Birdathon 2024 Recap

Birdathon 2024 Recap

Thanks to everyone who made the 2024 Birdathon a complete success!  With your support, we have surpassed our goal making this year’s Birdathon one of the best Eastside Audubon has ever had!

If you are new to Eastside Audubon or Birdathon, let me give you some context.  Every May, many Audubon chapters run a month-long fundraising campaign called Birdathon.  This can be a complex campaign as every chapter will do it differently and the campaign may be different year to year even within the same chapter.  Our 2024 Birdathon focuses on Team Big Days, Birding Field Trips, Birds and Brews, Global Big Day, and accepting general donations.  As you can imagine, this is a crucial part in funding Eastside Audubon in the next year.

As of writing this note, we have raised about $13,900 for Birdathon!  This does not include our generous match of up to $15,000 from our friends at the Melody S. Robiduox Foundation!  We usually get Birdathon donations for up to a couple of months after the end of May so I fully expect our final number to be even higher.  Thank you all for your support of Eastside Audubon!

I want to take minute to report on our Big Day Teams.  A Big Day is when a team of birders goes out on a day to count as many bird species as they can and raise money from their supporters to push the team to counting more birds and staying out longer.  This year, we had 4 teams.

• Team Bird Brains, captained by past Eastside Audubon President Jim Rettig, started their day in Bothell before making their way to Marymoor Park, the Sammamish Plateau and ultimately to central Washington.  Their day ended with an impressive 90 species seen!  Though impressive, this exact same route in 2011 saw 125 species.  The team noted their concern about continued human development, drought, and effects of wildfire that have worsened since their doing this route 13 years ago.

• Team Newport Nightingales, captained by Perci Olcer and Betsy Swann, is our team from the Birding Club at Newport High School.  Their outing was to the Montlake Fill where they counted 37 species!  A highlight for them was seeing a soaring Green Heron clutching a worm in its beak.  Both Hattie Cifti and Mckenzie Brown are looking forward to doing this again next year!

• Team Karismatic Kestrels, captained by past Eastside Audubon President Andy McCormick, started at Marymoor Park and traveled east on I90, crossing over the Columbia River.  They counted exactly 100 birds with the 100th being a Great Horned Owl perched on a telephone pole as they were starting to make their way back home!

• Finally, Team Pelican Dive Bar, captained by current Eastside Audubon President Jeremy Lucas (me), stayed on its normal route of going out to the coast of southwest Washington to focus on shore and sea birds.  We saw 63 species including, to our surprise, Fork-tailed Storm-petrels in the Westport Marina!  To view our trip report, click here. 

I would also like to give a huge shoutout to everyone that helped lead events for Birdathon.  First, we had 6 field trips led by Chuck Guilford, Kathy Kuyper,  Kendall Wiggins, Andy McCormick, Etta Cosey, and Stan Wood.  Thank you to each of those leaders who ensured that our participants “got on the birds”!  I would also like to thank our Birding Chair Amanda Buse for helping with the organization of some of these walks.  Thank you to John Spilker for helping on our Global Big Day organization.  Global Big Day (very different from the Team Big Day) is still a new and small part of Birdathon and I appreciate John’s efforts in helping drive it for 2024.  Thank you to Amanda Leon, the Executive Director of Eastside Audubon who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything is smooth on game day.  Finally, again, I would like to thank all of YOU for your support of Eastside Audubon and helping us make May 2024 one to remember!

If you are interested in leading any event for Birdathon 2025, or have some interesting ideas, we want to hear from you.  Email me at president@eastsideaudubon.org

With gratitude,
Jeremy Lucas
Board President

Birdathon is Here

Are You Ready for Birdathon In May?

Check out our Birdathon page for more information!

Birdathon is a fundraising event that lasts for the entire month of May. The funds we raise support our efforts in promoting birds, education, and conservation. Last year, we reached out to children and adults at various schools and events to educate the public about the beauty of birds. We planted and cared for hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Marymoor Park. We provided numerous field trips. All of this made possible by your contributions. This year, we have already given away hundreds of trees to landowners to plant in their yards and have partnered with another nonprofit to plant “mini-forests” in degraded areas around our service area.

There are 4 ways you can get involved and help us meet our Birdathon goals.

