Bird Walks:
First-of-Month Bird Walks
Bird Walks are meant to be a casual, local morning of birding. They are a great time to enjoy birds with others and find new areas to visit. You can work on bird identification by sight and sound. It’s also an opportunity to practice your eBird app with help when needed. These walks are easy to join or leave at any time during the morning. You don’t have to commit to the entire walk if you have limited time. All are welcome!
First-of-Month Bird Walk–Salmon Creek Greenway
Date: Monday, December 1st
Meeting time: 8:00am
Leader: Cindy McCormack
Register: Cindy at vas@vancouveraudubon.org
Meeting Location: Salmon Creek Greenway (ball field parking)
We will plan on meeting at the softball field parking lot (see above link if needed), in the parking area nearest the ball fields. We will plan on walking the paved trail west and looping back on the dirt and gravel trails.
The greenway trail has a good variety of habitats, which means lots of birds. It’s a great place for many of our wintering birds. The pond often has a good number of the fantastically gaudy Wood Ducks and the back trail often produces an owl sighting.
Dress for the weather! The back trail can be muddy, boots are recommended.
First-of-Month Bird Walk–Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park
Date: Thursday, January 1st
Meeting time: 8:00am (or 6:15am optional add-on owl walk)
Leader: Cindy McCormack
Register: Cindy at vas@vancouveraudubon.org
Meeting Location: Frenchman’s Bar County Park, center south lot
(Optional add-on owl walk, meet at the WDFW lot across from Frenchman’s Bar entrance)
Happy New Year! It’s tradition! What will your first birds be for 2026? Celebrate the new year with some first-of-year (FOY) birds!
Let’s start the new year with the Sandhill Cranes–we will enjoy these magnificent birds as they fly in from their overnight roost into their very own fields to fuel up. We can learn about the cranes and the land put aside for their use before we check the river and walk the dike trail and the north trail. We will be looking for the assortment of wintering birds in the habitats available in this park.
This walk will be weather-dependent! Please contact me if you plan to join the walk and watch your email or check the website if extreme weather is expected on that day. Meet at the south-central parking lot, near the south restrooms and beach volleyball courts.
(Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park does require a parking fee or county park parking pass).
Optional add-on early owl-walk: we will meet at 6:15am at the WDFW parking lot across from the Frenchman’s Bar Park entrance. This will give us the opportunity to walk along the paved trail to look for American Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, and Short-eared Owl (or any other owl surprises!). We will be back to the vehicles in time to enter the park and meet for the regular walk. This owl walk portion will be canceled in the event of strong winds, rain, or other inclement weather (poor owling conditions). Flashlight recommended. Register to be notified of any changes. Status will also be updated on the website and the VAS GroupMe text group.
Dress for the weather! Remember the winds off the river can be quite bitter. Waterproof boots are recommended for areas where we may walk through wet grass.
Additional Bird Walks
No additional walks are currently scheduled, but could be posted here soon. Check back at your convenience.
Field Trips:
Field trip to Wahkiakum County Friday, December 5, 2025
Leader: Randy Hill (Reserve with Randy at randy.hill.98642@gmail.com; phone/text 360-975-2573)
Meeting Location: Salmon Creek Park & Ride to carpool
Meeting Time: Departure time 07:00 am.
Expected return time around 5pm.
We will drive to Wahkiakum County for waterfowl, waterbirds, raptors, gulls, songbirds and whatever else turns up. This will be mostly driving and stopping, walking very short distances at three general locations along the Columbia River in Wahkiakum County on Puget Island, Julia Butler Hansen NWR, and Rosburg to Altoona. Several species associated with saltwater are expected at the west end of the route. Depending on time and weather, there may be a stop in NW Longview at the old WTP.
Bring a spotting scope, radios if you have them, and lunch.
Limit 10 plus leader in 3-4 vehicles.
Please review the current VAS Guidelines and Waiver before registering for a trip.
Safety is a primary concern for Vancouver Audubon, and we ask anyone who is feeling unwell or who has had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19* or other contagious health issues to stay at home until the risk for infection has passed. However, no public activity can be 100 percent safe. By participating, you accept the risk that you may come into contact with pathogens, including the COVID-19 virus.
For all field trips or other outdoor activities, Vancouver Audubon
requires:
Participants wishing to carpool must be fully vaccinated*.
Participants must be fully vaccinated to view through the leader’s or other participant’s spotting scope.
Field trip leaders have the option of requiring all participants be fully vaccinated for their trips.
*Symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
**Vancouver Audubon defines “fully vaccinated” as two full weeks beyond your final COVID-19 vaccine. Each year a new variant vaccine is available and is highly encouraged.
Field trip registration and cancellations:
All field trips, unless otherwise indicated, require pre-registration. This simply involves contacting the leader or person indicated on the announcements, and supplying email address and cellphone #. Vancouver Audubon expects all registrants to attend, so please contact the leader with any cancellations. Some trips may have a wait list, so please be considerate and contact the leader as soon as possible if you have to miss the trip for any reason.
Carpooling:
Vancouver Audubon wants to be sure we conserve as much as possible (including using fuel efficient vehicles), so any field trip that includes some driving will be a carpooling trip unless otherwise indicated. Carpooling is generally arranged at the designated meeting location, but can be arranged in advance for multiple pick-up locations.
Please remember to pay your driver! The recommended amount is $0.30/mile divided by the number of passengers in the vehicle.
Leaders should keep track of mileage and let participants know the total for the field trip.
Vancouver Audubon 