Burien Bird Festival
2026-02-14 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)

Why Washington Matters to Waterfowl
2026-02-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Federal Way United Methodist Church, 29645 51st Ave SWA 98001, Auburn, Washington, 98001, United States
by Kyle Spragens

For a variety of reasons, the ducks, geese, and swans that rely upon Washington’s waters and wetlands every year, are often taken for granted or unnoticed. Using insights and stories from projects across the Pacific Flyway, you will come away with a deeper appreciation and the urge to take a longer look at these migratory masters of the marsh.

Kyle Spragens is the WDFW Waterfowl Section Manager, coordinating monitoring and research activities statewide. He serves on the Pacific Flyway Study Committee charged with status assessments and harvest regulation responsibilities throughout the Pacific Flyway states. Currently he is the U.S. Chair for the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Management Board and looks for an opportunity to talk about waterfowl whenever folks are interested. To find out more please visit: https://pacificbirds.org/about-pacific-birds/our-people/kyle-spragens/

3 Billion Birds Lost

The Joy of Spring and Summer Birds
2026-03-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Federal Way United Methodist Church, 29645 51st Ave SWA 98001, Auburn, Washington, 98001, United States
by Thomas BancroftBirds are amazing. Here in Washington, they range in size from minute hummingbirds to swans and eagles. Some stay here all year; others fly incredible distances in their migration. Thrushes have songs like a woodwind quartet, while hawks and vultures squawk and screech. These creatures always leave me with a sense of awe. Their hollow bones and air sacks make them light enough to fly, and their cardiovascular system is far more efficient than the best mammalian athletes. Evolution has blessed the world with more kinds of birds than mammals, heck, more perching birds than mammals. This isunquestionably the age of birds. This talk will explore birds that are in Washington during the spring and summer. We will look at common ones, hard-to-identify ones, and some rare or more difficult-to- discover ones. Songs, distributions, and migrations will all be topics to ponder. Oh, and then how have they evolved? Our journey will jump from Puget Sound lowlands over the top of the Cascades to Eastern Washington, all with the goal of leaving us mesmerized by our feathered friends.Perhaps we can make some sense of why birds leave us with wonder, awe, and incredible joy.Thomas Bancroft’s lifelong passion for birds and nature has been the driving force behind his illustrious career. His earliest memory is of his mother helping him identify Black-capped Chickadees. He was five. Growing up on a farm, he was constantly immersed in the beauty of nature. This love for the natural world led him to pursue these interests in undergraduate and graduate school. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Biology and an M.A. in Zoology, both from the University of South Florida. He led a research program on Everglades conservation for over a decade, during which time he helped craft restoration and management plans for this spectacular wild area.

2026 Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
2026-03-20 08:00 - 2026-03-22 17:00
Join us March 20-22, 2026, in the beautiful Columbia Basin, Othello, WA. You’ll have the chance to see thousands of Sandhill Cranes, ducks, and geese as they gather against the stunning backdrop of the Saddle Mountains and sprawling cornfields. We have a fantastic lineup of wildlife viewing opportunities, along with engaging talks, fun tours, hikes, and workshops for everyone to enjoy. Experience the warmth of our friendly rural community while taking in the fantastic sight of the Sandhill Crane migration. We can’t wait to see you there!

Bass Lake Complex Spring 2026 Bird Walk
2026-04-11 09:00 - 13:00
Sunday, April 18, 2026 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (Backup Bad Weather Date)

Leaders: Ken Schroeder and Dolly OwenJoin leaders Ken Schroeder and Dolly Owen for a half-day exploration of the Bass Lake Complex Natural Area. We do a one-way walk to explore three different lakes in this lowland basin along a well-maintained trail, for a total of 1.8 miles. There are only a few gentle uphill sections. We go slowly for birding and nature study. With luck we will observe some spring migrating birds, and possibly a glimpse of the Mt. Rainier Elk herd. Our walk ends at the mysterious “Sinkhole Lake” with a well-deserved reputation of being bottomless.The Bass Lake Complex is a ten-minute drive from Flaming Geyser State Park. We will meet at Whitney Bridge Park at the intersection of SE Green Valley Road, and 218th Ave SE. This intersection is just west of Flaming Geyser State Park. Look for our vehicles parked in a gravelly pull-off at this intersection.When all guests have arrived, we will caravan to Sinkhole Lake. Two cars are parked here while the other two cars shuttle all birders to our starting location at Bass Lake. At the conclusion of the hike, we shuttle back to the starting point and go our separate ways. Stopping for lunch at the nearby, and world famous, “Black Diamond Bakery” is optional.We must have a total of four cars that each seat four to shuttle between the starting and ending points. This bird hike is capped at six guests, plus two leaders for a total of eight. We remain together for the entire outing.Bring hiking boots, a water bottle, a few snacks, rain gear, binoculars, an optional hiking pole, and your sense of adventure. If the weather is bad, we will postpone to the following weekend.

