Saturday, December 19
Watch our field teams in action on count day.
What is the Christmas Bird Count?
Every December, thousands of volunteers across the country head outdoors to count birds, helping scientists understand how our feathered neighbors are doing. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the oldest and largest community science project in the world, and it depends entirely on volunteers.
On count day, volunteers record every bird they see or hear inside a 15-mile-wide circle. Ours is centered on Beaver Lake in Sammamish and reaches from Marymoor Park to the Issaquah Alps and the Snoqualmie Valley. Despite its name, the count isn't religious and welcomes everyone over 18. By giving just a few hours, you help track trends in bird populations and guide conservation across North America.
Two ways to take part
1. Join a field team
Spend the day exploring local parks, trails and neighborhoods inside the count circle with a team led by an experienced birder. No expertise is required: you'll learn as you go, enjoy time outdoors, and contribute data scientists rely on to monitor bird populations.
Our 14 teams cover Marymoor Park, Lake Sammamish and its trails, the Snoqualmie Valley, Issaquah Creek and the Issaquah Alps.
Questions? Email Andy McCormick
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Group 1: East Snoqualmie Valley
This route stays east of the Snoqualmie River and stops at many locations in Carnation and vicinity. It includes stops near the Tolt River. The team drives between locations and walks at each one.Group 2: West Snoqualmie Valley SW of Carnation
The team begins at Tolt-MacDonald Park and follows the west side of the Snoqualmie Rivers to Carnation Marsh, Blue Heron Golf Course, and several other stops along the way to Fall City. Features both car and walking birding.Group 3: West Snoqualmie Valley NW of Carnation
This team birds along West Snoqualmie Valley Road, and looks for birds in farmland, at Sikes Lake, Chinook Bend, and a section of Carnation Farms. Both car birding and walking are included.Group 4: Marymoor Park
This is a walking route within Marymoor Park and a wide variety of birds are usually seen in meadows and along the Sammamish River and shore of Lake Sammamish.Group 5: Ames Lake & East Redmond
Beginning at the Evans Creek Preserve the route follows Ames Lake-Carnation Road, the Powerline Trail, the Red Brick Road and Perigo Park in Redmond.Group 6: Sammamish and Pine Lake
The team drives between stops on the Sammamish Plateau and walks at Soaring Eagle Park, the Sammamish Commons, Beaver Lake Park, Pine Lake Park, Yellow Lake, and Klahanie Park.Group 7: Fall City and Preston
The route begins along Fish Hatchery Road at the Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course, and moves to Twin Rivers Golf Course, Lake Alice Road, and the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail. Includes both car birding and walking.Group 8: East Lake Sammamish Trail-South
This is a walking route that covers the boat launch and a trail within Lake Sammamish State Park, and the southern half of the East Lake Sammamish Trail.Group 9: East Lake Sammamish Trail -North
This is a walking route which begins in Redmond and covers an eastern section of Marymoor Park, and several stops along the northern half of the East Lake Sammamish Trail. There is some driving between stops.Group 10: West Lake Sammamish Parks
The route covers six parks along the western shore of Lake Sammamish including Idylwood Beach Park, Ardmore Park, Tam O’Shanter Park, and Weona Beach County Park. The team drives between parks and walks at each one.Group 11: Lake Sammamish State Park
This is a walking route which traverses most of Lake Sammamish State Park mixing lakefront birding with woodland birding.Group 12: Lake Hills Greenbelt
This walking route begins at Phantom Lake in Bellevue and traverses the Greenbelt trail to Larsen Lake and Blueberry Farm. The team also drives to two other stops.Group 14: Issaquah Creek
This route begins at Pickering Ponds and follows Issaquah Creek through Issaquah stopping at Confluence Park, Sycamore Creek and Tibbets Valley Park.Group 15: Issaquah Alps
This route follows the Issaquah Alps. It begins at Tradition Lake in Issaquah, and ascends to Lewis Creek Park, and then up into the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Nature Park at Red Town Trailhead and the Harvey Manning Trailhead for high elevation forest birding.
2. Feeder Watch from home
Can't spend the whole day outside? You can still help from home. As a Feeder Watcher, you count the birds that visit your feeder, yard or nearby trees on count day.
To take part, you must live inside the count circle: a circle 15 miles across (7.5-mile radius), centered on Beaver Lake in Sammamish. Your sightings go to National Audubon along with the field teams' counts, and are just as valuable.
First you'll confirm your home is inside the count circle, then register.
Do you live inside our count circle?
Feeder watchers must count from a location inside Eastside Audubon's official Christmas Bird Count circle: 15 miles across (7.5-mile radius), centered on Beaver Lake in Sammamish. Enter your address to check.
About the count
The count began in 1900, when conservationists replaced a holiday bird-shooting contest with a bird census. The 2025–2026 season is the 126th national count and Eastside Audubon's 43rd. Results go to the National Audubon Society and support major studies like the 3 Billion Birds report.
Results
Questions?
Field teams: Andy McCormick · Everything else: office@eastsideaudubon.org · 425-576-8805
