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Vanishing Birds of Yakima County

I came to the Yakima Valley in 1978 and set to work observing and learning its birdlife. I found the very diverse habitats the county boasts were home for an impressive array of birds, more than 300 in all. However, the past 40 years have seen changes to our birds. At least six species that were regular in occurrence and...

Washington Sage Grouse - 2019 Status

Populations of Greater sage-grouse in Washington continue to decline and these have resulted in serious concerns for the species long-term conservation status, according to the 2019 annual report issued by the Washington State Department of Wildlife (WDFW). That report forms the basis of this report. The overall state population was estimated to be 676 in 2019, associated with 21 leks...

2019 Toppenish and Yakima Valley Christmas Bird Count Recap

Join us for the Toppenish NWR Christmas Count on Dec. 14 and the 50th Yakima Valley Christmas Count on Dec. 28

Christmas Bird Count season will be upon us soon. We can escape from the hustle and bustle of the more normal Christmas season, get outdoors and enjoy a day or two of birding in our varied winter weather. We will also be contributing to the longest-running bird census in the world in which people who are not professional scientists are...