Harney County Migratory Bird Festival
2026-04-16 00:00 - 2026-04-19 23:59
Spend an amazing weekend witnessing the spectacular spring migration in the Harney Basin of Southeast Oregon. View thousands of migratory birds as they rest and feed in the wide-open spaces of Oregon’s high desert. From waterfowl to shorebirds, cranes to raptors, wading birds to songbirds, you’ll see them all! The festival offers non-stop birding activities along with historical and cultural information for all ages. Whether you’re a beginner or a lifelong wildlife enthusiast, the festival has something for everyone. Don’t miss this extraordinary weekend. The Harney County Migratory Bird Festival is generously organized and hosted for the benefit of our community by the Friends of Malheur Refuge, Bureau of Land Management, Bird Alliance of Oregon, High Desert Partnership, and Harney County. The festival is held annually in honor of John Scharff, who served as Refuge Manager at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for over 34 years — the longest tenure of any on-site manager in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Migratory Bird Festival | April 16-19, 2026

"Mighty and Tiny: The Territorial World of Hummingbirds"
2026-04-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Federal Way United Methodist Church, 29645 51st Ave SWA 98001, Auburn, Washington, 98001, United States
by Alyssa J. Sargent

King County Regional Meeting
2026-04-30 10:00 - 14:00 | Seward Park Audubon Center, 5900 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, Washington, 98118, United States
This is a great opportunity to find out what our neighborhood chapters are doing, and to share our own projects.

If you would like to join us, please contact me at so we can register you for lunch.dan_streiffert@hotmail.com

This message is going out to chapter leaders at Birds Connect, Eastside, Rainier, and Vashon.

We have a lot to catch up on at this spring’s in-person Regional Meeting. By then:

The 2026 legislative session will be complete

We may have a new policy lead on staff

Progress will be underway on Lights Out Washington

Planning will be ramping up for Bird Week/ACOW 2026 this October in Bellingham

Spring birding festivals will be in full swing

It will also be a great opportunity for our new(ish) VP, Amanda Kaplan, to meet your chapters in person.

Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest
2026-05-14 00:00 - 2026-05-17 23:59
Come bird with us in Leavenworth and beyond!

The annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest promotes conservation through educational and recreational activities about birds, wildlife, and their environments.

The 2026 Bird Fest Schedule will be posted before registration opens. Make sure to subscribe to WRI’s E-Newsletter for the most up to date information, and keep checking back on this page.

Mark your calendars! Registration will open on Wednesday, March 25th.

https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/bird-fest/overview.html

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge & Annual Membership Meeting
2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Federal Way United Methodist Church, 29645 51st Ave SWA 98001, Auburn, Washington, 98001, United States
by Dan Streiffert

For the past several years the low accumulation of snowpack and rainfall has resulted in a continual reduction in the size of Malheur Lake, to the point where the lake has nearly disappeared. But this changed in 2025 with a 150% snowpack. As a result, there is now enough deep water at the Narrows for Harney and Malheur Lakes to merge. This is both good and bad news.

The good news is an abundance of waterfowl throughout the spring with an extension of the nesting season to the point where many of the birds have had 2 – 3 broods of chicks.

The bad news is that with water everywhere, the birds are spread out all over the area, much of which has flooded making it hard to reach. The flooding was so bad that the north end of Burns flooded the week before the Migratory Bird Festival that was ultimately cancelled.

This presentation includes visits from both 2025 and the first two weeks of April 2026 for the spring Migratory Bird Festival.

Migratory Bird Festival | April 16-19, 2026

Green Valley in Late Spring
2026-05-23 08:00 - 13:00
Leader: Steve JohnsonIn June, the migrant birds should be singing on their territory near Auburn and in the beautiful Green Valley east of Auburn. We’ll visit Academy Drive, Green Valley Road and Flaming Geyser State Park. We may see and hear warblers, thrushes, vireos, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Virginia Rail, flycatchers, and more. We may walk up to 2 miles on trails and roads.People who bring their own cars and want to leave early may do so.Bring: Lunch, snacks, drinks, hiking shoes, Discover Pass, if you have it. Scopes welcome.Meet: Auburn Safeway at Auburn Ave & Main at 8:00 AM. Directions: Take Hwy 18 to Auburn, and exit at Auburn Ave (Hwy 164). Turn north at the exit at Auburn Ave (Hwy 164). Turn north (right) on Auburn Way and drive 3 blocks north. Safeway sign and gas station is on the left. Park in the lot straight out from the north entry door of Safeway at 8:00 am.

Yakima River Canyon
2026-06-03 00:00 - 23:59
We’ll join Roger Orness for an all day trip to the Yakima River Canyon.

We will focus on birds of prey, but we’ll also be looking for:

Golden Eagles

Lazuli Buntings

Bullock’s Orioles

Yellow-breasted Chats

Yellow Warblers

Eastern Kingbirds

Western Kingbirds

and more!

Meet at 6:00AM at Federal Way Hobby Lobby, next to Costco, to form carpools.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kKmaqGmKnm2GWCrj9

Flaming Geyser Nature Festival
2026-06-06 08:00 - 13:00 | Flaming Geyser State Park, 23700 SE Flaming Geyser Rd, Auburn, Washington, 98092, United States
