The two-mile Two Rivers Nature Trail boasts a sweeping viewpoint of the confluence of the Nestucca and Little Nestucca Rivers. The walk is moderate with elevation changes and uneven terrain. Early April offers a unique opportunity to view early migrants along with lingering winter birds and waterfowl. Please note later start time.

Location: Meet at the upper parking lot off Christiansen Rd.

Directions: From HWY 101 north of the turn toward Pacific City, turn northwest onto Christensen Rd. and continue straight to the parking lot.

The Knoll Open Space walk provides diverse habitat for an interesting array of birds. April is a great time to see the last of the wintering songbirds and enjoy early arrivals such as warblers. We’ll walk downhill past the Sal La Sea wetlands to the parking lot at Roads End State Park to look for nearshore birds.

Sponsored by Lincoln City Parks & Recreation and Explore Lincoln City .

Location: Meet on NE Devils Lake Blvd. past the golf course (watch for our ASLC sign).

Directions: From HWY 101 in Lincoln City, turn north onto NE Devils Lake Blvd. and continue straight for approximately 1 mile to the cul-de-sac.

Join MidCoast Watersheds Council for an informative talk by Derek Wilson, a Habitat Conservation Biologist at ODFW, as he discusses the European Green Crab invasion along the coastlines of Oregon. European green crab (EGC) are a non-native species that has rapidly colonized temperate coastlines at several locations around the world. Commonly known as the "green crab," they have swiftly become an aggressive invader with potential to disrupt native shellfish communities, including crabs, clams, and oysters. Learn about the presence of European green crab in Yaquina Bay, one of many bays in Oregon where populations have now become established.

Mark your calendars for an evening of discovery and education!

About the speaker:

Derek Wilson has 20 years of fish and wildlife resource management experience with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, all based in Newport. He was a Fisheries Biologist for 13 years where he assisted with the management of the freshwater fisheries by conducting specific research and monitoring projects to fill informational gaps and planning and implementing various restoration projects across the management district. The last seven years Wilson has been the Habitat Conservation Biologist with a focus on estuary health, resilience and restoration.

Audubon Society of Lincoln City and Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition invite you to a free, live webinar about marine reserves on Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 6:30-8 p.m.

Marine reserves are in the news. Locally, Oregon's decade-old program of five coastal protected areas had a statewide review in 2022, and a bill to strengthen the state marine reserve program has been introduced in the Oregon legislature. Globally, advocates of the “30x30” vision are calling for nations to protect 30% of ocean waters by 2030, and President Biden has issued an executive order to achieve that goal in the U.S.

What are marine reserves, and what purpose do they serve? Advocates for heightened protections point to the threat of overfishing and the need to protect habitats from the impacts of climate change. Detractors argue that reserves unnecessarily lock away valuable fishing grounds, and that healthy fisheries are better sustained through other means. Come learn about the evidence surrounding these issues, the science of marine reserves, and how reserves are monitored.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Will White, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University (OSU), based in the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station at Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Dr. White earned his Ph.D. from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2007, studying the ecology of coral reef fish populations. He then did postdoctoral research at the University of California Davis, and was on the faculty of the University of North Carolina Wilmington before coming to OSU in 2017. Dr. White’s research group uses mathematical modeling and statistical approaches to answer basic and applied questions in a wide range of study systems, from oyster reefs to kelp forests to sea turtle populations. He has advised marine reserve policy in California, Oregon, and British Columbia, and was a member of the Science Advisory Team that informed the design of California’s network of marine protected areas. Most recently, Dr. White led the team of university researchers that conducted the legislatively mandated review of the Oregon Marine Reserves program.

Drawing on Nature

Nature artist Ram Papish describes his journey from his early days painting birds as a child to his most current professional work. During this presentation we'll see many of his illustrations and explore his techniques for creating a wide variety of wildlife art. Ram is a professional wildlife enthusiast whose varied career includes biologist, educator, photographer and wildlife artist. He specializes in illustration of interpretive signs, books and posters. His interests include flowering shrubs, birdwatching, community theater and world travel. His major achievements include appearing in the 2024 “Chicken Daddies” calendar.  

