North Central Washington Audubon Society

10/10/2026

It’s World Migratory Bird Day! Small acts can help our feathered friends in a big way.

https://www.migratorybirdday.org

10/08/2026

Reminder! Our NCW Audubon Speaker Series with Jeff Fleischer and the Northwest Winter Raptor Survey Project is on October 14th via Zoom.

The Winter Raptor Survey Project , sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance, surveys the density and distribution of the various wintering raptor species in the Northwest and monitors changes from year to year. This presentation is full of wonderful photographs of all 31 species that have been found during more than 25,000 project surveys.

Email [email protected] to sign up and receive the link!

09/28/2026

We are excited to continue our NCW Audubon Speaker Series with Jeff Fleischer and the Northwest Winter Raptor Survey Project on October 14th via Zoom.

The Winter Raptor Survey Project , sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance, was originally designed to survey only areas throughout Oregon to determine density and distribution of the various wintering raptor species and monitor changes from year to year. A desire to understand how Oregon birds fit in with the rest of the Pacific NW has led to a formidable expansion of the project.

This presentation will review how this project was developed and has expanded over the years, and is full of wonderful photographs of all 31 species that have been found during more than 25,000 project surveys.

Jeff Fleischer attended Oregon State University to pursue a Wildlife Management degree. He worked during the summers as a Student Trainee for the US Fish and Wildlife Service on three different western refuges. Upon graduation, he worked at Malheur NWR and Klamath Basin NWR where he developed a keen interest in birds of prey. He then moved to Albany, Oregon, where he spent time birding and ultimately developing a feel for how important Linn County was for wintering birds of prey.

Email [email protected] to sign up and receive the link!

09/16/2026

Kestrel Box Update!

The 2026 NCW Audubon Kestrel box project is nearly complete, and we are on track to fledge more than 500 birds this year. This season, we installed seven boxes with cameras and were fortunate to have two of them occupied by kestrels. Here are photos from one of the boxes where four kestrels fledged on August 15.

Day 1 (July 16): The first egg hatched. Kestrel eggs typically hatch within about 24 hours of one another.
Day 9: Mom feeds her kids
Day 13: Nestlings are starting to develop feathers but still showing mostly down. Still huddled to stay warm. Will soon be able to thermoregulate.
Day 20: A significant change in size and feather development. Getting a bit crowded!
Day 28: The kids start to leave... one has already left and one is about to leave.
Day 30: Nobody home! All 4 nestlings successfully fledged!! (Notice the sides of the box Compared to Day1.)

What a journey!!

08/04/2026

Do you love birds? Conservation? Accounting? Volunteering in your community?

We are looking for our next Board Treasurer! Join a group of conservation-minded people to help preserve and protect habitats for birds and other species in our NCW region through outreach, education, and more.

Email your interest or for more information at [email protected].

08/01/2026

This!! This is why NCW Audubon committed to supporting the conservation and preservation of Bonaparte Meadows, to ensure these species continue to thrive in their environment.

Thank you Okanogan Land Trust, Bonaparte Meadow donors, and all who are working to keep these places sacred to the species that depend upon it.

It's not too late to donate and help protect this land! Your gift will be matched through August 31st.

141 Species. One Connected Landscape.

We recently finished compiling and verifying the bird records for Bonaparte Meadows, bringing together historical observations and recent field surveys from across the property.

The completed inventory documents 141 bird species connected to the open water, peat fen, wet meadow, willow thickets, forest edge, and surrounding uplands.

Among them are:

🪶 31 WDFW Priority Habitat and Species birds
🪶 13 Washington Species of Greatest Conservation Need
🪶 11 Washington Species of Greatest Information Need
🪶 5 birds with state endangered, sensitive, or candidate status

Birds do not experience these habitats as separate pieces. They move between wetland, meadow, shrubs, forest, and uplands to feed, nest, rest, and raise their young.

That connected landscape is why the central goal of the Bonaparte Meadows campaign is to keep the entire 745-acre parcel intact. Protecting the broader landscape preserves the connections that allow birdlife, and the larger ecosystem, to function as a whole.

Explore the full bird inventory, conservation designations, photographs, and field observations: https://okanoganlandtrust.org/birds-of-bonaparte/

Photo: Pied-billed grebe nesting, Bonaparte Meadows- KE Conservation Photography

Which bird would you be most excited to see?

07/20/2026

Fundraising deadline extended! The NCW Audubon Society committed $50,000 to help preserve this special place. Please consider a donation and spread the word to learn more about OLT I working to conserve this rich and diverse land important to many species.

07/14/2026

Reminder! Renowned bird expert Dennis Paulson is coming to Wenatchee July 21st and Winthrop July 22nd with a photo-illustrated presentation exploring the natural history of Pacific Northwest shorebirds. He'll take a deep dive into foraging, migration, and breeding, and which species will most likely to be encountered during fall migration in Washington’s interior.

This event is free and open to the public! A special opportunity you don't want to miss - and the launch of our new Speaker Series. We hope to see you there!

07/11/2026

These are interesting times in the Horan Natural Area. It's nesting season and Red-winged blackbirds responded to the water that found its way to the ponds after the December rains. Many pair are actively maintaining their nests and kids. Virginia rail have been heard as they lurk in the newly invigorated marsh vegetation. And believe it or not, two Bald Eagle young were rescued and transplanted into the Horan nest where the adults are now caring for three young. Amazing.

You can find more about the Horan in this blog post on the NCW Audubon website.

https://ncwaudubon.org/the-horan-natural-area-an-update/

06/23/2026

We are excited to launch our new Speaker Series with a presentation by acclaimed birder, naturalist, author, and photographer Dennis Paulson, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected voices in bird conservation and natural history.

In his engaging, photo-illustrated lecture, “Birds of the Wind: The Lives and Times of Northwest Shorebirds,” Paulson will explore the fascinating natural history of Pacific Northwest shorebirds, offering an in-depth look at their foraging behavior, remarkable migrations, and breeding ecology. Attendees will gain new appreciation for these extraordinary birds and learn about the shorebird species most likely to be encountered during fall migration in Washington’s interior.

We hope to see you July 21st in Wenatchee or July 22nd in Winthrop for this special event! Free and open to the public.