, text or email with your carpooling options.

Leader: Wanda Peters

Registration date: (no later than) Friday, January 24

Contact Info: (425) 922-6734 (text preferred) or email wanda.peters@ prescott.edu)

Adults only, please. Limit of 8 participants

Length of Trip: 1/2 day, temps and weather will help determine

Trip Description: Winter Nature hike along the Spokane River and through Ponderosa Pine forest. Numerous bird species may or may not be present, focus will be on mindful walking in Nature and slowing our minds to notice the beauty of a January winter day. We will walk for approximately 2 miles on mostly level unpaved terrain with a few short downhill/uphill places.

Location: McLellan Overlook - Riverside State Park Drive, off of Seven Mile Road, Nine Mile Falls

What to bring: dress warmly in layers with outer waterproof layer, hats, gloves, Discover Pass, water snacks

(Subject to change due to weather & road conditions)

Join us on the Cheney Christmas Bird Count. It’s a chance to enjoy some of nature’s finest creatures with other folks who share your interest. You don’t have to be an expert to participate. Although it is a dawn to dusk affair, you don’t even have to stay the whole day – part timers are welcome too. Cheney’s Christmas Bird Count will take place on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Please contact Michael Woodruff (mkd.woodruff@gmail.com) to join the count or if you have any questions about it.

Click here to find out more about the Cheney Christmas Bird Count.

Bat Chat: Bats from the Perspective of a Bat Advocate

Presented by Dr. O. Lynne Nelson, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University

Washington state is home to 15 species of bats, all highly beneficial by taking up the night shift job of insect control from daytime-flying birds.

Dr. Lynne Nelson of Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will discuss bat biology, ecology, health and disease; information about the bats of Washington state and their status; how to view and identify bats; and how to attract bats to your property.

Bats are Dr. Nelson’s avocation. She is a Professor of Cardiology, directing the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine hospital’s Cardiology Service. Her research works to understand heart adaptations to extreme hemodynamic and metabolic stressors, comparing unique, naturally-occurring mammalian hibernation to cardiac disease in dogs and cats. She works with zoos and nonprofit organizations around the world to identify early indicators of heart disease in wildlife species.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA 99205, or online via Zoom using this link. Our speaker, Dr. Lynne Nelson, will be giving her presentation via Zoom. Doors will be open at 5:30pm for a little social time before the program begins.