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.
Very soon a Birdathon letter is going out to all OPAS members with information on how to participate, either by donating directly, pledging support, or by lining up sponsors for the count.
What more can you do to help? Go birding! On May 9, we invite everyone to count birds anywhere in Clallam County—whether for the whole day in the field, an hour-long walk, or simply a 15-minute feeder-watch. Every observation matters, even of backyard sparrows and hummingbirds. At the end of the day, report the results on the tally sheet or by using the eBird app, sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which is a great way to contribute to a world-wide community-science project!
Over the years, the annual Clallam County bird count has informed us tremendously about the birds of the North Olympic Peninsula. To continue building this knowledge bank, we need many eyes and ears across many habitats. Worth noting: Clallam County holds the Washington State record for the most species tallied in a single county in one day: 203 species on May 12, 2012!
Thank you very much for your help!