In This Issue

Articles:
1. June President’s Notes—A Different Kind of Irrigation Festival
2. Volunteers Needed! Puget Sound Seabird Survey
3. June HabiTIPS!
4. Field Trip Program Update
5. 2026 OPAS Birdathon/World Migratory Bird Day Report
6. American Crows Family Time
7. OPAS Scholarships Program Update
8. PA High School OPAS Scholarships

Events:
June 6: OPAS Backyard Birding: “Retrospective on Birding”
June 8: OPAS Field Trip: Birding by Ear (need to register by June 1)
June 17: OPAS Program: “Partners in Birding”
July 16: OPAS Backyard Birding: Purple Martin Class & Field Trip

Video:
OPAS Backyard Birding: “Bird Migration Stories”

In the West, irrigation water followed the plow, ensuring several decades of agricultural productivity that often ended with a final crop of subdivisions and strip malls. Although irrigation canals snaked through our Boise neighborhoods, access to that water was hit or miss depending on whether a subdivision developer had paid attention to the details. In our case, the developer didn’t, which meant we paid for irrigation water we couldn’t actually access (failure to pay could result in foreclosure and sale of your property—our own “whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting” paradigm). One silver lining: our dogs could access the canals, so at least they got a return on our investment on hot summer days.

With three Boise River dams and more than 1,000 miles of irrigation canals and ditches, Idaho’s Treasure Valley should be fertile ground for an irrigation festival celebrating the area’s annual spring greening. Sadly, no—no parades, no floats, no music, no trashion show. Residents are left to their own devices to welcome the water. Those of us who paid for city water to grow things generally weren’t in a celebratory mood, especially when the bill arrived. A green yard was our quiet celebration and, unlike on the Olympic Peninsula, green was the preferred yard color through the summer.

Continue reading about Matt’s experience with irrigation
____________

Volunteer Birders Needed – Make a Difference for Seabirds
by Toby Ross, PSSS Program Manager

The Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) is seeking volunteers to join this long-running community science program. Volunteers take part in seven coordinated surveys at coastal sites, conducted once per month on the first Saturday from October through April. Surveys are completed in small teams, and training is provided. While seabird identification skills are helpful, birders of all experience levels are welcome.

Now entering its 18th season, PSSS generates critical data on wintering seabirds across the Salish Sea—informing research, conservation, and management decisions. Recent analysis indicates scoters, grebes and Long-tailed Ducks are in decline across our region. Help us monitor these and other key ecosystem indicator species. At a time when many wildlife monitoring programs are facing cuts, your participation is more important than ever.

Click here to learn more and sign up
____________

The only field trip scheduled for June is the Birding by Ear trip led by Dave Swinford and Greg Irving. This trip is currently full.

On Thursday, July 16, Ken Wiersema and Dow Lambert will offer their annual class and field trip highlighting Purple Martins. This is a two-part program beginning with a lecture presentation in the Rainshadow Hall at the Dungeness River Nature Center beginning at 9:45. There is a suggested donation of $5.00 for the class portion. Then at 11:30 there will be a field trip to the Tide Flats adjacent to 3 Crabs Road. Participation in the field trip is limited to 12 with registration through the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society website.

This is my last article as Field Trip Chair. I have decided to resign my position on the OPAS board. I have been on the OPAS board for over a decade and have decided to take some time off to recharge, refocus and try new opportunities.

OPAS Backyard Birding: “Retrospective on Birding”
Presented by Ken Wiersema
Saturday, June 6, 2026 10:00 a.m. to noon
Rainshadow Hall, Dungeness River Nature Center
Suggested donation: $5

The June 6 Backyard Birding program, Retrospective on Birding, celebrates more than five decades of Ken Wiersema’s work in bird education, field research, and community science. What began in 1969 with a custom-built feeder for his wife grew into a 57-year journey that has taken him across the U.S. and abroad, from Vietnam to Saudi Arabia. Ken has designed feeders and nest boxes, contributed to banding and migration projects, taught new birders, and served as Education Chair for OPAS while helping shape programs at the Dungeness River Nature Center.

Since 2012, Ken has also led the OPAS Backyard Birding series, and this June marks his final program at the helm. His “swan song” presentation will be a lively, image-rich look at the bird projects he has championed since moving to Sequim in 1994—cartoons included. Community members are invited to bring their questions and observations as we welcome the birds of the Olympic Peninsula and head into the summer season.

Learn more
____________

OPAS Field Trip: Birding by Ear
Leaders: Dave Swinford and Greg Irving
Monday, June 8, 2026, 8:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: June 1, 2026
Participant limit 12—Registration required
Free to attend

Note: Field Trip is currently full with a waitlist enabled

Join us for a morning focused on learning to identify birds by sound. Before the trip, each participant will be assigned one or two likely species to learn, along with seasonal audio recordings to practice. During the outing, you’ll listen for “your” bird and try to pick it out in the field.

Greg Irving will also give a brief introduction to his high-quality recording equipment and will capture vocalizations along the route to add to a shared eBird list. Expect about 2.5 miles of walking over mixed terrain; sturdy shoes, weather-appropriate layers, and binoculars are recommended. An optional group discussion will wrap up the morning.

