May 9, 2026, is World Migratory Bird Day—a day dedicated to celebrating the remarkable journeys of migratory birds. Each year on the second Saturday in May, OPAS marks the occasion with the Clallam County Birdathon, a county‑wide effort to count birds and raise funds for our conservation and education programs.
Birdathon donations support our bird‑friendly community projects, fund the construction and upkeep of nest boxes, bolster local bird‑population monitoring, and sustain our high school scholarship program. They also help underwrite operations at the Dungeness River Nature Center, ensuring that your contributions strengthen both OPAS activities and the Center’s outstanding educational programs.
The 2026 World Migratory Bird Day theme, Every Bird Counts – Your Observation Matters, highlights the essential role that public participation plays in understanding and protecting migratory birds.
Community science—from backyard feeder counts to large, coordinated surveys—helps track species distribution, population trends, migration timing, and breeding success. These data guide conservation priorities and inform effective action plans. Just as importantly, engaging people in monitoring efforts deepens our connection to nature, raises awareness of the challenges migratory birds face, and inspires meaningful conservation action.
OPAS is proud to contribute to this global effort. Our chapter leads several Community Science projects in the region, including the Pigeon Guillemot Study, the Puget Sound Seabird Survey, the Purple Martin Nest Box Project, the Swan Study, and the Western Bluebird/Climate Watch Study.
Looking ahead, OPAS members will receive a Birdathon letter in April with information on how to participate. You may donate directly or pledge support for the count. On May 9, we invite everyone to count birds anywhere in Clallam County—whether you spend the whole day in the field, take an hour-long walk, or simply watch your feeders for fifteen minutes. Every observation matters, even the sparrows and hummingbirds in your backyard.
How can you help? Go birding. Over the years, this annual count has taught us a tremendous amount about the birds of the North Olympic Peninsula. To continue building this knowledge, we need many eyes and ears across many habitats. Clallam County even holds the Washington State record for the most species tallied in a single county in one day: 203 species on May 12, 2012.
You can count birds anywhere in Clallam County, then return the tally sheet or enter your counts using eBird. If you haven’t set up an eBird account, now is the time. It is an incredible resource sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, giving birders a way to record the birds they see as well as contribute data to a world-wide community-science project.
Line up sponsors for your count to help support OPAS and River Center programs. Or, if you're so inclined, please sponsor other counters and we'll represent you as we tally the birds. Thank you very much for your help!