MEETING LOCATION:

OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

The Yakona Nature Preserve & Learning Center is a privately owned property located on Yaquina Bay in Newport, with limited public access. It includes both deep forests and bay frontage. The walk is moderately difficult with some elevation gain and some steep trails.

Location: Meet at the locked gate at the end of SE 40th/SE Harborton near Wolftree Brewery in South Beach (near the OCCC Central Coast Campus). Arrive at 8:45 a.m. to carpool onto the property.

Directions: From HWY 101 in South Beach, turn east on NE 40th St and continue straight onto SE Harborton St for 0.8 mi. You will come to a locked gate where we will meet to carpool.

Spring Lake Open Space is a hidden treasure within the city limits about a quarter of a mile from Highway 101 on NE 14th Street. Except for the paved trail at the top, most trails are muddy and uneven. The trail follows the lake edge closely most of the way. We will look for winter sparrows and other songbirds.

Location: Meet in the Spring Lake Open Space parking lot on Port Ave.

Directions: From HWY 101 in Lincoln City, turn east onto NE 14th St and continue for 0.3 mi, then turn left onto Port Ave to find the parking lot on the right side of the street.

Sponsored by Lincoln City Parks and Recreation and Explore Lincoln City.

Join MidCoast Watersheds Council’s next Community Meeting for Beavers: The Beautiful Messes They Create and Our Creative Solutions presented by Megan Garvey and Shea Fuller from The Wetlands Conservancy.

There are so many reasons why we love beavers and a few reasons why they can be some very annoying neighbors. In this presentation, Megan Garvey and Shea Fuller from The Wetlands Conservancy will discuss all of the reasons why they try so hard to build truces with the flat-tailed families that call wetlands their home. They often wonder how we could battle climate change without our beaver friends! This talk will cover some of the benefits people enjoy by having beavers manage our landscapes, as well as the coexistence solutions used to keep our human-based infrastructure safe. Megan and Shea will also discuss how The Wetlands Conservancy is using community science to expand their knowledge of beaver populations and better inform the stewardship of their lands.

About the speakers:

Megan Garvey is the Stewardship Director for The Wetlands Conservancy (TWC), a statewide land trust of Oregon. She has worked in Oregon as a natural resource technician, an outdoor educator, and a land manager. Megan has been with TWC for over 10 years, managing their preserves as well as their community science and education programs.

Shea Fuller is the Community Engagement Manager for TWC and has worked to bring people into wetlands for about 7 years. She leads tours, cleanups, field trips, and wildlife surveys throughout urban wetlands in the Portland Metro area.

Audubon Society of Lincoln City and Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition invite you to a free, live webinar on birds and kelp on February 29, 2024, from 6:30-8 p.m.

Join us for a fun and informative evening learning how birds use the nearshore ocean environment. Underwater kelp forests growing along our shoreline are biologically rich habitats supporting abundant fish and invertebrates. Less well known is the use of these habitats by some species of birds. Benefits to birds continue even after kelp becomes dislodged and drifts at sea or washes ashore. Our guest speaker, Roy Lowe, will talk about birds you might see using kelp beds in Oregon and share his stunning photography.

Roy Lowe is a resident of Waldport, Oregon. He was employed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 37 years and was Project Leader for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex upon his retirement in 2015. In retirement, Roy has been volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Paulson Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund-Hong Kong. His primary hobby is wildlife photography.

Register here for this free webinar:

The Spectacular Birds of the Colombian Andes

Take a visual trip to South America with photographer Roy Lowe.  Roy and friends visited Colombia in March of 2023. Their trip was concentrated in the mountainous region of Colombia but ranged from near sea level to 13,000’ in the Andes Mountains. Colombia boasts the highest bird diversity on Earth with more 2,000 species recorded! Roy’s presentation will feature a myriad of colorful images of many of the birds encountered from awesome mountain-toucans, to brilliant tanagers, scintillating hummingbirds, secretive antpittas, and the bizarre but beautiful Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Join us for a colorful show! 

Roy Lowe is a local avid photographer and birder. He was employed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 37 years upon his retirement in 2015.

