December brings both holiday cheer and birding excitement! While many of us are gathering with family, it’s also the season for Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Don’t miss our Dec. 6 Backyard Birding program, Backyard Birds in Winter. On Dec. 7, join the pre-CBC field trip to Carrie Blake Park and John Wayne Marina, followed by the Sequim-Dungeness CBC on Dec. 15. The Port Angeles CBC also takes place Dec. 27. This issue highlights a remarkable video from our Nov. 19 program, Plant Life of the Olympic Peninsula—The Beautiful and the Strange, along with a festive article, The Twelve Birds of Christmas. Plus, be sure to check out our upcoming events.

December President’s Notes

‘Tis the Season
by Matt McCoy 

It’s the season for Audubon Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs)! The National Audubon Society is celebrating its 126th year of counting birds during the holidays—one of the longest-running community science projects.

Back in 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman proposed counting birds on Christmas Day instead of hunting them. That first year, 27 people at 25 locations across North America tallied 89 species and about 18,500 birds. From those humble beginnings, the CBC has blossomed into a global tradition.

During the most recent season (December 14, 2023–January 5, 2024), volunteers conducted 2,677 counts across Canada, the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Pacific Islands. Together, 83,186 participants recorded 2,380 species and 40,871,030 individual birds. Are you among them?

Continue to read about ‘Tis the Season

Bushtits on suet balls—Photo: Dee Renee Ericks

OPAS Backyard Birding: “Backyard Birds in Winter”
Presented by Ken Wiersema, Olympic Peninsula Audubon 
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to noon
Rainshadow Hall, Dungeness River Nature Center
Suggested donation: $5

As days become shorter and the weather gets a bit wetter, the Backyard Birds in Winter program offers a seasonal refresher on how birds adapt to colder, wetter days. Presenter Ken Wiersema will guide us through winter bird identification, changes in behavior and sounds, and movement patterns of both migratory visitors and year‑round residents. You’ll learn practical ways to support wintering birds with food, water, and shelter, including the value of brush piles and a demonstration of roost boxes.

The program will also touch on caring for birding optics in winter, using online and mobile birding aids, and choosing helpful field guides. Finally, we’ll highlight the nationwide Christmas Bird Counts and share how you can participate locally—whether from your backyard or out in the field. Bring your curiosity, winter bird ID questions, and bird behavior observations. We encourage you to join the fun, whether from your backyard or out in the field.

Learn more

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Mallards—Photo: Bob Boekelheide

OPAS Pre-Christmas Bird Count Field Trip
Carrie Blake Park and John Wayne Marina
Leader: Bob Boekelheide
Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. to noon
Number of participants: 20—Registration required.
Cost: Free

Kick off the holiday season with our Pre-Christmas Bird Count, led by longtime birder Bob Boekelheide. This field trip is the perfect way to sharpen your skills before the official Christmas Bird Count. Together, we’ll scan the water and shoreline for winter ducks, gulls, and sparrows, and practice tallying big flocks of wigeons and mallards.

December weather on the Olympic Peninsula can be brisk—cold, windy, rainy, or even snowy—but that’s part of the adventure. The trip is free, accessible to all (including wheelchairs and walkers), and limited to 20 participants, so be sure to register early. We’ll meet at Carrie Blake Park at 8 a.m., then head to John Wayne Marina to finish by noon.

Learn where to meet, contact information, and registration

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Birders in snow—Photo: Bob Boekelheide

Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count
Monday, December 15, 2025

The annual Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count (SDCBC) will occur this year on Monday, December 15. Let’s party! This year is the 50th SDCBC. The first official SDCBC occurred in 1975, so technically last year should have been the 50th anniversary, but the 1990 SDCBC was cancelled because of an ice storm.

The SDCBC covers a 15-mile diameter circle.The center of the SDCBC circle is near the intersection of Brown and Port Williams Roads, so it includes Dungeness Spit, Dungeness and Sequim Bays, Protection Island, Diamond Point, and into the Olympic foothills south of Sequim.