Click here to learn more and register
____________

OPAS Program: “Partners in Birding”
Presenter: Michael Glore, Executive Director, Dungeness River Nature Center
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Note early start time at 6:00 p.m. for potluck dinner
Rainshadow Hall, Dungeness River Nature Center
Free to attend

Our first potluck dinner meeting since COVID will include the annual election of officers and the presentation of awards honoring individuals in our community—and within OPAS—whose outstanding work has protected birds and their habitats. We’ll also welcome featured speaker Michael Glore, Executive Director of the Dungeness River Nature Center. Many OPAS members have already worked with Michael during his first months in the role, following a 20‑year career with the National Park Service. He brings deep experience in visitor services, education, and interpretation, and though he considers himself a birder still in the making, he is eager to share his vision for the Center’s future and his appreciation for OPAS’s partnership. He might even bring his guitar to serenade us at our final membership meeting until September.

To help the potluck run smoothly, please bring your own dinnerware, non‑alcoholic beverages, and dishes that can be served at room temperature—or hot foods in crock pots or chafing dishes. RSVP with the number in your party at hospitality@olybird.org, and send any questions there as well. We’re also collecting photos of people birding, teaching about birds, or simply enjoying birds; please email your jpegs to the same address for inclusion in a revolving slideshow shared both in person and on Zoom.

Click here to learn more details and RSVP
____________

Hearty thanks to everyone who participated in the 2026 OPAS Birdathon/International Migratory Bird Count on May 9th. In total, 106 people provided bird sightings for the count, tallying 27,542 birds of 175 species. An additional 14 “count-week” species were tallied between three days before and three days after the count, but not on count day.

The total number of birds this year (27,542) is the ninth highest of the last 30 years, well above the 30-year average of slightly over 23,000 birds. The species total of 175 is slightly below the 30-year average species count of 179. The 175 species, though, included essentially no “rare” species, just those we’d expect to see during most spring counts. Every species seen this year has been seen multiple times before on our Birdathon.

Continue to read about the 2026 OPAS Birdathon
Click here for the 2026 table of Birdathon results
___________

I like to write stories with endings that leave the reader—and me—feeling good. After all, there are enough sad stories to go around. Sometimes, in order to get there, I may take a few liberties. In this case, I admit up front that I cannot be absolutely sure about the identity of the characters, but with a good‑intentioned flight of imagination and a hopeful heart, I will share this tale of a family of American Crows with you.

Last year a pair of American Crows built a nest in a tree behind our house. They raised two chicks. Shortly after fledging, one of the juveniles sustained an injury that left it unable to fly. Fortunately, thanks to caring neighbors, he was transported to a rehabber for expert care. For many days the parents repeatedly called and seemed to be searching for the missing offspring. You see, unlike many species of birds, young crows stay with their parents for two or three years. They stay to learn and to help with the next year’s brood, making it important to return the injured crow to its original territory if possible — and it was!

Continue reading about American Crows and view several images
____________

Members can take pride in the steady growth of the OPAS Scholarships Program over the past three award seasons. Since its inception in 2024, the program has awarded Natural Sciences Scholarships to graduating high‑school seniors in Clallam County who plan to pursue college studies in wildlife biology, ecology, environmental science, and related fields.

This year, six students—four from Port Angeles High School and two from Sequim High School—received $1,500 awards. Their intended fields of study include Wildlife Biology, Conservation and Wildlife Management, Ecology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Law.

Each year the scholarship honors an individual who has made a meaningful contribution to OPAS. For 2026, the committee named Shirley Anderson as its honoree.

The Scholarships Program is funded through the generosity of OPAS members and friends. To contribute by check, please write Scholarships Program on the memo line. To donate online, go to this link; click “Dedicate this Gift” and enter Scholarships Program in the “Dedicatee’s Name” space provided. Thank you for supporting the next generation of conservation leaders.

Click here to read the entire article about the OPAS Scholarships Program update
____________

On Friday May 15th, several OPAS Board Members met with four Port Angeles High School students who have been selected as OPAS’s 2026 Natural Sciences Scholarship winners.

As OPAS Scholarships Committee member, Rhonda Coats states, “Our country has reason to hope when young scholars such as these are on the rise.”

Click here to learn more about the students and view several images
_________

At our May 2 Backyard Birding program, Bob Boekelheide treated us to a fascinating look at “Bird Migration Stories,” highlighting the remarkable journeys of Neotropical migrants that return to Clallam County each spring. Using local citizen‑science data and long‑term records from Railroad Bridge Park, Bob walked us through the annual cycles of species such as Olive‑sided Flycatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, and Violet‑green Swallow—birds that travel thousands of miles between their breeding and wintering grounds.

If you missed the program or would like to revisit Bob’s insights, you can now watch the Zoom recording. It’s a wonderful chance to appreciate the migration pathways of our returning spring visitors and the decades of careful observation that make these stories possible.

Click here to watch the video
____________