Hover cursor over images to see species name and photograper
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.
- Oct 10: Second Saturday Field Trip. Meet at 8 am at the Willamette Park shelter (Goodnight Rd.) Details, Register
- Oct 15: Monthly meeting – Stewart Janes: Birds of Crater Lake. C3 Chandler Ballroom on NW Tyler Ave. in Corvallis, meeting 7:00 pm and presentation 7:15 pm INFO
- Nov 14: Second Saturday Field Trip. Register
- Nov 19: Monthly meeting – Sam Woodrich: Grazing Lawn Ecology – How Herbivores Create and Maintain Food Sanctuaries Worldwide INFO
Hesthavn Nature Center & Trails
- TBA Work Party. Barn and yard tasks. Bring sturdy gloves, snack, and water. Contact
- Trails open dawn to dusk every day.
Community Events
- Oct 1: Mac-Dunn Trails CUP Modification Appeal submitted
- Malheur NWR Osprey Cam
- Nature Neighbors: conserve your small habitats More info
- Conservation volunteer Calendar
Coffin Butter Landfill Expansion
- Mar 17: Valley Landfills, Inc. filed appeal to Oregon LUBA s to vacate Benton Cty Commissioners’ denial, Status has not changed since then.
Email updates, Coffin Butte – see latest expansion news
Monthly Speakers
“Birds of Crater Lake NP”
Stewart Janes:, Oct 15 at 7:15 pm
Stewart Janes will share his new book, published in March 2026, which is a natural history and guide to the birds of Crater Lake National Park. The high country is a challenging place to live, and Janes provides species accounts and photographs of the most iconic birds and how they adapt to weather, elevation, and geology of the park.
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. A Zoom link will be emailed a few days before the presentation. If possible, a link to the Zoom recording should be available the following day.
Learn More: Monthly Speakers, INFO
September recording LINK
Western Bluebirds Had a Successful Nesting Season!
The 2026 nesting season for Western Bluebirds in the Willamette Valley began with the first egg laid around April 1 and ended when the last chick fledged in early September. The improvement in nesting success that we saw from 2024 to 2025 continued through 2026.
The numbers of nesting attempts, eggs laid, eggs hatched, and chicks fledged increased by 60%, 64%, 83%, and 90%, respectively. In 2026, these four measures of nesting activity were only slightly lower than their averages over the preceding 15 years. Better still, two measures of nesting success (the percentages of eggs hatched and chicks fledged) were slightly higher in 2026 than their 2011–2025 averages.
This year there were 192 nesting attempts recorded in 369 monitored boxes, an increase over the last two years. This increase countered a declining trend that had held since at least 2021. Contact the Bluebird Trail
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. Contact for info
The 2026 Multi-day field trips are led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings.
Malheur May 28-31, 2026
Summer Lake Jun 19-21
Steens/Eastern Oregon Aug. 13-16
South Coast/Bandon Sep 9-11
Rogue Valley March 2027
Trip Details
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.
Learn how to use binoculars (bins), spotting scopes, field guides, and cameras. You will find that birders are the friendliest of all interest groups!
We also have links to eBird, Merlin, Xeno-canto, nest cameras, as well as other species, such as butterflies, dragonflies, native plants, and more.
Learn More – Birding, Field Trips, Resources
Conservation
ASC participates in grassroots conservation by providing information about pending actions on national and state environmental laws. Locally, ASC partners with other organzations 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 2026 activities, locations, and dates. The Nature Center is open for special events and usually there is an Open House on Earth Day.
Education volunteers offer activities such as making bird masks, leading guided walks, crafts, and even measure your wingspan to see how you compare to local birds.
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 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 about the Bluebird Lady and her successful efforts to save the declining population of nesting bluebirds in Benton and Linn counties.
Learn More – Bluebird 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!
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
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
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.
The Chat Newsletter & Archives