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

This is an easy walk through the forest right in the heart of Lincoln City. We’ll look for year round residents such as Downy Woodpecker as well as wintering sparrows.

Location: Meet at the trailhead on NE West Devils Lake Rd. There is limited parking along the street at the trailhead.

Directions: The trailhead is approximately 0.1 mi south of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City on the west side of NE West Devils Lake Rd.

Sponsored by Lincoln City Parks and Recreation and Explore Lincoln City.

Join the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at Pelican Brewing Company in Pacific City for a talk about their work monitoring seabirds and what they are doing to help the declining populations in Oregon!

Flyer text:

Presented by Harry McQuillen, Project Leader
Oregon Coast National Widllife Refuge Complex

Over 1.2 million seabirds representing more than 10 species nest on offshore rocks protected as part of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, including Haystack Rock.

Some, like the iconic Tufted Puffin, have declined significantly in Oregon. Learn why and what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, its partners, and volunteers are doing to halt this decline.

When: January 18th, 2024, 6:00 P.M.

Where: Pelican Brewing Company, 33180 Cape Kiwanda Dr., Pacific City, OR 97135

Event is free and open to the public!

Naturalist Presentation: Impacts of terrestrial mammals on island nesting Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Seabirds are often thought of belonging to the isolated domain of the remote ocean – but throughout southern Oregon, hundreds of thousands of nesting Leach's storm-petrels must share the coastline with a diversity of terrestrial carnivores each summer. Anecdotal observations from the past few decades suggest that certain mammals actively hunt storm-petrels at their colony islands, but the exact impact of these predators is poorly understood. As the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge moves towards a more proactive management strategy on the south coast, in-depth research on carnivore behavior at these sites is necessary to inform future decision making. Luke Stuntz will present about ongoing research into the predatory behavior of river otters and mink at several important seabird colonies in Curry County, and how preliminary results will guide the development of an active predator management plan for these islands.  

Luke Stuntz is a graduate student in Wildlife Science at Oregon State University studying the predation of seabirds by native terrestrial carnivores along the coast of southern Oregon. Luke joined the Seabird Oceanography Lab in 2022 as a complete novice in the world of seabird ecology, but his expertise and experience in carnivore behavior has allowed for an exciting collaboration between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the OSU project team. He is very passionate about direct conservation applications of observation-based research in animal behavior, and he hopes to move into a career in protected land management.

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
*Meeting Upstairs*
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

This bird walk is CANCELLED due to incoming winter storm!

Yaquina Bay regularly hosts thousands of wintering waterfowl. After walking the trail, we’ll drive to the south jetty as time permits. We should see Harlequin and other diving ducks, loons, and other wintering birds. This trip offers short easy walks to viewing areas.

Location: Meet in the Hatfield Marine Science Center visitor center parking lot.

Directions: From HWY 101 south of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, turn on to SE Marine Science Drive and continue to take the first exit from the traffic circle.

Regatta Park, with playground, picnic area, and lake access, is a favorite spot for local families. Less well known are the park’s nature trails. We’ll start with a walk through the woods looking for songbirds, then check the lake for wintering waterfowl.

Location: Meet in the parking lot off of NE 14th in Lincoln City.

Directions: From HWY 101 in Lincoln City, turn east on NE 14th St and continue for 0.6 mi. Regatta Park will be on the right, marked with a large sign.

Sponsored by Lincoln City Parks and Recreation and Explore Lincoln City.

Friday, December 29th 2023

The Yaquina Bay count is within a 15 mile diameter circle that extends from Yaquina Head southward to Seal Rocks and eastward to Toledo. This count covers a variety of diverse habitats along the Oregon Coast.

Want to help?

Participation is FREE, but you do need to pre-register to join the count. If you’re interested in participating, contact Kai Frueh via this form and reach out to kaifrueh2@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, December 17th 2023

This is Lincoln City’s 14th annual Christmas Bird Count! The Lincoln City count circle, like all others, is 15 miles in diameter. We've divided ours into seven sectors (see map). If you love birds, join us in the field or count birds in your own backyard.

