Dear Reader,
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for these winter storms to pass us by! In spite of the weather, our local birds are pairing up and some are building nests. Keep an eye out for birds with nesting material in their beaks. And, best of all, the Osprey are back! In Lincoln City, we have reports in from 9 of the 14 nests being watched - all but one have pairs at the nests! We’re working on an interactive map so we can share the results with you and let you know where to go to find them.
APRIL EVENTS
5TH: Yaquina Bay Estuary Open House and listening session. Join us at the Newport Public Library, tomorrow, Wednesday, April 5 between 4pm and 7pm to learn more about the Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Plan! More info…
6TH: MidCoast Watersheds Council’s monthly meeting will feature Paul Engelmeyer talking about Big Trees and Endangered Species: Conserving Wilderness from Cape Perpetua to Heceta Head. Thursday, April 6 at 6:30pm at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center or by Zoom. More info…
7TH: Thanks to Lincoln City Parks and Recreation, we have two ASLC bird walks this month!
ASLC bird walk: Join us this Friday as we walk through The Villages Open Space to Road’s End SP in Lincoln City on Friday, April 7 at 9am. More info…
8TH: ASLC bird walk: This Saturday, we will visit Two Rivers Loop trail at the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Join us at the main parking lot Saturday, April 8 at 10am (please note later time). More info…
Also on Saturday, April 8, Hatfield Marine Science Center brings us Marine Science Day with activities all day. More info…
COMING IN MAY!
Once again, we’re excited to host an in-person Migratory Bird Day festival on Saturday, May 13, at Oregon Coast Community College in Lincoln City. I’m looking for a few volunteers to help with children’s crafts, serve refreshments, or set up and clean up. Please message me if you’re available and would like to help!
SWIFTY REPORT
SWIFTY is working hard to get our dozen projects in the ground as the Tree and Violet-green Swallows have already started arriving and the Purple Martins (PUMA) will be here soon. All except one Swallow box project (Ona Beach) is complete. We have installed the PUMA pole for the Waldport docks and for Beaver Creek State Park. The last PUMA project is going in on Wednesday at Hatfield Science Center. If you are curious and want to watch, come by between 10am and 11:30am. We’ll be gathering at the far east end of the parking lot across from the Hatfield Visitor Center where the jetty juts north to the pump house.
SWIFTY is doing two projects with MidCoast Watersheds Council in the Beaver Creek valley with boxes for swallows and ducks. Their efforts to restore wetlands and support habitats for wildlife and trees is critical. If you would like to learn more about their efforts, please attend remotely or in person the presentation they are giving in Newport (see above).
ON THE CONSERVATION FRONT
MARINE RESERVES
We were thrilled to have over 60 people attend our celebration of ten years of Oregon’s Marine Reserves! Dr. Lindsay Aylesworth gave a great presentation and the audience had very good questions for her. We all enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and beverages and had a great time mingling among the Marine Reserve booths with the other guests.
ROCKY HABITAT
Our Cape Lookout and Cape Foulweather Complex proposals are reaching the final stretch!
The Land Conservation and Development Commission will be considering and possibly voting on our rocky habitat Marine Conservation Area (MCA) proposals for Cape Foulweather and Cape Lookout. These two cherished places along our coast are home to thousands of nesting seabirds, kelp forests, and a rich biodiversity of marine life from tiny nudibranchs to behemoth whales, and these designations will provide stewardship, education, and community science opportunities to protect nearshore habitats while still allowing access and appropriate use.
You can make a difference by emailing casaria.taylor@state.or.us at the Department of Land Conservation Development to express your support for the Cape Foulweather and Cape Lookout MCAs. Public comments must be emailed by April 10 in advance of the Commission meeting on April 19-21. The Commission will also be looking at four other proposed site designations: MCAs at Ecola Point, Fogarty Creek, Blacklock Point, and a Marine Garden Area at Chapman Point.
YAQUINA ESTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN
What is the Yaquina Estuary Management Plan?
The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, in partnership with Lincoln County, the City of Newport, the Port of Newport, the City of Toledo, and the Port of Toledo is updating the 1982 Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Plan to address changes in bay conditions and in Lincoln County, as well as issues not previously accounted for in 1982 such as climate change. The Plan guides where and how future development occurs in the estuary as well as identifies what natural areas and resources need to be protected..
Why it matters
Estuaries are among the most productive — and threatened — ecosystems on the planet. In Oregon, they link the state’s famed forests, rivers, and coasts and sustain marine wildlife, including salmon, seabirds, Dungeness crab, oysters, and forage fish— which, in turn, support Tribal Nations and Oregon’s economy. These areas also help reduce the effects of climate change by storing greenhouse gasses, lessening the effects of ocean acidification, and safeguarding coastal communities from more intense and frequent storms and floods.
That’s the news for this month - let's keep working together for birds and nature!
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dawn villaescusa, President
Audubon Society of Lincoln City