A Birdathon 2026 Reflection
Taking a moment to start something new which I’ve never really attempted before. Writing has never come very easy to me so bear with me as I find my footing through these journal entries.
As the largest annual fundraising effort for the Bird Alliance of Oregon, Birdathon brings people together for a great cause. This year, our team was proud to participate as Duck the Patriarchy by the Portland chapter of the Feminist Bird Club and was comprised of wonderfully inclusive, kind-hearted folks dedicated to both community and conservation.
If you haven’t donated yet there is still time by clicking here.
Michelle, Mary, and Rey scoping out the sand bar off of Nehalem Bay State Park for Birdathon 2026 Feminist Bird Club Portland, OR Chaper
The day started out chilly but generally alright as we started to explore the areas that had been mapped out. One of the first birds to greet us was a wonderful Barred Owl just sitting on the side of the road on a speed sign along the windy road almost as if to welcome us into this day of discovery. Below are just a handful of some of the wonderful wildlife and environments that I was able to document visually.
Band-tailed Pigeon
Searching for months for this beautiful creature and finally was able to not only see one with incredible friends but also capture them in such a wonderful moment of flight.
Somewhere along the way there was a discussion about how the secretive hoarding of knowledge and land information is deeply rooted in the intertwined histories of colonialism and capitalism. Under these systems, information is rarely viewed as a communal resource; instead, it is treated as private property to be locked away and leveraged for maximum profit. This mindset manifests clearly today in practices like exclusive land foraging and elitist eco-tourism, where access to the natural world is commodified and restricted to those who can pay. By turning sacred or shared ecological data into a competitive advantage, humans continue to colonize and exploit the land, prioritizing individual wealth over collective stewardship and ancestral sharing.
We would all be better served to do our best to share generously in the wonders that we find during our adventures in this world and that is exactly what we did.
In the end Birdathon 2026 was a place of cold raining storms that was ultimately filled with the warmth of community, knowledge sharing, and nature observations to remind us of how connected the entire world is.