Where the birds are

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May 9, 1996

Where the birds are

By GREG JOHNSTON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

[Image Map]

By Greg Johnston
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Bowerman Basin -- Mark your calendar for the last two weeks of April. That's prime time for one of the largest concentrations of shorebirds on the West Coast south of Alaska. Particularly impressive is the way the sandpipers, dunlins and dowitchers fly in massive undulating waves. Also scan the skies for peregrine falcons and merlins, which prey on shorebirds. Bring knee-high rubber boots -- the area is mega-muddy.

Follow signs off U.S. 101 in Hoquiam to Bowerman Field airport and then signs to the viewing area.

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Skagit Delta -- Probably the best winter waterfowl viewing area in Washington. More than two dozen species nest or winter here, including trumpeter and tundra swans, Canada geese, snow geese, black brant, pintail, mallard, teal, gadwall and other ducks, loons, grebes, grouse, quail, gulls, terns, herons, woodpeckers, songbirds, shorebirds and a host of raptors: bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, merlins, peregrine falcons, Cooper's hawks and northern harriers. Winter is best for waterfowl, but birds are abundant in all seasons.

To reach the Skagit Habitat Management Area headquarters, take the Conway exit off Interstate 5 and head west on Fir Island Road. Turn south on Mann Road and follow the signs.

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Spencer Island -- There's a lot going on at this 413-acre island in the Snohomish River estuary, the new hot spot among Western Washington birders and site of one of the largest wetlands restoration projects on the West Coast. Formerly farmland, it was purchased in 1989 by the state and Snohomish County, and its three miles of trails were opened permanently in 1995. On a recent visit, a kestrel (a small falcon) was seen chasing sandpipers; a mother killdeer nesting near a trail played wounded and tried to lead birders away from her nest, goslings followed mother geese, and herons spread their broad wings over the skies. More than 150 species have been identified here, including the first report in this state of a yellow-throated vireo.

Take the Marysville exit off I-5, head east to State Route 529 and head south. Follow signs to Langus Riverfront Park and the parking area at the south end. Then walk Fourth Street Southeast to the main entrance to Spencer Island. Trails circle the island and cut across it on a dike.

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Yakima Canyon -- The canyon's scenic basalt cliffs are home to the densest concentration of nesting birds of prey in the state, including golden eagles, prairie falcons, kestrels, merlins, osprey, harriers, red-tailed hawks and others. "Shrub steppe" and marshy habitat on the lower slopes and canyon bottom provide habitat for partridge, quail, grouse, lark, bluebirds, owls, wood-peckers, sparrows, swallows, waterfowl and others.

Follow Yakima Canyon Road (SR 821) south from I-90. A good starting point for a hike into the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area is the footbridge between mileposts 16 and 17. Cross the river, find a faint old jeep road and climb the canyon.

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Nisqually Refuge -- Recently reopened after repair of winter flood damage, the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge's 1,797 acres constitute one of the last undisturbed estuaries in Puget Sound, where 176 species have been observed. In winter, large flocks of wigeon, teal and mallard live here. In spring, look for nesting waterfowl, falcons, hawks, herons, grebes, great horned owls, pileated woodpeckers, swallows, sparrows, sap-suckers, rufous hummingbirds, kingfishers, wrens, warblers, gulls, shorebirds and others.

Take Exit 114 off I-5 and follow signs to the parking area and information kiosk.

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Fish Lake -- This shallow lake varies from 500 to 600 acres and has a 150-acre marsh area on the west end, as well as several small inlets. That makes it ideal for birders who canoe or kayak while looking for loons (increasingly rare), geese, wood ducks, teal, goldeneye, bufflehead, blackbirds, herons, kingfishers, osprey, red-tailed hawks, eagles and turkey vultures. In the surrounding woods, there are hummingbirds, wood-peckers, owls, sapsuckers, tanagers, warblers, finches, chickadees and grosbeak.

Take U.S. Highway 2 east to Coles Corner, then left on SR 207 to just past the bridge over the Wenatchee River. Take a right and follow signs to Fish Lake. There is a resort to launch boats, and more information can be obtained at the Lake Wenatchee ranger station a few miles farther up SR 207.

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