Eastlake Washington Audubon Society has received a salvage permit from the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and a scientific collections permit/grant from the Department of Fish and Wildlife for their BIRDS IN THE CLASSROOM project. Funding will be used for bird mounts, study skins, and related educational materials. The project will concentrate on Birds of Prey and Backyard Birds.

Eastlake Audubon is in the process of accepting specimens of the following Birds of Prey found in Washington State: Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Western Screech Owl, and Northern Pigmy-Owl.

Specimens of the following Backyard Birds are also needed:
American Crow, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Steller's Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Evening Grosbeak, Red-winged blackbird, White-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, House Finch and Goldfinch.

Here are steps to take to help assure a quality specimen:
1) straighten the bird out and double wrap it in paper toweling.
2) place the wrapped bird in a cone made from newspaper.
3) write your name and address, the date, and cause of death (if known) on a piece of paper and place this with the wrapped bird in a plastic bag.
4) store the package in the freezer.

Contact the following individuals for pick up:
Connie Christy, (425) 747-8466, joe.christy at gte.net
Mike West (425) 821-2044, 2catbirds at email.msn.com

Note that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects birds and bird parts (feathers, eggs, and nests) by forbidding anyone without a proper permit to own or handle birds or bird parts. Though the law may seem overly strict, it serves an important conservation purpose by allowing authorities to curtail activities that adversely affect birds.

Russell Link
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Region 4, Mill Creek
(425) 775-1311 ext.110
Linkrel at dfw.wa.gov