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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.

Jan 31: Willamette Valley Bird Symposium. Contact
Feb 14: Second Saturday Field Trip, meet at Willamette Park shelter 8 am. INFO, Registration
Feb 19: : “The Willamette Valley Conservation Area: A new Refuge in everyone’s backyard – Jarod Jebousek
Late March: Rogue River Field Trip. Contact

Hesthavn Nature Center & Trails

Jan 11: Work Party 10 am – 1:30 pm, weeding & digging blackberries. Bring sturdy gloves, snack, and a full water bottle. Contact
Trails open dawn to dusk every day.

Community Events

Jan 20: Public testimony Benton County Commission meeting INFO
Jan 24: “Owls in the Valley” – Leila Duchac. Finley NWR Open House 1-4 pm at Headquarters. INFO
Jan 24: How Can I Help?: Saving nature with your backyard – Doug Tallamy, 1 pm, CH2MHill INFO
Feb 4: 1% for Wildlife Day of Action in Salem.
Conservation Volunteer Opportunities: Calendar
Podcast: Recent cougar sightings in Corvallis — “Bad reputation: Oregon cougars are not the killers some believe”

Monthly Speaker

“The Willamette Valley Conservation Area: A new Refuge in everyone’s backyard”
Jarod Jebousek, Feb. 19, 7:15 pm

The Western Meadowlark is Oregon’s state bird and is also known for its lovely song. Look for them in fields where they forage for seeds and insects.

Jarod Jebousek, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will provide information about the Willamette Valley Conservation Area established in 2024. It will allow the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex to expand its landholdings throughout the Willamette Valley.

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 Zoom option will be offered if a volunteer agrees to run the show.

Learn More:Monthly Speakers, INFO No December Zoom

2025 Christmas Bird Count Results

The 65th Corvallis Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on December 16, 2025. A total of 66 field observers and feeder watchers counted 41,513 birds of 125 species on the count day. Long-billed Curlews were seen during the count week on December 19, which is new species for the CBC.

The most abundant species were European Starling (24.8%) and Cackling Goose (7.9%). They were followed by Dark-eyed Junco (4.6%), Canada Goose (3.9%), Mallard (3.7%), Red-winged Blackbird (3.7%), and Ring-billed Gull (3.4%).

New records were set for the number of birds seen in several species, including Short-billed Gull, Steller’s Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Great Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Turkey Vulture. Turkey Vultures are rare in the Willamette Valley during December.

Learn More:Bird Surveys
Links – PDF of results
2025 CBC Data
National Audubon Society CBC data

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 2025 Multi-day field trips are led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings starting in January. Learn More – Field Trips
Rogue Valley Mar. 27-29
Malheur May18-21
Summer Lake Jun. 19-21
Steens/Eastern Oregon Aug. 13-16
South Coast/Bandon Sep. TBD

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

January 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.