WHAT’S NEW
 Where do Ospreys nest on Vashon? We’re working to find out. By Sue Trevathan Ospreys on Vashon nest in either the broken tops of large trees or on human structures like cell towers or artificial platforms, usually near water. These nests are reused and expanded over the years by the same pair. Sometimes the nest is massive, weighing several hundred pounds. Last year Sherry Bottoms and I surveyed the island for osprey nests so we could get a handle on what type of nesting platform was being used, how the nests were holding up, and how many were occupied. This map depicts the osprey nests we found in 2025. You can see the general location of the nests by clicking on the icons. The color of the icon represents active (blue) and inactive (red) nests. My hope is that our birding community will keep an eye on these locations this year to determine occupancy and nesting success. We’re also interested in capturing any nest locations that may have been missed. Ospreys are already arriving in the Puget Sound region so we should be seeing them on Vashon soon. Above: Osprey, by Alice Burns    STORIES FROM THE FIELD Kathryn True and Maria Dolan will discuss Seattle’s natural wonders and their experiences crafting a new guidebook ~~~ 7 to 8 p.m. | Wednesday, May 6 | Land Trust Building Kathryn True and Maria Dolan have just published a beautifully crafted guidebook about the hidden wonders of the thriving metropolis a ferry-ride away. Called Seattle Field Guide: Explore Nature in the City, this well-researched compendium provides a look at 38 outings in Seattle, with notes on the birdlife, plantlife, sealife, and more each place offers – an intimate look at the hidden beauty of a big city that only two seasoned naturalists could write. Kathryn and Maria will discuss their book—and their experiences writing about Seattle’s flora and fauna—at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, at the Land Trust Building. Kathryn is a well-known naturalist and writer on Vashon, as well as a former Vashon Bird Alliance board member. Maria, who lives in Seattle, is also a naturalist and writer. Both women have published widely over the years about the natural world, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Their book is also rich in photos, most of them taken by Kathryn, plus many by Jim Diers, a beloved Vashon photographer. The event is sponsored by VBA. Books will be available for purchase. Kathryn and Maria will sign them after their talk. Read more about Seattle Field Guide, published by Mountaineers Books, here.  Join us for bird walks and bird art We have several programs in April and May for those interested in learning more about birds. This is such a wonderful time to get out into nature and look and listen. Our neotropical migrants are returning, filling our forests and neighborhoods with song as they begin the work of establishing territories, finding mates, and raising chicks. Warblers, vireos, swallows, and more are all beginning to arrive. It’s a delightful time to be a birder! Here’s what’s in store: Bird Walk: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 18 Join VBA Board Member Bob Keller for a walk at Pacific Crest Farm, where you’ll explore the farm and adjacent forest in search of both migratory and resident birds. It’s a fantastic spot. Meet at the farm stand, located at 23720 Dockton Rd S.W. Bird Walk: 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 9 Sue Trevathan and Margie Morgan will lead a birding-by-ear expedition in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day (read more about WMBD below). Meet at the Judd Creek Preserve parking lot on 111th Avenue S.W. just south of S.W. 204th Street (also called the Kneeshaw Trail parking lot). You’ll head up 204th towards Old Mill Road S.W., walking all told about two miles. Science & Art Series: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday May 16 VBA and Vashon Center for the Arts have teamed up to create a special day of birding and art. Start the morning with naturalist Brendan McGarry for birding in the Heron Meadow, then head to the Blue Heron Education Center for a different perspective on our feathered friends. After refueling with bagels and coffee, Britt Freda, a talented artist who created the fantastic Heron Meadow bird mural, will lead a four-hour acrylic and graphite painting workshop. Bring your favorite bird photos and/or a camera to photograph source material images during the morning bird walk. Acrylic paints and brushes will be provided. Participants with previous painting experience are welcome to bring their own materials. Tuition is $130. Financial aid is available. Visit Vashon Center for the Art’s website to learn more and to register for this special class. Above: A Red-breasted Nuthatch from the Heron Meadow bird mural (left); Britt Freda at work.  Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 9! We’ll be at the Vashon Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, sharing information about the amazing avian migrants who wing their way here each spring, some of them traveling thousands of miles from their wintertime homes in Central America. From the tiny Rufous Hummingbird to the fish-hunting Osprey, dozens of species arrive on our shores each spring to begin the hard work of raising a family. It’s a remarkable feat of nature, worthy of celebration! World Migratory Bird Day (formerly called International Migratory Bird Day) began in 1993 to highlight the importance of migratory bird conservation. Each year, organizers develop a theme to focus the campaign. This year’s theme—”Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter—brings attention to the critical role community science plays in bird conservation. Learn more here. The Paradise Valley Preserve is the property of the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust. All of the Vashon Bird Alliance’s activities on the preserve are planned out in consultation with land trust stewardship staff and in accordance with the Paradise Valley Preserve management plan.  CBC reflections: Huge thanks to all who helped! January’s Christmas Bird Count was a huge success, thanks in large part to Adria Magrath, this year’s organizer of the count on Vashon. She recruited more than 100 participants who covered a 15-mile radius—all of Vashon and parts of King and Kitsap counties. All told, 116 species were counted, including all three loon species (Common, Pacific, and Red-throated), several owl species (including the Northern Saw-whet, Great Horned Owl, and Barn Owl), Spotted Sandpipers, Western Grebes, several hawks, hundreds of seabirds, and a Western Meadowlark at Matsuda Farm. Adria has led the count the past two years, taking it over from Ezra Parker, lead organizer for the previous nine years. Ed Swan, a renowned Vashon birder and author who passed away four years ago, also led the effort for a few years. Sue Trevathan started Vashon’s count in 1999, organizing it for more than a dozen years. The Christmas Bird Count, launched by the National Audubon Society 126 years ago, is the longest-running community science survey of birds in North America, an early-winter census now supported by thousands of volunteers across the U.S. and Canada. The tallies collected are critical, helping researchers, conservation biologists, and others study trends in North American bird populations over time. Huge thanks to Adria, Ezra, Ed, and Sue for their years of leadership and to everyone who braved the elements on Jan. 4 to log the bird species they spotted or heard. Adria called the day a success, in part because of the many people who turned out to help. “That made all the difference—having a lot of people participating,” she said. Photo: Sue Trevathan (left) and Adria Magrath, by Jim DiersWe’re looking for website support If you’re skilled at website design and maintenance and would like to support a great cause, please consider becoming VBA’s webmaster. The workload is minimal—10 hours a month, at most—but the need is great. We’d love to find someone who could help us update our website with our latest news, add gorgeous photographs of birds, address any technical issues that come up, and more. If you’re interested, please contact Suzanne Romain, a VBA board member, at sromain@gmail.com. Thank you!  Volunteer for the fourth-grade bird program If you enjoy children and love birds, consider volunteering for the Chautauqua Elementary School’s Fourth-Grade Birding Program, a rich experience for our island kids. The six-week curriculum integrates reading, writing, science, and art—all focused on local and regional birds—culminating with field trips to Camp Sealth, where students look for the birds they’ve been studying. Volunteers are needed for both classroom activities and field trips. Dates for volunteer activities are March 5, 10, 12, 18, and 19. If you’re interested, please contact Jody Pritchard at 206-920-7833 or jpritchard789@gmail.com. It’s a lot of fun.Photo: Sarah Driggs leads a field trip at Camp Sealth, by Jim Diers |
Find out about our classes, events, habitat projects, advocacy, the Heron Meadow mural, and more.
Join us! December 9th 2025
7PM
At the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust 10014 SW Bank Rd, Vashon, WA 98070
for cookies and an evening of excellent local island photography!
All About Watersheds! Read about the efforts to preserve our watersheds.
- Call for bird photos
Photo credit: Greg Francke. Vashon Bird Alliance is looking for great photos for our 2026 Birds of Vashon-Maury Island calendar and the best place to look for talented creative people is on Vashon! Proceeds help support VCA programs. Deadline for submission is Sunday, August 31…. - Watch out for bird ConjunctivitisSome people on the island have recently seen signs of bird conjunctivitis.
- Time for a change?
Here’s why we are considering a name change. - Nurturing a living landscape for birds and people
Mixed rural-suburban landscapes, like Vashon’s, can support healthy, large and diverse populations of birds
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Video: Birds of Vashon Island—Images and Songs
Clean-fuel standard could help birds at risk from climate change
Help prevent House Finch disease
4th grade birding program inspires young artists
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