May 4 - 6, 2011

EACH SPRING, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip! Tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the open mudflats in the estuary. This concentration of birds offers people a great chance to view a number of shorebird species, and with luck, to see the birds fly together in beautiful formations while trying to escape the fastest creature on earth, the Peregrine Falcon.
 
    The 16th Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival was held on the last weekend of
April 2011 with the headquarters at Hoquiam High School in Hoquiam, Washington.

Bart Rulon was the Keynote Speaker on Friday evening. His talk, entitled From the Field to the Studio, Experience Local Birds through the Eyes of a Wildlife Artist, brought 70 people together to learn about how beautiful art is created. Click here for more information on the speaker.

The banquet and live auction held on Saturday night raised about $2,422 for the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. During the auction, education program at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge also brought in $2,750 in donations, ensuring the support of another year of field trips and classroom presentations throughout Grays Harbor County. Thanks to all those who participated in the banquet and auction! We hope to see you next year!
 
Hoquiam High School was buzzing with people throughout the weekend with the Nature Fun Fair, Birder's Bazaar, Lectures, and the 2011 Poster Contest awards ceremony. Birders and their families from as far away as New York and Florida were able to come together at Festival Headquarters to view all of the exhibits, vendors, and fun kid's activities that were available.

   Sightings and counts of shorebirds were reported daily by field trip groups and staff and observers on the Grays Harbor NWR boardwalk. Click here to download the detailed list of birds seen on the 2011 Field Trips.

You may also want to refer to the Shorebird Sightings! webpage for ongoing surveys taken at Grays Harbor NWR by Refuge wildlife biologist, Marian Bailey.     

Field trips Lectures Nature Fun Fair Keynote Speaker and Reception Banquet and auction Shorebird viewing Birder's Bazaar Poster Contest

Grays Harbor Audubon Society, Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, and the City of Hoquiam work with a host of other local sponsors to bring you the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. This event is timed to match the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they pause at the Grays Harbor estuary to feed and rest before departing for their nesting grounds in the Arctic.

This wildlife spectacle happens every year at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and other parts of Grays Harbor County. People from around the world come to view this event of hemispheric importance. The Shorebird Festival works to bring people together for this incredible natural phenomenon.
 
A portion of revenues in excess of festival expenses helps to fund education programs and scientific research at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and helps pay for continuation of construction of the boardwalk, benches and interpretive signage.

Best Shorebird Viewing Times

At Grays Harbor NWR, shorebirds can be viewed best during the period about 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide. During high tide, birds are closer and more concentrated for better viewing. The peak in migration typically occurs the last week in April.

NOTE: Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.

Shorebirds on Mudflats at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge

Shorebird Formations, photo by Don Johnson

Short-billed Dowitchers, photo by Don Johnson