BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY (BHAS) is a chapter of the
National Audubon Society, representing Lewis, Mason, and
Thurston counties in the state of Washington. It is a
volunteer-based, non-profit organization whose 1,300+ members
share interests in birds and other wildlife, their habitats, and
natural history. Our goals are to promote environmental
education and recreation and to maintain and protect our
ecosystems for future generations. We work with the
state Audubon office (Audubon
Washington).
Every Wednesday, 8:00 am
—
11:00 am, Phil Kelley leads a bird-watching walk at Nisqually NWR. Meet at the Nisqually Visitor
Center.
First Saturday Birding and Breakfast - First
Saturday of each month, different location each time within
Lewis, Mason, or Thurston County.
For more information, contact Leslie Lynam at 360- 402-9513
or Deb Nickerson at 360-754-5397.
Third Thursday of each month: Field Trip:
Eagle’s Pride Golf
Course
at JBLM
We’re planning on making
this a monthly nature/bird watching trip on the 3rd Thursday
of each month throughout the year. This trip will be from
1-3 miles long on relatively level ground. It will explore
forest, water, and open area species. No security passes are required. Trip starts promptly
at 8:00 a.m. at the golf course driving range parking lot.
See details, below
BHAS Event:
Birds and Beer
NEW!
- 4:30 pm
on the Third Monday of the
Month at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia
Gather with other birders and discuss recent findings and topics of
interest at the Fish Tale Brew Pub at 4:30pm on the third Monday of
each month. This is a new offering so ideas are welcome and will be
discussed at the May and June gatherings. If enough interest is
garnered, the meetings will continue in the fall.
On June 17th, we will
again share favorite birding spots and adventures and also discuss
what we can offer during this time frame and develop some
presentations appropriate for the venue, group size, and time
period.
Location: The Fish
Tale Brew Pub
515 Jefferson St SE
Olympia, WA 98501
We will have a sign directing you to
the couches in the back where we will gather. Hope to see you there.
June 20 (Thurs.)
Third Thursday of each month.
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Field Trip:
Eagle’s Pride Golf
Course
at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Leaders: David Wienecke,
Denis DeSilvis, and/or Valerie Elliott
The Eagles Pride Golf Course at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM)
covers 431 acres, 55% of which is native or naturalized Douglas
Fir-Hemlock woodland forest with five bodies of water. One-half mile
from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, the golf course attracts
many species of birds and other wildlife. It is worth a visit.
Meet at the Driving Range Tee Building
#1514 at 8:00 am, dressed for the weather. We will walk on open
gravel roads and paths. Possible birds include Wilson's Warbler, Red
Crossbill, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and
many others.
No security passes are required.
Trip starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. at the golf course driving range
parking lot.
Location: Exit 116 (Mounts
Road), turn north, turn right into Eagle’s Pride Golf Course
clubhouse parking area, go down ramp and make an immediate, hard
left onto driving range access road (narrow road). Proceed to
driving range parking area.
For more information contact David
Wienecke at
david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or 253-964-0341 (office) or
760- 828-8788 (mobile).
On June
30th at 5pm, BHAS members and interested parties will meet at Deb
Nickerson's house for a dinner meeting to review the year's
offerings and schedule classes and programs for next year.
Please contact Shelley Horn or Deb
Nickerson by June 23rd if you wish to attend.
Event:
Birds and Bats Picnic Dinner Location: Woodard
Bay
Come join BHAS for an evening of birds and bats while socializing
over dinner. Bring a chair, your dinner, a flashlight, and your
binoculars.
We will meet at Woodard Bay at 7:30
p.m. Sunset is at 9:00 p.m. and the bats should start flying at
about 9:20. BHAS Environmental Educator of the year, Greg Falxa, has
been invited.
Carpooling highly recommended,
parking limited. Discover passes required for all cars. Break-ins
are frequent if valuables are visible. Call Tina Peterson at
360-459-7661 to sign up and to coordinate carpooling.
July 18 (Thurs)
8:00 - 11:00 a.m. or so
Field Trip: Eagles
Pride Golf Course, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Leaders: Denis Desilvis and
David Wienecke
The Eagles Pride Golf Course covers 431 acres, 55% of which is
native or naturalized Douglas Fir-Hemlock woodland forest with five
bodies of water. One-half mile from Nisqually National Wildlife
Refuge, the golf course attracts many species of birds and other
wildlife. It is worth a visit.
Meet at the
Driving Range Tee Building #1514 at 8:00, dressed for the weather.
We will walk open gravel roads and paths. Possible birds include
Wilson's Warbler, Red Crossbill, Pacific-slope Flycatcher,
Black-headed Grosbeaks, and many others.
To reach
Eagles Pride, use exit 116 off of I-5 North. Turn left off the ramp
and proceed straight into the Golf Course. Park at the driving range
or in the clubhouse main parking lot.
No security passes are required.
Trip starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. at the golf course driving range
parking lot.
For more information contact David
Wienecke at
david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or 253-964-0341 (office) or
760- 828-8788 (mobile).
August 1 (Thurs.)
6:30 a.m. - late afternoon
Field Trip:
Mt. Rainier: Wildflowers
and Casual Birding
Leaders: Jan Sharkey and Kristin Stewart
Join us for a Mt. Rainier wildflowers trip - on a Thursday, so we
can avoid the weekend crowds. However, the date for this trip may
change depending on snow and flower conditions at Paradise. We will
go for a relatively easy and slow hike and enjoy the views, the
flowers, and any birds we happen upon. We plan to hike a fair
distance, but at a leisurely pace. Be aware, we will start our walk
at Paradise at 5100 ' and climb up to 6000'. Folks who do not want
to hike too far are welcome to join us for as long as they wish;
they may stop along the way. As is usual on the mountain, be
prepared for all weather conditions. Bring food and water. If you
have FRS radios, they might also be useful.