Join a Field Trip

For 11 months a year, we offer field trips for anyone who simply signs up. In May, we ask that each participant donate $25 for each field trip they would like to attend. We have some great fieldtrips scheduled and encourage everyone to sign up for as many of these as you can! See our May calendar. And please don’t forget to register and donate!

Support a Big Day Team

A big day is simply any day in the month of May where a team goes out and counts as many birds as possible. You can support one of our teams by pledging a dollar amount for each bird species that team sees. For example, if you pledge $1.00 per species and that team sees 100 birds, you helped us raise $100.00! Simply go to our Birdathon page and click on the team you wish to support!

Global Big Day

How is a Global Big Day different than a Teams Big Day? A Global Big Day is not a team event where you raise money, but an individual event where you pay $25.00 to join. On May 11, we invite you to participate in the eBird Global Big Day. For $25.00, you can challenge yourself against other Eastside Audubon Birders to see who saw the most bird species and gain bragging rights! You can learn more by going to our Global Big Day page. Do note that using eBird and connecting it to Eastside Audubon is a requirement, which you can find instructions on how to do that on our Global Big Day page.

Making a Contribution

Do you just want to make it simple and contribute to our Birdathon efforts to raise funds? We have a plan for that. Please consider making a contribution through Paypal at this link or consider mailing us a check at:

Eastside Audubon
PO Box 3113
7241 185 th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98073

No matter which method you choose to support Eastside Audubon, your support is needed more than ever. We are grateful to all our supporters, members, and volunteers. You really do keep the birds singing by connecting people to nature.

As always, I am here to answer any questions you may have. Please reach out to me at president@eastsideaudubon.org

With gratitude,
Jeremy Lucas
President, Eastside Audubon Society

Birdathon is Back!

Are You Ready for Birdathon in May?

Check out our Birdathon page for more information!

Birdathon is a fundraising event that lasts for the entire month of May.  The funds we raise support our efforts in promoting birds, education, and conservation.  Last year, we reached out to children and adults at various schools and events to educate the public about the beauty of birds.  We planted and cared for hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Marymoor Park.  We provided numerous field trips.  All of this made possible by your contributions.  This year, we have already given away hundreds of trees to landowners to plant in their yards and have partnered with another nonprofit to plant “mini-forests” in degraded areas around our service areas.

There are 4 ways you can get involved and help us meet our Birdathon goals.

Join a Field Trip

For 11 months a year, we offer field trips to anyone for free.  In May, we ask that each participant donate $25 for each field trip they would like to attend.  We have some great trips planned would love to invite each and every one of you.  Keep an eye on our May calendar as we finalize the details.  And please don’t forget to register and donate! 

Support a Big Day Team

A big day is simply any day in the month of May where a team goes out and counts as many birds as possible. If you would like to motivate teams to raise money and see lots of birds, simply go to our Birdathon page and click on the team you wish to support!  You can also reach out to the team leader for other donation options.

Global Big Day

How is a Global Big Day different than a Teams Big Day?  A Global Big Day is not a team event where you raise money, but an individual event where you pay $25.00 to join.  On May 11, we would invite you to participate in the eBird Global Big Day.  For $25.00, you can challenge yourself against other Eastside Audubon Birders to see who saw the most bird species and gain bragging rights!  You can learn more by going to our Global Big Day page.  Do note that using eBird and connecting it to Eastside Audubon is a requirement, which you can find instructions on how to do that on our Global Big Day page.

Making a Contribution

Do you just want to make it simple and contribute to our Birdathon efforts to raise funds?  We have a plan for that.  Please consider making a contribution by going here or consider mailing us a check at:

Eastside Audubon
PO Box 3113
7241 185th Ave NE
Redmond, WA  98073

 No matter which method you choose to support Eastside Audubon, your support is needed more than ever.  We are grateful to all of our supporters, members, and volunteers.  You really do keep the birds singing by connecting people to nature.

As always, I am here to answer any questions you may have.  Please reach out to me at president@eastsideaudubon.org

With gratitude,
Jeremy Lucas
President, Eastside Audubon Society

Are You Ready for Birdathon in May?

Are You Ready for Birdathon?

Birdathon is a fundraising event that lasts for the entire month of May.  The funds we raise support our efforts in promoting birds, education, and conservation.  Last year, we reached out to children and adults at various schools and events to educate the public about the beauty of birds.  We planted and cared for hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Marymoor Park.  We provided numerous field trips.  All of this made possible by your contributions.  This year, we hope to do more.