Field counters need to dress for Oregon coast weather. Mud boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Bring your own optical equipment. You will also want to bring a lunch or something to snack on throughout the day, plus plenty of water. (Most sector leaders do not stop for lunch.)

If that sounds too strenuous, or you just don't have the full day to spend, you can participate as a backyard/feeder counter if you live in the Lincoln City area (see map). We will provide a checklist and guidelines.

Want to help?

Participation is FREE, but you do need to pre-register to join the count. Please send a message to info@lincolncityaudubon.org to register!

Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, December 16th 2023

The Tillamook Bay CBC is one of the oldest counts in the State. The count circle stretches from Netarts north to Rockaway Beach and east to include the Kilchis and much more (see map PDF). If you love bird watching in this rich coastal habitat, contact us! You will be assigned to a team of field counters with a specific area to cover. All experience levels are welcome!

Field counters need to dress for Oregon coast weather. Mud boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Bring your own optical equipment. You will also want to bring a lunch or something to snack on throughout the day, plus plenty of water. (Most sector leaders do not stop for lunch.)

If that sounds too strenuous, or you just don't have the full day to spend, you can participate as a backyard/feeder counter if you live in the Tillamook bay area.

Want to help?

Participation is FREE, but you do need to pre-register to join the count. Please contact Allison Anholt at Allison.anholt@gmail.com to register.

Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count

EXPLORIENCE Siletz Bay! The bay is a winter resting grounds for thousands of waterfowl including Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, with the possibility of an Eurasian Wigeon. Bald Eagles often put on a show and Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets are always present. We will observe from the Taft dock, then drive south along the bay, ending at Salishan Nature Trail if time permits.

Location: Meet at the dock beside Mo’s Restaurant (860 SE 51st St.) in the Taft District of Lincoln City.

Sponsored by Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks and Recreation.

Join us for our Annual Birthday Party!

Wednesday, November 29th at the Lincoln City Cultural Center

5 p.m. Fellowship, raffle, drinks and hors d'oeuvres

6 p.m. Potluck dinner* and cake

6:30 p.m. Guest speaker: Cameron Cox, owner and operator of Avocet Birding Courses and coauthor of the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching

We're raffling several hotel stays in Yachats – must be present to win!

Please feel free to invite friends you would like to introduce to the Audubon Society of Lincoln City. In addition to our fabulous speaker, we'll highlight several of our upcoming 2024 programs.

*Please bring a main dish or side dish to share. Dessert and drinks provided.

We'd like to thank these businesses for their generous donations to our raffle!

The Adobe Inn
The Drift Inn
Happy Trails Feed & Tack
Luna Sea Fish House
Sea Note Restaurant and Lounge
Silver Surf Motel
Styx, Stones n' Bones
Underground Pub & Grill
Yachats Inn

Join ASLC at the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza Activation Party for a new kind of bird walk! The Plaza features 47 donated bricks with bird names. Pick up a "field guide" from ASLC representatives at the event and try to find them all! Enjoy music, dance, art, and free lunch while we celebrate completion of this new community gathering space: November 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. See the field guide and expanded images of the birds here!

A free, family-friendly celebration for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza, a 2.5 acre accessible public space filled with public art, poetry, access and attractions for both residents and tourists to enjoy. The Cultural Center will be activating each space around the Plaza with music, dance, food, public art project, dedications, ribbon cuttings, from 11 am to 3 pm, rain or shine. Free lunch, hot drinks, cookies and prizes. Drop by any time during the four hour window to be part of the first-day fun. For more information, call the Lincoln City Cultural Center, 541-994-9994.

EXPLORIENCE the mouth of the Salmon River in the Cascade Head Scenic Area. This two-hour walk along the Salmon River starts at Knight Park and wanders through woodlands, marsh, and along the river. We’ll look for grebes, gulls, cormorants, waterfowl, and raptors. Learn more about our protected estuarine habitats and the birds and other wildlife that depend on them!

Location: Meet in the parking lot at Knight Park, which is on the west end of Three Rocks Rd just north of Lincoln City.

Sponsored by Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks and Recreation.

Life as a PCFG: A close look at the ecology and health of Pacific Coast Feeding Group of gray whales in Oregon waters.