Meet at the Martin Way Park and Ride at about 6:15 a.m., to
leave by
6:30 a.m. Call Jan Sharkey at (360) 943-8786 or Kristin Stewart at
(360) 456-5098 to sign up.
Aug. 15 (Thurs)
Third Thursday of each month.
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Field Trip:
Eagle’s Pride Golf
Course
at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Leaders: David Wienecke,
Denis DeSilvis, and/or Valerie Elliott
The Eagles Pride Golf Course at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM)
covers 431 acres, 55% of which is native or naturalized Douglas
Fir-Hemlock woodland forest with five bodies of water. One-half mile
from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, the golf course attracts
many species of birds and other wildlife. It is worth a visit.
Meet at the Driving Range Tee Building
#1514 at 8:00 am, dressed for the weather. We will walk on open
gravel roads and paths. Possible birds include Wilson's Warbler, Red
Crossbill, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and
many others.
No security passes are required.
Trip starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. at the golf course driving range
parking lot.
Location: Exit 116 (Mounts
Road), turn north, turn right into Eagle’s Pride Golf Course
clubhouse parking area, go down ramp and make an immediate, hard
left onto driving range access road (narrow road). Proceed to
driving range parking area.
For more information contact David
Wienecke at
david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or 253-964-0341 (office) or
760- 828-8788 (mobile).
August 22-25
Event: WFO-WOS Joint
Conference
Save the date! From August 22 to 25, Black Hills
Audubon Society (BHAS) will host the first joint conference of the
Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the Washington Ornithology
Society (WOS) at the Red Lion Inn in Olympia. The conference will
feature over 20 field trips in addition to workshops, science
sessions, and panels. See flyer.
Plan to attend, even if just for part of the
conference. Some of the panel discussions and presentations will be
delightful and informative as world experts form teams to take on
quiz show type challenges. The bird vocalization and bird photo
identification challenges have become sessions of legend. Seating
for these events will be at a premium. Other presentations, offered
by researchers, authors, and experts in their field, provide insight
into little known species or aspects of bird life.
All-day field trips will be held Thursday, August 22 and Sunday,
August 25. Half-day (early morning until about noon) field trips
will be on Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24. Friday and
Saturday afternoons will feature workshops, presentations, and a
dinner with keynote speaker.
WFO is an organization promoting the study,
appreciation, and protection of birds in western North America.
Amateur and professional field ornithologists are invited to join.
Members include many of the foremost birders, authors, professional
ornithologists, nature photographers, artists, and guides.
WOS provides a place for birders to meet and share
information on bird identification, biology, populations, and
birding sites. Many of Washington’s most skilled and avid birders
are active in WOS. Learn more at:
http://www.wos.org/aboutwos.html.
For further information or to volunteer at the conference, contact:
Whittier Johnson at 360-866-8156.
Sign
up for BHAS Alerts by sending an email to the
Webmaster.
We will then send you an invitation that you will need to confirm (so that
someone else doesn't "accidentally" sign you up!)
State Conservation
efforts. Read about issues involving birds, other wildlife, and
their habitats at the state level.
National Action Alerts.
The National Audubon Society has set up this special Web site to give you an
easy and convenient way to communicate with your lawmakers and newspapers on
national conservation issues that impact birds, wildlife and our shared
environment. Remember, your letters will make a difference -- so take action
today!
The Education Committee has been busy creating
well-attended
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.
In 2009, BHAS awarded its first Dave McNett Environmental Educator of the Year
Award., honoring long-time volunteer Dave McNett.
Black Hills Audubon Society receives 4% of every purchase from this page to support our conservation program and other goals. Our prices are exactly the same as Amazon.com! All purchases are managed by Amazon.com. Use the search link below to make all of your Amazon.com purchases, or
go to our book store page for selected items.
Honor the Black River in western Thurston County, the Deschutes, the Nisqually, other Pacific Northwest rivers, or rivers around the world with this special creation.
Wildlife Checklists
Butterfliesin Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties (30Kb Word file).
Wildlife and Habitat
info for Nisqually National
Wildlife Refuge, including:
Bird species
list - link temporarily not working.
Reptile
species list - link temporarily not working.
Mammal
species list - link temporarily not working.
Ever see a dead bird on a beach and
wonder why it succumbed? Would you like to help scientists
find out why?
COASST (Coastal
Observation and Seabird Survey Team) is a citizen science project based at the
University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in partnership
with local community and environmental organizations, and state and federal
agencies. COASST volunteers collect data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds
on a monthly basis to establish the baseline, or 'normal' pattern of beached
bird mortality on North Pacific beaches. Baselines are crucial for assessing the
impacts of oil spills, fisheries, and climate change. Data collection by COASST
volunteers helps address important marine conservation issues and protects
marine resources.
Lists of COASST trainings and more information about COASST
are posted on their website at
http://www.coasst.org.
From the main page, click on What's New. Then click on the Training Sessions
tab.
BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Join us for a Mt. Rainier wildflowers trip - on a Thursday, so we
can avoid the weekend crowds. However, the date for this trip may
change depending on snow and flower conditions at Paradise. We will
go for a relatively easy and slow hike and enjoy the views, the
flowers, and any birds we happen upon. We plan to hike a fair
distance, but at a leisurely pace. Be aware, we will start our walk
at Paradise at 5100 ' and climb up to 6000'. Folks who do not want
to hike too far are welcome to join us for as long as they wish;
they may stop along the way. As is usual on the mountain, be
prepared for all weather conditions. Bring food and water. If you
have FRS radios, they might also be useful. 
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.