The Washington Ornithological Society was chartered in 1988 to increase knowledge of the birds of Washington and to enhance communication among all persons interested in those birds.
“Recent reports of sick or dead birds at backyard feeders in King, Kitsap, Skagit, Snohomish, and Thurston counties is prompting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to recommend that people temporarily discontinue feeding wild birds or take extra steps to maintain their feeders,” says a press release from the department. You can read the full statement here.
The newsletter is packed this time. Matt Bartels announces the winners of the contest to name the new birds to the state. Lisa Hill describes her thorough survey of W.C. Johnson Park in Richland for Yellow-breasted Chats. Jon Houghton takes us along on his trip to Salmo Pass. Blair Bernson reminds us of the wonders of Neah Bay, which has been closed because of the pandemic. Another article discusses articles coming up in the next Washington Birds journal due out early next year. See these and read more about what is going on in WOS. Current Newsletter
Despite COVID-19, most Christmas Bird Counts will still take place but with many changes. Find the 2020 CBC information here.
The Washington Bird Records Committee met November 14 and has released its decisions regarding sightings of rare birds as well as the updated state checklist and state review list. Three new birds have been added to the official state checklist: Northern Giant-Petrel, Nazca Booby and Scarlet Tanager. As for the review list, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and two subspecies have been removed; White-tailed Kite has been added. You can find the summary of all decisions here.
All 12 of WOS’s Washington Birds journals published between 1989 and 2018 can now be read on this website or downloaded. WOS had already placed the four most recent journals online. But WOS President Jennifer Kauffman recently had the eight earlier journals scanned to .pdfs so the complete set of journals could be made available here. Find them at the bottom of the Washington Birds page.
The voting period for the annual WOS election has closed. More than 120 WOS members cast votes, electing Jennifer Kauffman as the new WOS President and adopting a proposed change to WOS bylaws. Congratulations Jennifer! The newly elected officers and board members began their terms October 1, 2020. Full results are available on the WOS Election Information page.
Jacob and Faye
Jacob Miller, a 15-year-old Mason County birder, will receive the Patrick Sullivan Young Birder award for 2020. Miller is a frequent participant on the twice-monthly Theler Wetlands walk co-led by WOS Board Member Faye McAdams Hands and John Riegsecker. When Hands announced the honor on the Thursday September 10 walk, “all participants cheered,” she reports. “We are always very happy to have Jacob’s young ears, eyes, and brain along!” Diane Yorgason-Quinn says, “We would have been several species and many individual birds short without him! He’s amazing. Plus he mastered eBirding a long time ago!”
The annual conference jointly organized by the Washington Ornithological Society and Oregon Birding Association will be postponed because of Coronavirus pandemic, the WOS/OBA planning group has announced. The conference, originally scheduled for September 10-14, 2020, will likely be rescheduled for early to mid-September 2021 at the same location, said OBA President Nagi Aboulenein and WOS President Eric Dudley in a joint statement. See their full statement at: Current Year Conference.
Go to WOS’s Monthly Meetings page for information on our fabulous monthly meeting programs. WOS members who live outside the Seattle area (or are on the road) can still attend using a computer, tablet or phone. It’s easy!
