Mark your 2026 calendars for great birding in the New Year!
You are invited to join the Coast Fork for 2 great birding events in January.
Cottage Grove Christmas Bird Count
Join the Coast Fork Birders in the Cottage Grove Christmas Bird Count! All levels of bird enthusiasts are encouraged to take part in this opportunity to contribute to a great citizen science effort while learning bird identification from experienced birders. This event is coordinated by Grace Fowler-Gore and each count section will be led by a Coast Fork Birders member.
When: Saturday, January 3rd
6:30am at the Vintage Inn Restaurant
Participants will gather at 6:30am at the Vintage Inn Restaurant, 1590 Gateway Blvd, Cottage Grove, for a morning breakfast meeting to organize into teams. (The morning gathering and the countdown dinner are totally optional!)
Birders will head into the field by 7:30am – You must contact Coast Fork Birders before the actual count day. Participants have to be assigned to their own areas to cover.
The end of day “countdown” will take place at 4pm at El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, 725 E. Gibbs Ave., Cottage Grove. (Again, totally optional!)
Be sure to bring your birding gear, weather appropriate clothing and lunch to get you through the day.
You also do not have to bird ALL day long. Some individuals have lots of enthusiasm and physical endurance to start before the sun comes up and bird after it goes down. If you only have enough time to bird for 3 to 4 hours, you can be assigned to an area accordingly.
Also: You might have physical limitations and can’t stand being cold. If you only wish to bird from your car, they have an appropriate area you can be assigned to. The same is true of you need accommodations for a walker, cane or wheelchair.
To participate:
Please contact Grace by email GraceLovesBirds1@gmail.com (please provide a contact telephone within your email) or 817-975-4936 as soon as possible to optimize placement into a birding sector of your preference. We have plenty of varied habitats to choose from: two lakes, river, creek, farm fields, forest, urban, suburban and rural.
People who would like to participate by counting the birds in their own yards are encouraged to contact Grace as well. “Feeder Counters” are a valuable part of the Christmas Bird Count data. This way, you don’t have to commit to an entire day of birding to make a contribution to our Cottage Grove CBC.
Accessibility -There are zones and parts of zones that anyone with limited mobility can participate in. Please, if you want to partake, then join us!
Additional clarifications: Using eBird is helpful, but not required to submit your birding efforts. Grace has printouts that you can use to tally your birds.
You feel you don’t know the bird names. I can place you with a skilled birder who needs someone to help spot the birds. Maybe you can be the designated driver for a group.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a wonderful citizen science project which is open to everyone. If you have concerns, please give me a ring and talk with me about them.
CG Eagle Midwinter Count 2026
When: January 18th, 2026 (Sunday)
Where:
Dorena Reservoir: Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Morning Parking: Park in the Walmart parking lot (close to Outdoor Living)
Count is predicted to last from 10 am – 1 pm.
Cottage Grove Reservoir: Start Time: 2 p.m.
Afternoon Parking: Lakeside Park
Count is predicted to last until around 4 pm.
