Native Plants Fuel the Hummingbird Highway

North Central Washington is on the map for migrating neotropical Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned hummingbirds, as they fly thousands of miles from their wintering habitats in the mountains of Western Mexico northward, as far north as southern Alaska. During migration they fly during the day, and use early mornings and late evenings to fuel up on nectar, insects, and sugar water in feeders. Abundant nectar-producing flowers on early-blooming native shrubs like Serviceberry and Currents offer critical calories that fuel long-distant flight. Continue Reading →

Join the 12/21/22 Anna’s Hummingbird Community Science Survey

We could use your help.  If you would like to participate in the North Central Washington hummingbird survey, the next opportunity is December 21, 2022. 

You can volunteer to be part of this community science network by sending an email to ncwahummerproject@gmail.com.

You can find background information about this survey on the hummingbird page of the North Central Washington Audubon website . Continue Reading →

Neotropical migrants raising their young in our canyons

Hanging clothes on my backyard clothesline gives me a chance to look west, up into the V-shaped Number Two Canyon, where steep sagebrush-covered slopes plunge down to the brushy canyon Continue Reading →

Curious About … Arriving Turkey Vultures?

Turkey vultures are arriving to North Central Washington from wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Look for groups roosting in tall black cottonwood trees. Continue Reading →

Curious About … Western Meadowlark?

Western meadowlark males have arrived to the Wenatchee Foothills’ shrub-steppe. They use songs and postures to establish breeding territories. Continue Reading →

Join the North Central Washington Hummingbird Project on March Equinox

Over the last decade, many people in North Central Washington have observed increasing numbers of over-wintering Anna’s Hummingbirds. North Central Washington Audubon Society has launched a community science study project to gather data to help answer questions about Anna’s Hummingbird Continue Reading →

Sense of Place: Surveying Raptors on the Waterville Plateau

This week’s guest post by Marilyn Sherling includes stunning photos taken this winter during monthly community science surveys on the Waterville Plateau. Marilyn and her daughter, Amanda, are monthly volunteers for the East Cascades Audubon Society’s Winter Raptors Survey Project. This winter, over 300 volunteers across five states participated, surveying 451 routes. Continue Reading →

Stories in Place: Dog Rock Gorge

This “Stories in Place” post features a late-afternoon 2/9/21 trip report by naturalist Jenny Graevell, and the larger tale of how her conservation volunteerism has engendered a strong web of friendships. Continue Reading →