There are 4 ways you can get involved and help us meet our Birdathon goals.

Join a Field Trip

For 11 months a year, we offer field trips for anyone who simply signs up.  In May, we ask that each participant donate $25 for each field trip they would like to attend.  We have some great field trips scheduled and encourage everyone to sign up for as many of these as you can!  See our May calendar.  And please don’t forget to register and donate!

Support a Big Day Team

A Big Day is any day in the month of May where a team goes out and counts as many birds as possible.  You can support one of our teams by pledging a dollar amount for each bird species that team sees.  For example, if you pledge $1.00 per species and that team sees 100 birds, you helped us raise $100.00!  Go to our Birdathon page and click on the team you wish to support!

Global Big Day

How is a Global Big Day different than a Teams Big Day?  A Global Big Day is not a team event where you raise money, but an individual event where you pay $25.00 to join.  On May 13, we invite you to participate in the eBird Global Big Day.  For $25.00, you can challenge yourself against other Eastside Audubon Birders to see who saw the most bird species and gain bragging rights!  You can learn more by going to our Global Big Day page.  Do note that using eBird and connecting it to Eastside Audubon is a requirement, which you can find instructions on how to do that on our Global Big Day page.

Making a Contribution

Do you just want to make it simple and contribute to our Birdathon efforts to raise funds?  We have a plan for that.  Please consider making a contribution by going here or consider mailing us a check at:

Eastside Audubon

PO Box 3115

Kirkland, WA  98083-3115

No matter which method you choose to support Eastside Audubon, your support is needed more than ever.  We are grateful to all our supporters, members, and volunteers.  You really do keep the birds singing by connecting people to nature.

As always, I am here to answer any questions you may have.  Please reach out to me at president@eastsideaudubon.org

With gratitude,

Jeremy Lucas

President

Eastside Audubon Society

Are You Ready for Birdathon in May?

Are You Ready for Birdathon in May?

Birdathon is a fundraising event that lasts for the entire month of May.  The funds we raise support our efforts in promoting birds, education, and conservation.  Last year, we reached out to children and adults at various schools and events to educate the public about the beauty of birds.  We planted and cared for hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Marymoor Park.  We provided numerous field trips.  All of this made possible by your contributions.  This year, we hope to do more.

There are 4 ways you can get involved and help us meet our Birdathon goals.

Join a Field Trip

For 11 months a year, we offer field trips for anyone who simply signs up.  In May, we ask that each participant donate $25 for each field trip they would like to attend.  We have some great trips we are planning, and would love to invite each and every one of you.  Keep an eye on our May calendar as we finalize the details.  And please don’t forget to register and donate!

Support a Big Day Team

A big day is simply any day in the month of May where a team goes out and counts as many birds as possible.  You can support one of our teams by pledging a dollar amount for each bird species that team sees.  For example, if you pledge $1.00 per species and that team sees 100 birds, you helped us raise $100.00!  Simply go to our Birdathon page and click on the team you wish to support!

Global Big Day

How is a Global Big Day different than a Teams Big Day?  A Global Big Day is not a team event where you raise money, but an individual event where you pay $25.00 to join.  On May 13, we would invite you to participate in the eBird Global Big Day.  For $25.00, you can challenge yourself against other Eastside Audubon Birders to see who saw the most bird species and gain bragging rights!  You can learn more by going to our Global Big Day page.  Do note that using eBird and connecting it to Eastside Audubon is a requirement, which you can find instructions on how to do that on our Global Big Day page.

Making a Contribution

Do you just want to make it simple and contribute to our Birdathon efforts to raise funds?  We have a plan for that.  Please consider making a contribution by going here or consider mailing us a check at:

Eastside Audubon

PO Box 3115

Kirkland, WA  98083-3115

No matter which method you choose to support Eastside Audubon, your support is needed more than ever.  We are grateful to all of our supporters, members, and volunteers.  You really do keep the birds singing by connecting people to nature.

As always, I am here to answer any questions you may have.  Please reach out to me at president@eastsideaudubon.org

With gratitude,

Jeremy Lucas

President, Eastside Audubon Society

Oh The Birds We'll See!

Oh The Birds We'll See! 

By Lori Danielson

In addition to the Birdathon events in May that anyone can participate in, Eastside Audubon also has two teams dedicated to raising money by seeing as many birds as possible and having fun while they’re doing it!

