Words and Photos by Beth Marlin Lichter Not much to pique your interest from the road, a gravel turnout with parking spaces, a bit of fencing, signage and a sloping, eroded dirt path leading to Vancouver Lake with litter strewn about. Normally I drive right by it on my way to Shillapoo Wildlife Area orContinue reading “BIRDING HOTSPOT: THE FLUSHING CHANNEL? “
Category Archives: Bird Watching
Mapping Wildlife: Community Science and Conservation
by Sam Cable | September 10, 2026 Where are the plants and wildlife that need protection? Every photo sitting on your phone of birds at your feeders, every memory card filled with shots of Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls dancing over the pastures at Ridgefield, and every saved Merlin app recording of a Killdeer flyingContinue reading “Mapping Wildlife: Community Science and Conservation”
Steigerwald Photo Group: Summer 2026 Activity
Written by Beth Marlin Lichter It’s the end of August, days are getting shorter and the afternoon heat does not feel as intense. Migratory bird parents are doing all they can do, preparing their fledglings for a daunting migration journey across continents, and before we know it, rain will be in the forecast. Some of ourContinue reading “Steigerwald Photo Group: Summer 2026 Activity”
ROOKERY ON THE ROGUE
Words and Photos by Beth Marlin Lichter Eighty-four and one-half miles of the Rogue River are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands. In 1968, this segment of the river became one of the first designated “Wild and Scenic Rivers” in America. Running its course for two hundred and fifteenContinue reading “ROOKERY ON THE ROGUE “
Walking Ridgefield NWR’s River-S Unit
Photos & Writing by Don Rose I am a person who loves to walk, but I also love to bird. This summer I have combined these loves and started walking the River “S” Unit of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. It is about a 4-mile walk that takes 3.5 – 4 hours. If you include theContinue reading “Walking Ridgefield NWR’s River-S Unit”
REPORT FROM OHIO: STEIGERWALD PHOTO GROUP’S FIRST TRAVEL ADVENTURE
Written by Beth Marlin Lichter We are here for The Biggest Week in American Birding, six wildlife photographers from Vancouver Audubon Society’s Steigerwald Photo Group amongst one hundred thousand other warbler fans congregating to witness the great spring migration along the southern shores of Lake Erie. Each year dozens of warbler species head to Canada from their winter habitats in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. Between the birds and their destination lies an immense body of water which requires a perilous crossing. They take a break to rest,Continue reading “REPORT FROM OHIO: STEIGERWALD PHOTO GROUP’S FIRST TRAVEL ADVENTURE”
Wenas Campout May 30 – June 1
By Don Rose Every spring, Washington State’s Audubon Chapters, wildlife lovers, plant specialists, and their friends gather in the Wenas Valley, located on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains between Ellensburg and Yakima. With a variety of natural history and recreation opportunities, the Wenas Valley is a beautiful area that supports a fascinating assortment of springContinue reading “Wenas Campout May 30 – June 1”
My New Best Friend
Story and Photos by Beth Marlin Lichter A much-anticipated visitor is stopping by regularly to drink from my recently installed hummingbird feeder. She is a beautiful Anna’s. Within 24 hours of it being filled, she was imbibing. Now I’m wondering if I should have bought a bigger feeder. I hung it from the branch of a flowering maple tree in my back yard, in a spot I imagined a bird might feel safe andContinue reading “My New Best Friend “
Ode to the Short-eared Owl
(Asio flammeus) By Beth Marlin Lichter I cannot say what I love mostPerched upon a wooden postOr flying sunlit overheadNo place I’d rather be instead A marshy field with ducks and preyWhere little voles get snatched awayBy owls and hawksA mid-air fight!Whilst day is turning into night Photos: Shillapoo Wildlife Area/Winter 2025-2026 by Beth MarlinContinue reading “Ode to the Short-eared Owl”
Young Birders & Cameraderie inspiring youth birdwatching & photography
By Isaac Lang (newest VAS board member) Ever since I started birding, I’ve always yearned to find peers who enjoy bird-watching just as much as I do. Upon joining the Wild Bird Society of Tainan, I quickly realized that the majority of birders were retired and their teenage years were long past them. After attendingContinue reading “Young Birders & Cameraderie inspiring youth birdwatching & photography”