Skagit Audubon Society

Photo by Ann Kramer

Watching Birds - Protecting Habitat - Connecting With Nature

Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.  

In response to the COVID-19 virus, some of our general meetings are being held at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center while others will be available on Zoom only. Hybrid meetings are not currently offered.  Please check the monthly program description for meeting details. As with our hikes and field trips, only vaccinated, symptom-free individuals should attend meetings in person.

The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is one of the most important migratory bird staging and wintering habitats in the world—and it is under threat. Izembek is a crucial stopover for many birds migrating to and from Arctic breeding grounds. The area supports virtually all the world’s Pacific Brant, more than half the world population of Emperor Geese, and a tremendous portion of Steller's Eiders and Taverner's Cackling Geese. 

Building a road through the Refuge would cause permanent damage to globally important wetlands. More than 75 Alaska Native Tribes have submitted formal resolutions opposing a potential road or land exchange in Izembek. This proposed federal land exchange undermines the protection of almost all of the 150 million acres in Alaska covered by one of our nation’s most important conservation and public land laws—the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).  

Learn more: www.audubon.org/takeaction  (photo credit: Steller’s Eider/Mick Thompson/National Audubon

Learn more: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-R7-NWRS-2023-0072-7708

HB 1328; replacing a developer-led model for green energy development with one of pre-screening sites for environmental and cultural values, streamlining the process and reducing contention.

SB 5203; focus on protecting Washington’s unique shrub-steppe ecosystem.

HB 1208; enhancing coastal resilience through support for habitat restoration and nature-based solutions, emphasizing protecting vulnerable shorelines from climate change.

More info: Audubon Washington (https://wa.audubon.org/news/audubon-washington%E2%80%99s-2025-legislative-priorities)

More details and links to support these bills HERE

Safeguarding vulnerable rules like the Advanced Clean Truck Rule, clean energy policies and programs supporting energy efficiency in homes and businesses.

Ensuring that funds from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act are invested as intended and not diverted to balance the state budget.

Directing the Dept. of Ecology to create a website with maps and searchable records of sewage spills. Support SB 5450.

Carrying forward the proposed Recycling Reform Act from previous years (formerly called the WRAP Act) to incentivize the use of packaging that is easier to recycle. Support HB 1150 and SB 5284.

More info: EPC priorities website (Environmental Priorities Coalition - Washington Conservation Action)

More details and links to support these priorities or legislative bills HERE

AVIAN INFLUENZA AND BIRD FEEDERS, by Tim Manns

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza has infected and killed many birds and mammals in the United States, including Washington. At this writing in mid-January 2025, the U.S. has also seen 66 confirmed cases in human beings and one death. Because of H5N1’s particularly lethal effects on poultry, it is referred to as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. So far, reports of infected birds in the Skagit are not nearly as extensive as in 2022 when hundreds of Snow Geese succumbed. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported H5N1 in two hunted Mallards in Skagit County in January 2025, in a Trumpeter Swan last November, and in a Snow Goose and Great Horned Owl in October (https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/bird-flu).

Among birds avian flu for the most part infects waterfowl and predatory birds. Of the thousands of birds testing positively for this flu, only a small percentage are songbirds, perhaps because of their infrequent mingling with waterfowl. This is relevant to the question of whether to take down bird feeders due to avian flu. Here’s what Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has to say (Avian Influenza Outbreak: Should You Take Down Your Bird Feeders? | All About Birds):

“As of January 2025, there is no official recommendation for people to take down bird feeders because of the risk of avian influenza .... The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has updates and recommendations about H5N1 in humans.

“There has been widespread transmission of avian flu to wild bird species including waterfowl and raptors. The virus has also been found in mammals that prey on dead birds. However, transmission to songbirds and other typical feeder visitors has been low (about 3% of all cases reported in wild birds), although this may change with increased testing or changes to the virus. That means there is currently a low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, according to the National Wildlife Disease Program. We do always recommend that you clean bird feeders and birdbaths regularly as a way to keep many kinds of diseases at bay.”

The Washington Departments of Health and Agriculture have information about avian influenza in Washington with a focus on poultry flocks. Owners of backyard flocks should take measures to ensure separation of these flocks from wild birds.

Use this form to report a possible avian flu death of a wild bird to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1550804e5fd743668049e06d5ad8836a

For links to additional information about avian influenza in wild and domesticated species, see the more detailed article in the January 2025 Conservation Notes on the Skagit Audubon website: Jan2025ConservationNotes.pdf.