The Karismatic Kestrels, led by captain Andy McCormick, with team members Carol Carlson-Ray, Maureen Sunn, Nancy Hubly, Margaret Snell, and Jeremy Lucas are dynamic birders who have won Most Money Raised and Most Bird Species categories in the past. They are literally driven to succeed in 2022 because they will be driving a new route through Whidbey Island and the Skagit Valley to find as many bird species as they can. The team began in 2009 as the Mountains to the Lake Team and in 2014 they took on the mascot of the American Kestrel and changed their name to the Karismatic Kestrels. This will be their 14th Birdathon raising funds for Eastside Audubon. They have been flying high ever since. The Kestrels have the determination and speed of their namesake falcon and love finding birds for the Eastside Audubon Birdathon. You can support their efforts by pledging an amount of money per bird species they find or make a donation in any amount. They are working to protect this small falcon and all the other wonderful birds we all love. All sponsors of the Karismatic Kestrels who provide an email address will receive a list of the birds they find on their Big Day, May 10, 2022. 

The second team is a relative newcomer, Team Pelican Dive Bar, with captain Jeremy Lucas and team member Andy McCormick. Pelican Dive Bar is a small group of birders dedicated to raising awareness for bird conservation. This team focuses on sea and shore birds, and the healthy habitat these amazing avian species rely upon. They do so with a smile and a great sense of humor. Their Big Day event will actually be a “Big weekend”. On Day 1, they will explore the coast along Grays Harbor County, looking for shore birds scavenging for whatever bounty the ocean brings. On Day 2, they will set sail on a day cruise and head out to the open Pacific, looking for a variety of pelagic sea birds.

Please support our teams by donating to Eastside Audubon. Your contribution helps our organization protect birds and their habitat. You can support these teams by pledging money towards their effort at the Eastside Audubon Birdathon page here.

Birdathon is Here!

Birdathon is Here! Join One of Our Special Events

By Lori Danielson

We’re kicking off Birdathon events this year on April 30th and they’ll continue through May 21st. Birdathon is the biggest annual fundraiser for Eastside Audubon and we have scheduled several special birding trips, a “Big Sit” and a bird photography workshop designed especially for beginners. We even have a Big Day competition with prizes! See the event descriptions below.

These seven April and May events with their registration links (for some events) are also on our website calendar here. Please look there for any updates. Your donations, paid online or provided to the trip leader at the start of the trip, will support the chapter’s conservation, education, and advocacy work. We look forward to having you join us to view our spring birds and support the chapter!

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*** POINT NO POINT, HANSVILLE WALK ***

DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 30 

TIME: 6:15 AM departure from Kirkland Park & Ride to be on 7:10 AM ferry from Edmonds to Kingston.

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: Meet at north end of the Kingsgate Park & Ride, 13001 116th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034 at 6:15 AM for carpooling.

REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here.

DESCRIPTION: Hansville, Point No Point, and Foulweather Bluff are excellent spots for seeing seabirds including Marbled Murrelet, Rhinocerous Auklet and other alcids, Bonaparte’s Gull, and Long-tailed Duck is possible, Loons, grebes, and Black Brant should be around. The area is on a migrant flyway, and we will also bird the marsh, and walk the wooded Point No Point trail, and look skyward for a variety of flight migrants including warblers, vireos, and other birds heading north. We will also walk the wooded trail at Foulweather Bluff and visit two other parks in Hansville. Bring binoculars, camera, (scope is optional), lunch, fluids, and a snack. Dress for the weather. We will walk from the cars up to a mile on two different forest trails, but some may want to continue a sea watch instead. Restrooms are available on the ferry, at the lighthouse, and in Hansville. Back by early evening depending on ferry service. Discover Pass is needed by drivers. Carpool cost: $10.00 per non-driver, plus cost of ferry, shared equally by riders. Contact trip leader Andy McCormick at 425-518-0892 with any questions.  

ALTERNATIVE MEETING PLACE: Those who wish to meet in Hansville should take the 7:10 AM ferry from Edmonds, then WA-104 from the Kingston ferry terminal for two miles, turn right on Hansville Road NE for eight miles. In Hansville turn right on NE Point No Point Road for one mile and park in the lighthouse parking lot.

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*** NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE PHOTOGRAPHY WALK ***

100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98516

DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 7

TIME: 7:30 AM – 10 AM

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: Meet before 7:30 AM in front of the Nisqually Refuge’s visitor center entrance.

REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Raghav at raghuvmehta@gmail.com with any questions.

DESCRIPTION: Any experienced bird photographer will tell you that bird photography is hard but extremely rewarding. Birds can be elusive and only present for momentary opportunities for the photographer. This field trip is designed help new photographers learn how to find and photograph birds. It will be led by Raghav Mehta, a veteran bird photographer and winner of two Eastside Audubon photography awards. Access to a DLSR or mirrorless camera and telephoto lens is recommended but not required. 

The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge is home for some 20,000 migratory waterfowl. The grasslands teem with mice and voles that are meals for hawks, owls, and eagles. Thick cattails and sedges provide homes to marsh wrens, soras, bitterns, and swallows. The refuge has a daily fee of $3.00 per four adults. This can be paid at the kiosk outside the visitor center. If you have a pass for the refuge, please keep it with you and don't leave it in your vehicle. Read more details about the refuge here. There are well-maintained restrooms available at the visitor center.

This is a meet-you-there trip. Please meet before 7:30 AM in front of the visitor center entrance. We will not be carpooling and the walk is limited to those vaccinated against COVID-19. The trip leader is fully vaccinated. Please bring a bottle of water, a snack if you like, and wear comfortable shoes & appropriate clothing as per the weather. This trip is a leisurely walk, with a mostly flat grass/gravel/pavement/boardwalk for 2 to 4 miles. 

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*** IDYLWOOD PARK "BIG SIT" STATIONARY BIRD WATCHING ***

3650 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond, WA 98052

DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 14

TIME: 6 AM – 12 PM, choose a 1 to 2 hour time period.

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: Idylwood Park’s northern beach area, directly downhill from the parking area.

REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Contact Anne Wehrly by email at annewehrly@gmail.com to pre-register for a time slot or with any questions.

DESCRIPTION: We will try out a different way to bird, sitting in camp chairs near the Lake Sammamish shoreline, with our binoculars and a spotting scope. Both waterfowl and songbirds will be present in good variety, and bald eagles are commonly seen here as well. This event could be great for people with mobility or energy limitations, and also for beginning birders. 

The Big Sit will run from 6 AM until noon, and participants will be asked to pre-register for a 1-2 hour time slot so we don't get overcrowded. Bring your own camp chair, protection from cold, sun or rain as appropriate, and snacks if desired. This park has accessible parking and restrooms. Meet in the northern beach area, directly downhill from the parking area.

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*** BIRDING COMPETITION FOR GLOBAL BIG DAY ***

DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 14

TIME: Between 12 AM (midnight) to 11:59 PM 

DONATION: $10 registration fee per participant to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: None.

REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here.

DESCRIPTION: Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around us. To celebrate this day, Eastside Audubon is conducting a fun birding competition! This competition will give birders opportunities to:

• Contribute important data through eBird checklists to help scientists better understand birds.

• Donate to Eastside Audubon to support its work to preserve and enhance ecosystems for the benefit of birds.

• Compete with other birders, have fun and win some cool prizes!

How to participate?

1. Register as an individual or team. Registration fee is $10 per participant. Last date to register is May 13, 2022.

2. Create a trip report (Named GBD_Team/Individual Name) on eBird and share it with eastsideAS on eBird. Learn how to create a trip report here. Don’t have an eBird account? Get started here.

3. Go birding on May 14th and add all checklists into the trip report for review by the judges.

4. Results to be announced through mail and social media on May 22nd!

Competition Guidelines

• Checklists should be created while birding in Washington State.

• Checklists should record birds seen/heard only between midnight May 14 to midnight May 15.

• Birds can be identified by sight or sound.

• Playback of recorded bird songs should not be used to lure birds in.

• All participants should follow the ABA Code of Ethics.

Additional Guidelines for teams 

• At least two of the team members should identify each species recorded.

• Team members should bird together (within shouting distance) and should not split up to cover more area.

Prizes

There will be prizes for two individuals who record the greatest number of species; a prize for the team which most number of species recorded; a prize for individual who spots the rarest bird, and a lucky draw participant prize!

Winners can choose one of these three cool birding accessories as their prize: 

• The Sibley Birder's Life List and Field Diary

• Celestron Lens Cleaning Kit

• Vortex Binocular Harness Strap

We look forward to your participation! If you have any questions, please feel free to write to shrutijayaprakash@gmail.com.

