Hover over photos for description and photographer
Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance!
(also known as Audubon Society of Corvallis)
Where birds and wildlife count
MWBA (previously ASC) is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon and welcomes members and visitors from the mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. We host speakers, lead half-day birding walks to local areas, guide multi-day field trips to regional birding areas, present education programs to all ages, and support conservation of birds, other native wildlife, and natural habitats.
What’s Happening?
Hearing dates for Benton County landfill expansion applications:
* Coffin Butte Facts LINK
* May 20 – Oregon DEQ virtual hearing for Coffin Butte Air Quality permit renewal INFO
* Jun 17, 6-9 pm: Planning Division deliberation & decision about expansion INFO
MWBA/ASC Events – all programs are free (except where indicated) and open to the public.
* May 15 – Monthly speaker: Jayshaun Talbert – ”Northern Saw-Whet Owls: Population Shifts during Fall Migration?”
* May 17 – 20: Trip to Malheur NWR INFO/Sign up
* June 7 – Schedule Change! Second Saturday Field Trip 8 am – noon. Meet at Willamette Park Shelter. Register
* Jun 13 – 15: Trip to Summer Lake INFO/Sign up
* Jun 28 from 8 – 11 am: Bird Walk at Soap Creek Oaks, MWBA & Greenbelt Land Trust, Register
* Jul 17 – 21: Trip to Wallowa Mtns. INFO/Sign up
* Jul 31 – Aug 3: Trip to Steens Mtn. INFO/Sign up
* Mid Sep TBA: Trip to South Coast INFO/Sign up
Hesthavn
* May 17, 10 am-2 pm Work Party, invasive weeds, mowing, bring sturdy gloves, snack, rain gear. Contact
* Trails – open dawn to dusk every day
Community Events
* May 17 from 2 – 3 pm at Benton County Library. Author and Corvallis Illustrator read from “Families of a Feather,” a new children’s book about how birds care nurture their young More INFO
* May 24 Early Morning Spring Birding 7:00 – 10:00 am, Finley NWR. Meet at west side of McFadden Marsh. More INFO
* Conservation Volunteer Opportunities Calendar
“Northern Saw-Whet Owls: Population Shifts during Fall Migration?”
Jayshaun Talbert – May 15, 2025
Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWOs) are difficult to study because they are small, nocturnal, and reclusive. Jayshaun will discuss why it is crucial to study them in order to understand broader ecological trends. Because the owls are important for a diverse and healthy ecosystem, population shifts of NSWOs can reflect habitat quality and the impacts of climate change.
Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting in person at the C3 Chandler Ballroom on NW Tyler Ave. in Corvallis. The social gathering starts at 6:30, business meeting at 7:00 pm, and the slide show presentation starts as early as 7:20 pm and lasts about an hour. Tune in to the Zoom meeting at 7:15.
April guest speaker Zoom link
Monthly Speaker Info
Happy Bird-day!
Spring has sprung, and MWBA volunteer monitors are busy checking their Bluebird Trail nest boxes every week for new arrivals. The Bluebird Trail is not a walking trail, but about 300 boxes spread out in Benton and Linn counties. The season begins in April as male and female Western Bluebirds stake out a suitable nest box and begin constructing a nest. Monitors document when eggs are laid, when the female begins incubating them, how many eggs hatch, and when the nestlings fledge and fly away.
Important – Only MBWA monitors are allowed to open nest boxes to prevent additional disturbances that may cause the bluebird parents to abandon the nest. Bluebird Trail INFO
Birding Field Trips
Second Saturday (half-day) field trips to local birding areas are led by Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess from September through June. INFO
The 2025 Multi-day field trips will be led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings starting in January 2025, or click here Contact
See Field Trips for registration and more information
* Jul 31-Aug 3, Steens Mtn.
* May 17-20: Malheur NWR
* Jun13-15, Summer Lake
* Jul 17-21 Wallowa Mtns.
* Mid-Sep TBA: South Coast
Birding & Resources
Our region is a prime place to find, watch, draw, and photograph many species of birds. Half-day field trips to local areas and multi-day trips to regional birding areas are led by ASC guides. New birders and anyone else interested are invited to participate.
Birding Field Trips Resources
Conservation
ASC participates in grassroot conservation by providing information about pending actions on national and state environmental laws. Locally, ASC has joined partners to conserve habitats, provide access on trails, and restore native plants. Conservation of Western Bluebirds and Streaked Horned Larks are other major initiatives for ASC.
More info: Audubon in the News or Conservation/Protection or Priorities
Education
Learn how MWBA led the way to increasing Western Bluebird populations in Linn and Benton Counties.
The 16th annual event includes many natural resource partners throughout the region who will highlight their projects and celebrate the incredible resources in our backyard in the mid-Valley. All events will be free and open to the public. Events include:
🌷 – Oak Basin Tour, Sunset
🌷 – Stars & Lights Gazing at Fitton Green
🌷 – MWBA (Audubon) Second Saturday field trip at Willamette Park
🌷 – Camas Meadow Walk
🌷 – Bald Hill Farm Open House
🌷- Mother’s Day Art in the Garden
🌷 – Beazell Open House & Mother’s Day Nature Walk
MORE INFO, Education Program
Bluebird Trail
The ASC Bluebird Trail committee was created to promote the conservation of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and other native cavity-nesters through field work, scientific studies, and education. A series of bluebird boxes have been placed in ideal habitat for the birds. Volunteers monitor the nesting success throughout the breeding season, and results are reported to several organizations.
Hesthavn Grounds & Nature Center
Hesthavn Nature Center started life as a barn, and now it offers a museum with taxidermied birds, Bluebird Trail and other exhibits, and a classroom. It will be open to the public for special events. The grounds include trails, bird feeders, and a native plant garden and are open are open from dawn to dusk everyday. Meadow restoration is one step in the long-term goal of restoring all habitats. Admission is free!
Join Us!
New to the area? Meet people who also like nature! Would you like to volunteer to share your passion or contribute to restoration? Become a member of ASC and help us continue our important work. You can also donate time or dollars to ASC. We also appreciate your tax-deductible contributions to our local education and conservation efforts.
Membership Volunteer Donate
Partners
ASC welcomes partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Together we provide equal opportunities for all children, allowing them to experience nature through games, art, and activities that enhance both classroom and special-event learning. Other partnerships pool funding, staff, and other resources to accomplish conservation and other education goals.
Education Conservation
Our Newsletter
Each issue of The Chat contains information about monthly speakers and their presentation. Also included is the latest news about education, conservation, Hesthavn Nature Center, field trips, bird sightings, Board meetings, calendar items, and more. Ten issues are produced by our volunteers each year, from September through June. Archived newsletters are available in PDF format from April 2003 to the present.
May 2025 Issue
The Chat Newsletter and Archives