Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance!
Where birds and wildlife count
(also known as Audubon Society of Corvallis)
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?
Republic Services Landfill
- Nov 7: Oregon DEQ issued Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a pre-enforcement notice about air quality issues
- Nov 15: Dump the Dump Rally 10 am-noon, Benton Cty Courthouse Flyer
- Nov 17: Benton Cty Commissioners final decision
- Oct 5: MWBA testimony submitted to Benton County Board of Commissioners,
- See Coffin Butte Facts
MWBA/ASC Events – All programs are free (except where indicated) and open to the public.
- Nov 20: Monthly speaker Luke Stuntz — “Predation of Sea Birds by River Otters”
- Dec 13: Second Saturday Field Trip, meet at Willamette Park shelter 8 am. INFO/Registration
- Dec 16: Christmas Bird Count — Corvallis. INFO | Contact
- Dec 18: Annual Member Photo/Video Show
- Jan 4: Albany/Airlie CBC Contact
Hesthavn Nature Center and Trails
- TBA: Work Party, grounds & trails. Bring sturdy gloves, snack, refillable water bottle. Contact
- Trails open dawn to dusk every day.
Community Events
- Dec 3, 6:00–7:30 pm: “Giving Back to Birds by Contributing Observations to eBird” — Douglas Robinson.
INFO - Conservation Volunteer Opportunities: Calendar
- Podcast: Recent cougar sightings in Corvallis — “Bad reputation: Oregon cougars are not the killers some believe”
“Predation of Seabirds by River Otters”
Hundreds of thousands of nesting Leach’s Storm-Petrels in southern Oregon share the coastline with a diversity of terrestrial carnivores. Luke Stuntz will describe the results of a three-year research project at OSU about the predatory behavior of river otters on seabirds. The study took place at at several seabird colonies that nest on Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
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 slide show presentation starts as early as 7:20 pm and lasts about an hour. Tune in to the Zoom meeting at 7:15.
Learn More:Monthly Speakers October Zoom
Bluebird 2025 Nesting Results: It’s good news!
The 2025 nesting season for Western Bluebirds in the Willamette Valley ended in late August. In the nest boxes monitored by Bluebird Trail volunteers in Benton and Linn counties, the first bluebird egg was laid around April 4, and the last chick fledged around August 24.
The 2025 season was much better than last year’s, as nearly all measures of nesting activity were higher. The only exception was the average eggs per attempt, which held steady at 5.1.
Although fewer nesting attempts were observed in 2025 than in 2010–2024, nesting success (represented by the percentages of eggs hatched) improved overall. That’s good news.
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 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. Contact
See Field Trips for registration and more information.
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 More
Conservation
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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
Learn More
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.
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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.
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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 June. Archived newsletters are available as PDFs from April 2003 to the present.