We are a local, grassroots environmental organization with a mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds and other wildlife.

Monthly Program

November 13 @ 7:00pm

Register to attend online (via Zoom)

Mighty and tiny: the territorial world of hummingbirds

Guest Speaker: Alyssa J. Sargent

What does a day in the life of a hummingbird entail? Where do they travel, and which rival is worth attacking? Does it pay off to stay near home, saving energy for inevitable battle, or to fly further afield—facing new perils—to find food? Cutting-edge technologies can help us to answer these questions. In my PhD, I study hummingbirds in Colombia using "on-board" devices, which we equip to the birds themselves; these tiny electronics allow us to map where individual hummingbirds disappear to, how active they really are, and how thick the competition can get at a given feeder. Come join me and take a peek, up close, at the swashbuckling lives of the world's smallest birds!

Alyssa J. Sargent is a PhD candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Washington, where she's a part of the Behavioral Ecophysics Lab. In her current work, she studies the swashbuckling, drama-packed lives of hummingbirds in Colombia. Alyssa loves to come up with creative ways to share her research with people—including a bilingual board game, “Hummingbird Sugar Rush” (“Fiebre de Azúcar en Colibríes”)—to teach people about the decisions hummingbirds must make every day. Throughout her career, she's studied birds in Australia, Portugal, Ecuador, Canada, Puerto Rico, and numerous states.

126th Annual Christmas Bird Count

Edmonds CBC: December 20

Everett/Marysville CBC: December 27

Help us close out the year with our traditional Christmas Bird Count! Our chapter sponsors two counts - the Edmonds CBC and the Everett/Marysville CBC. These counts have been done continuously since 1984 and 1974, respectively.

How to participate:

Join a field team:

Go to different locations throughout the day and count birds in small teams. Routes are mostly pre-determined. Field teams gather around dawn and generally bird until late in the afternoon. Birders of all experience levels are welcome. Families with young children are better suited for the feeder watch portion of the CBC. Experienced birders are needed and we will try to place less experienced birders on experienced teams.

Be a feeder/yard counter:

If you prefer to bird from your favorite chair with a cup of hot coffee or tea, do we have a deal for you! If your residence falls within one of the two count circles, you can help by recording and reporting the birds at your feeders, in your yard, or from your balcony/patio. This is a lot of fun if you have young children or grandchildren who want to help. Please contact one of our compilers if you’d like to participate from the warmth of your home. Please note: you do not need a bird feeder to participate!

Owlers:

Owls are under-reported on our CBCs because they require nocturnal surveys. We would love to get some more folks out pre-dawn or post-sunset to listen for owls. We can direct you to specific locations.

Crow counters (Edmonds CBC):

In partnership with the University of Washington, we have a few stations where crow counters set up for a couple hours to count the crows coming to roost at sunset near the Bothell campus.

Visit our CBC webpage to view the count circle maps: www.pilchuckaudubon.org/christmas-bird-count

 To sign up or learn more, contact one of our compilers:

Edmonds CBC - December 20

Brian Zinke (cbc.waed@pilchuckaudubon.org)

 Everett/Marysville CBC - December 27

Scott Atkinson (cbc.waev@pilchuckaudubon.org)

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Cover Photo: Black Turnstone by Mick Thompson