The Conservation Committee (CC) is continuing to ramp up our activities. In September, we discussed the Marymoor work parties, the Willowmoor bird surveys, Save Coal Creek, Recreate Responsibly, and the impact of Amazon drones.
Deepwater Horizon Penalty Funds Helping Birds in the Gulf of Mexico
Successful breeding areas for birds are being created on barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico using $8.8 billion from the largest environmental settlement in history. Cooperative work among many agencies is demonstrating that habitat restoration works if it is done well and with the needs of birds in mind.
Eastside Audubon Book Club’s 2020 Reading List
October Program Night Presentation
Join Us for Our Virtual Open House
Have you been looking for a meaningful way to address environmental issues in your community, but don't know where to start? Join members of Eastside Audubon's Board of Directors, volunteers, and staff for an informal discussion on our chapter's legacy of conservation throughout Greater King County as well as learn about volunteer opportunities available to help combat the environmental challenges facing birds and other wildlife.
President’s Letter: Speaking Up on Climate Change
Bufflehead
Thick-billed Longspur is new name for McCown’s Longspur
In August 2020, the North American Classification Committee (NACC) of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) voted to rename McCown’s Longspur. The longspur was originally named after Captain John P. McCown, a military man and naturalist who collected the species in 1851. He was the only person for whom a bird was named who also fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. It was this part of history which prompted the desire to change the bird’s name.
OPINION: Global Warming is Here
Home and Abroad Fire is Threatening Birds and Humans
Hello Mexican Duck! Good-bye Northwestern Crow!
Solitary Sandpiper
President’s Letter: We Heard Your Preferences
Eastside Audubon’s board received great feedback from the “safe start” survey that was emailed to our membership in June. There were more than 100 respondents to the online survey. We learned that most people have a high level of concern about resuming any indoor chapter activities, but there is some positive interest shown for participating in outdoor, small group, socially-distanced activities such as bird walks without carpools.
Changing Honorific Bird Names
In the American Birding Podcast on June 18, 2020 host Nate Swick proposed a plan to address potentially harmful honorific names given to birds in previous centuries. Naming birds after people can be problematic especially “against the backdrop of present day social standards”
#BlackBirdersWeek
In response, and in an effort to promote solidarity, a group of Black birders and naturalists from Black AF in STEM, organized #BlackBirdersWeek, the Twitter handle for a series of events celebrating Black birders and drawing attention to the unique issues that arise when Black individuals go birding.
President’s Letter: Educated and Entertained Online
While staying at home this spring and summer, I’ve spent quite a bit of time online. After hearing the news about the New York Central Park encounter between birder Christian Cooper and dog walker Amy Cooper, I wanted to learn more about how to make birding more welcoming and inclusive for people of color.
Indigo Bunting
An Indigo Bunting, a common bird of the Eastern United States, made a rare visit to the west at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA in June 2020.
The lovely all blue male Indigo Bunting has been called the Blue Canary (Dunne) for good reason. Its song is a bright and cheery combination of whistled notes, often in pairs, which can continue for hours throughout the day. This bunting loves to sing from a high and open perch.