Eastside Audubon
Christmas Bird Count – December 20, 2025

Every December, thousands of volunteers across North America head outdoors to count birds — helping scientists understand how our feathered neighbors are doing. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) isn’t just a fun birding day — it’s the oldest and largest citizen science project in the world, and it depends entirely on volunteers like you.

Christmas Bird Count – December 20, 2025
Eastside Audubon
Eastside Audubon Grants and Scholarships

Eastside Audubon is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities supporting local conservation and education efforts.

Eastside Audubon Grants and Scholarships
Eastside Audubon
Puget Sound Seabird Survey

The Puget Sound Seabird Survey is looking for birders in King County to join this established Community Science program.

Puget Sound Seabird Survey
Eastside Audubon
March: Emerging Bird Song

In the quiet of the woods the bubbling song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet erupted, and the high trill of the Brown Creeper signaled its presence. The hormonal drive to breed had birds singing regardless of the weather.

March: Emerging Bird Song
Eastside Audubon
November’s Green Tip of the Month: Embrace ...

As we head into winter, consider leaving your leaves and twigs in the yard. My pollinator garden might look tired, but every time I step outside, I see birds nibbling on seeds or resting in the brush. There’s so much life hidden in there that we often overlook!

November’s Green Tip of the Month: Embrace Nature’s Mulch!
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White-winged Scoter

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The White-winged Scoter is one of the world’s three scoters, all of which are seen in winter along the Washington coast.  They are all in the genus Melanitta from the Greek melas, black, and netta, a duck.  Heinrich Boie (1794-1827) Latinized the Greek word for duck and misspelled it.  However, the principle of priority allows the error to stand

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Bullock's Oriole

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Bullock's Oriole

Anyone who has grown up in the eastern United States knows about the Baltimore Oriole as a woodland and garden bird and the mascot of the baseball team with the same name. Less well known, however, is Bullock’s Oriole, the western North American counterpart to the Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula.

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Dunlin

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Dunlin

Dunlins are hardy birds that winter farther north than any other shorebird.  This fall and winter they will be along the Washington coast from late October to early May.  Major stopover points for them are the tidal flats and coastal estuaries around Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor and the Samish and Skagit Flats where they forage on marine and freshwater invertebrates by probing a few centimeters into the mud or fine-grained sand.

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Common Merganser

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Common Merganser

The Common Merganser (COME) is about 25” long with  34” wingspan and weighs 3.4 lb (1530 g). The genus name Mergus is Latin for diver. The species name merganser is from Latin mergere meaning to dip, plunge, and anser meaning goose. It is called Common because it may be seen more often than other members of its genus.