Christmas Bird Counts need lots of knowledgeable participants to cover as much ground as possible. If you are an experienced counter, we can use you by either joining another group or by helping to cover an area. If you are a new Christmas counter and can identify birds, you can count the birds around your neighborhood or backyards. If you are interested in participating, email Bob Boekelheide at bboek@olympus.net to sign up for the SDCBC.

Learn more details

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Ken Wiersema participating in the PACBC—Photo: Bob Boekelheide

Port Angeles Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 27, 2025

The Port Angeles Christmas Bird Count (PACBC) covers a 15-mile diameter count circle, so we need knowledgeable participants to cover as much ground as possible.The PACBC center is in the Olympic foothills south of Port Angeles, so it includes Port Angeles Harbor, several miles of the Elwha River on the west to Morse Creek on the east, plus all the way up to Hurricane Ridge, a huge elevation range for any CBC.

If you are an experienced counter, we can use you by either joining another group or by helping to cover an area. If you are a new Christmas counter and can identify birds, you can count the birds around your neighborhood or backyards.

To learn more and to participate in the Port Angeles Christmas Bird Count, contact Barb Blackie (blackieb@olypen.com).

Learn more details

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Piper’s Bellflower—Photo: Courtesy of National Park Service

Botanizing—it's like birding, but with plants! At our November 19 OPAS program, field biologist Patrick Loafman took us on a visual journey through the Olympic Peninsula’s native flora. From the rare and unusual to the common yet beautiful, his close-up photos revealed the hidden wonders of plants both striking and minuscule. Relive this engaging presentation by watching the video link below.

Watch the video

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Anna’s hummingbird in winter—Photo: Mick Thompson

by Jane Nicholas and Ida Domazlicky

We've all likely heard and have sung, or at least attempted to sing, the annual classic "keep the kids busy on the way to Grandma's house" song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." We always started out slowly, but by the end we were figuratively running down hill as fast as we could, getting louder and louder and trying to get through the whole last verse in one long breath. WHEW! Try it sometime, but not AFTER a big dinner. We thought we'd switch things up and give you our new birdie version of this cherished by some, abided by others, holiday tune.

In case you don't sing, the original words were actually written as a chant back in the early 1700s, so you can do this as a recitation. The melody we know today was added much later by the English composer Frederic Austin. We hope you will enjoy singing or chanting this new version with your family and friends. Have a very birdie holiday!                       

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

Twelve dippers dipping,
Eleven wigeons splashing,
Ten sandpipers peeping,
Nine herons fishing,
Eight nuthatches hatching,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six eagles soaring,
FIVE  SPOTTED  TOWHEES,  
Four hummingbirds,
Three Bushtits,
Two Mourning Doves,
And a Barred Owl in a fir tree!
HOOT! HOOT!

View on our website

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Upcoming Events

Bridge to Birding

Kickstart your birding journey with this six-week course!
Classes are Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Location: Rainshadow Hall
Start date: 1/15/26—End date: 2/20/26
Limit: 18 participants
$175 for the whole series, $150 for OPAS or DRNC members
Field trips are optional but encouraged!

This series is in partnership with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society.

Learn the essentials, from using field guides and binoculars to mastering key birding skills. Hear from several experts, join field trips to practice your new skills, and connect with a community of fellow birders. Discover the joy of birdwatching and learn about bird ecology, all while having fun outdoors! The course includes weekly two-hour classes and two bonus field trips. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from the Center. More information will be shared with participants via email after sign-up. Two scholarships available.

Register now

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Nest box building class—Photo: Dow Lambert

Nest Box Building Class
Saturday, Feb 28, 2026 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Dungeness River Nature Center
Fee: $40 per nest box for DRNC and OPAS members, $50 for non-members; class size will be limited (fee covers materials & supports Center’s programs). Individuals and families are allowed to work on a box together.
Must pre-register—18 nest boxes available

It's the 26th year that OPAS and the River Center have offered this family-friendly experience! In this class you will learn why we build nest boxes, and how to build your own.

A short presentation will be followed by hands-on assembly of your box that you can take home and install in your yard. Materials, tools, and expert assistance provided! Children are encouraged to participate in the building process with family guidance and supervision.

Register now

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