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*** NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WALK *** 

100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98516

DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 15

TIME: 7 AM

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: Meet at 7 AM in front of the Nisqually Refuge’s visitor center.

REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Shruti by email at shrutijayaprkash@gmail.com with any questions.

DESCRIPTION: Join Raghav and Shruti for a bird walk at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has various types of habitats and hence a wide variety of birds. We expect to see spring migrants and a variety of waterfowl and raptors. 

We will be meeting at 7:00 AM in front of the refuge’s visitor center. The four-mile round-trip walk will be at a leisurely pace on flat terrain and will take approximately 4 hours. Please bring your binoculars, a bottle of water and a snack if you like; and wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing. The refuge has a daily fee of $3.00 per four adults. This can be paid at the kiosk outside the visitor center. If you have a pass for the refuge, please keep it with you and don't leave it in your vehicle. Read more details about the refuge here. There are well-maintained restrooms available at the visitor center.

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*** RATTLESNAKE AND CHRISTMAS LAKES WALK ***

DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 17

TIME: Meet at 7 AM to carpool.

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: At the uncovered Tibbetts Lot at 1675 Newport Way NW, Issaquah.

REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here. Contact trip leader Andy McCormick at 425-518-0892 with any questions.  

DESCRIPTION: Rattlesnake and Christmas Lakes offer a variety of habitats for spring birding in the Cascade foothills near North Bend. We will walk on a paved trail with some slight inclines along the shore of Rattlesnake Lake looking for MacGillivray’s Warbler, Rufous Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Spotted Sandpiper, and Osprey. Then we’ll follow the Christmas Lake gravel and dirt foot trail looking for Pacific-slope flycatchers, hoping for an Olive-sided Flycatcher (uncommon), Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, various swallows, Yellow and Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Common Yellowthroat. The old red alders, second-growth conifers, black cottonwoods, wetlands and lake provide a variety of habitats and possibly some unexpected species. Total walking distance is about three miles over paved, gravel, and dirt paths. Bring binoculars, camera, (scope is optional), lunch, water and a snack. Dress for the weather. We will return by early afternoon. Carpool cost is $9.00. 

ALTERNATIVE MEETING PLACE: Those who prefer to meet at Rattlesnake Lake take I-90 east and Exit 32 to turn right onto 436th Ave SE. Drive 5 miles to the Rattlesnake Lake parking area. Please arrive by 7:45 AM.

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*** LAKE SAMMAMISH STATE PARK WALK *** 

2000 NW Sammamish Road, Issaquah, WA 98027 

DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 21

TIME: 8 AM – 10:30 AM

DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.

MEETING PLACE: Lake Sammamish State Park’s rotunda picnic shelter.

REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Lori by email at lddanielson@gmail.com with any questions.

DESCRIPTION: Join Lori for a birding tour at Issaquah’s Lake Sammamish State Park. Meet at 8:00 AM at the park’s rotunda picnic shelter, visible near the park entrance. The walk will be at a leisurely pace on flat terrain and will take approximately 2.5 hours. Please bring your binoculars, water and a snack if you like. Wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing. A Washington State Park Discover Pass is required.

Photo credit: Silverbill Birds by Sajis Rashan De Silva.

Birdathon is Next Month!

Birdathon is Next Month!

by Lori Danielson

Get ready to join Eastside Audubon in May 2022 for our most rewarding fundraiser: Birdathon! You can participate in any of several birding trips, count birds as a family, or make a donation to support our chapter’s conservation, education, and advocacy work. Birdathon is like a walkathon, a bike-a-thon, or dance-a-thon. It’s a way to put the fun in fundraising by getting lots of people excited about conservation. Like a walkathon, participants gather pledges from friends, family, work colleagues, and others who want to help Eastside Audubon keep providing the great programs we offer the community. Instead of getting a pledge of $1.00 per mile walked, bird enthusiasts ask for a pledge for each bird seen by a person or team. Audubon chapters all over the country hold this entertaining and creative event during the month of May.

The pandemic forced a halt to this traditional chapter fundraiser over the past two years, but we’re working to revive it. We’ll soon post the list of birding trips and related activities, so please watch our Birdathon page and our calendar for updates. Flock with us this May to support the chapter!

Photo Credit: Mick Thompson.