Field Trip: Winter in the Wetlands

While the massive flocks of waterfowl often steal the show, Fernhill Wetlands is the winter home to a myriad of other species. This walk will explore the open water, marshlands, woods, and brushy patches that make this site such a birding hotspot.

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A Cedar Waxwing is perched on a Cascara tree branch eating on of the tree's fruits.

Field Trip: Botany for Birders – Fruit at Oaks Bottom

Now that we have all the pieces (conifers, flowers, leaves, fruit), we can practice putting it all together while birding both the upper urban area around the parking lot and the lower natural area. We should be able to describe which tree we are seeing a good bird in to our fellow students and identify most trees to be able to learn more about them. We will scout for fruit, and prepare for the much more intimidating season rapidly approaching, winter tree identification.

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Lights Out for migrating birds

Go Lights Out 2024

Mark your calendar for Lights Out Portland, a one-night event in which residential households and commercial buildings dim their lighting in order to raise awareness about the impact of light pollution on migrating birds, about wasted energy in the form of light thrown up into the sky, and about preserving our ability to see stars from the city.

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The Bird Days of Summer: Conservation Adventure at Forest Park *WAITLIST* *FULL*

Join Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Education and Conservation Team for The Bird Days of Summer, a series of free, super beginner-friendly programs for anyone curious about birds in nature. We’re combining community-building, exploration, and fun to create safe spaces for people to get to know each other as well as the birds. Binoculars will be provided, and we’ll begin each program with a short “how-to” to help you get started.

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Image is of a pond, with a pile of brush in the foreground. They sky is wintry blue and pink.

Field Trip: Botany for Birders – Winter ID at Whitaker Ponds *FULL*

Whitaker Ponds has the best collection of native plants in North Portland. Now that we are comfortable identifying and describing trees in easy mode (spring to fall), it is time to prepare for winter. We will look closer at form, buds, twigs, and bark than in previous classes, and decide whether we are up for the challenge of trying to identify some trees in the next few months.

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