Over the past eight years, the GEMM Lab at the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University (https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab) has studied the ecology and health of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales that forage in the coastal waters of Oregon.  Multiple tools are used to understand the whales’ health, behavior and environment, including drones, poop collection, suction cup video tags, hydrophones, underwater GoPro videos and prey collection. In this talk Lisa Hildebrand will discuss recent findings made by the GEMM Lab, including the prey quality and estimated microplastic consumption rates of PCFG whales, contrasting body condition and morphology, unique foraging behaviors, and impacts of rapid habitat change on PCFG foraging rates. These findings highlight the unique life history strategy, threats, and culture of PCFG gray whales.
 
Lisa Hildebrand is a PhD candidate at Oregon State University in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Leigh Torres in her Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna lab. She is an international student from Germany who very quickly after moving here in the fall of 2018 fell in love with Oregon and all it has to offer. Lisa has undertaken research on a handful of marine mammal species including bottlenose dolphins, harbor seals, humpback, blue, and now, gray whales, who have become the focus of her graduate research.

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

This event is sponsored by Yaquina Birders and Naturalists :   OregonCoastBirding@gmail.com

**IMPORTANT UPDATE** We will be meeting at 11 a.m. and finish by 1 p.m. Please note that this is a later start time than our usual walks and has been adjusted so as not to conflict with the annular eclipse.

Join us on a driving tour of prime rocky habitats, starting at Boiler Bay State Natural Area, for some excellent seabird watching and possible glimpses at shorebirds. We’ll enjoy stops at Depoe Bay and Otter Crest loop, where we’ll explore the new Cape Foulweather Marine Conservation Area, Marine Garden, and Marine Reserves. Learn more about our protected nearshore habitats and the birds and other wildlife that depend on them!

Location: Meet at Boiler Bay State Natural Area

EXPLORIENCE The Villages in Lincoln City. This walk provides diverse habitat for an interesting array of birds. It’s a great place to see the arrival of wintering songbirds and enjoy resident birds. We’ll walk downhill past the Sal La Sea wetlands to the parking lot at Roads End State Park.

Location: Meet at the culdesac at the north end of NE Devil’s Lake Blvd, off Hwy 101 north of Lincoln City (watch for our ASLC sign).

Sponsored by Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks and Recreation.

Naturalist Presentation
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM

Did you hear??  It's your shot!  

Let's ring in the new season of Yaquina Birders with your photos.  This is a chance to do more than tell, you get to show us what you saw this year during travels, or what visited your yard, or anything nature oriented that you want to share with us all.  

Limit your photos to 10 maximum. Please bring your images on an external drive or you can bring your own laptop and connect to the monitor at the meeting site.    
 

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

This event is sponsored and hosted by Yaquina Birders & Naturalists.

Bayocean Spit separates a freshwater lake, Tillamook Bay, and the Pacific Ocean and is a prime location for viewing migrating and vagrant bird species. The habitat attracts more than 230 bird species — from seabirds and shorebirds to waterfowl, hummingbirds to raptors. We hope to see fall migrants as well as resident species.

Location: Meet in the gravel parking lot at the end of the gravel road.

Please note later start time due to tides!

EXPLORIENCE Cutler City Open Space, a unique wooded wetlands habitat. Large trees host species such as Pileated Woodpecker, while the marshy brush is home to Common Yellowthroat and other songbirds. We'll look for early fall migrants, then move on to Siletz Bay where we’ll watch for migrating shorebirds.

Location: Meet at the pull-out on SW 63rd west off Hwy 101 in Cutler City (South Lincoln City).

Sponsored by Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks and Recreation.

EXPLORIENCE Alder Island Loop Trail in the middle of Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge! An easy one-mile trail loops through riparian and wetland habitat along the Siletz River, highlighted by interpretive signage. We’ll look for resident and migratory songbirds, Great Blue Heron, and Osprey.

Location: Meet at Alder Island Nature Trailhead in the parking lot of Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the east side of Hwy 101 at the south end of the Siletz River Bridge.

Sponsored by Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks and Recreation.