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Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance

Where birds and wildlife count

MWBA (previously Audubon Society of Corvallis) 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?

MWBA/ASC Events – All programs are free (except where indicated) and open to the public.

Mar 14: Second Saturday Field Trip, meet at Willamette Park shelter 8 am. INFO, Registration
Mar 19: “Ten Mile Creek Sanctuary” – Paul Engelmeyer, 7:15 pm at C3 Ballroom
Mar 27-29: Rogue River field trip. Contact
May 28-31: Malheur field trip Contact
Jun 19-21: Summer Lake field trip Contact
Aug 13-16: Steens Mountain field trip Contact
Sep 9-11: South Coast field trip Contact

Hesthavn Nature Center & Trails

TBA – Work Party: weeding & digging blackberries. Bring sturdy gloves, snack, and water. Contact
Trails open dawn to dusk every day.

Community Events

Apr 6 from 5 – 7 pm Benton County Open House for Corvallis Forest Stewardship Plan revision – Rock Creek Watershed. Corvallis Public Library. 30-day public comment period begins on April 6.

Coffin Butter Landfill Expansion

Mar 4 – Benton County Commissioners unanimously voted to decline approval of Republic Services landfill expansion.
Mar 17 at 9 am: Tentative – BoC will adopt findings, followed by transmittal of decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).
If adoption is scheduled for an earlier date than 3/17, it will be announced at the 3/3 meeting.

Conservation Volunteer Opportunities: Calendar

Monthly Speaker

“Coastal Conservation – Land-Sea Connections”
Paul Engelmeyer, March 19 at 7:15 pm

Western Meadowlark © Sue Powell — Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) swimming in the ocean in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Paul’s presentation will cover several coastal Oregon issues, including protecting forage fish, which are the prey base for seabirds, the unique habitat of the ESA listed Marbled Murrelet, and the current status of Oregon’s five marine reserves. Paul has managed the Ten Mile Creek Sanctuary (located near Yachats) for the Oregon Bird Alliance (formerly Portland Audubon), and he served on Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council, which developed the system of marine protected areas.

Members and non-members are 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 presentation starts as early as 7:15 pm and lasts about an hour. The link to the Zoom recording should be available, depending on staff.
Learn More:Monthly Speakers, INFO

2026 Bluebird Trail Season Begins Soon

From 2025 nesting season – two newly arrived bluebird chicks are demanding food. The other eggs will hatch in the next few days and join their nestmates.

In the Willamette Valley, the weather is usually mild enough that you may see Western Bluebirds year-round. Bluebirds will soon begin looking for nesting boxes. A group of dedicated volunteers wiil check existing boxes to make sure they are ready for the 2026 nesting season. By early April, some of the bluebird pairs will begin building new nests.

**New email address:
bluebirdtrail@mwbirdalliance.org

Birding Field Trips

Birdwatching in Willamette Park — Second Saturday field trip participants scour the trees in Willamette Park for birds.

Second Saturday (half-day) field trips to local birding areas are led by Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess from September through June. Contact for info

The 2026 Multi-day field trips are led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings.
Rogue Valley Mar 27-29
Malheur May 28-31
Summer Lake Jun 19-21
Steens/Eastern Oregon Aug. 13-16
South Coast/Bandon Sep 9-11
Trip Details

American Kestrel — Kestrels are the smallest member of the falcon family.

Birding & Resources

Gray-crowned rosy finch — Gray-crowned Rosy Finch © MT Lee

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.

Learn More – Birding, Field Trips, Resources

Conservation

Homer Campbell boardwalk trail — Homer Campbell Boardwalk Trail at Finley NWR was constructed by ASC & partners.

Streaked Horned Lark — Status: Federal – Threatened & Oregon – Sensitive.

ASC participates in grassroots conservation by providing information about pending actions on national and state environmental laws. Locally, ASC partners to conserve habitats, provide access on trails, and restore native plants. Conservation of Western Bluebirds and Streaked Horned Larks are also major ASC initiatives.

Learn More – Audubon in the News, Conservation/Protection, Priorities

Education

Check the website for the 2025 dates and activities. The Nature Center is open for special events. Education volunteers offer activities such as making bird masks, leading guided walks, introducing Elsie Elzroth (“The Bluebird Lady”), who began a nest box program to increase Western Bluebirds in Benton and Linn counties, and more!

Visit the museum room to see taxidermied birds common to our area. Explore the feather and bone case, play nature games, and learn about birds — how feathers work, why beak length and shape matter, and measure your wingspan!

Learn More – More Information, Programs

Bluebird Trail

The ASC Bluebird Trail Committee promotes conservation of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and other native cavity-nesters through field work, scientific studies, and education. Bluebird boxes have been placed in ideal habitats and are monitored throughout the breeding season. Results are reported to several organizations.

Learn More – Bluebird Trail 2024 Nesting Data

Hesthavn Grounds & Nature Center

Hesthavn Nature Center began as a barn and now includes a museum with taxidermied birds, Bluebird Trail and other exhibits, and a classroom. The grounds feature trails, bird feeders, and a native plant garden. Open daily from dawn to dusk. Meadow restoration is part of the long-term habitat restoration goal. Admission is free!

Check out the kiosk information signs about activities, nest boxes, trails, sustainably practices, and more. Signs are in both English and Spanish.

Learn More – Hesthavn, Volunteer

Join Us!

Volunteer interpreter — What are the birds in your backyard?

New to the area? Meet people who love nature! Volunteer, share your passion, or support restoration. Become an ASC member to help continue our important work. You can also donate time or funds — all contributions are tax-deductible and support local education and conservation.

Learn More – Membership, Volunteer, Donate

Partners

These Forster’s Terns partner for the common goal of raising a family.

ASC welcomes partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Together we provide equal opportunities for all children to experience nature through games, art, and hands-on learning. Partnerships combine funding, staff, and resources to achieve conservation and education goals.

Links – Education, Conservation

Our Newsletter

March 2026 Issue

Each issue of The Chat includes information about monthly speakers, education, conservation, Hesthavn Nature Center, field trips, bird sightings, board meetings, and more. Ten issues are published annually from September through May plus a summer issue. Archived newsletters are available as PDFs from April 2003 to the present.