Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Start planning to attend the next festival: April 25 - 27, 2025
Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
2023 Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Field Trips
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Friday, May 5
Tokeland/Grayland/Westport ($ 50) 7:30 am – 3:30 pm (Westport High Tide @ 1:53pm) (Departs from Refuge HQ, Airport Way) Leader: Bruce LaBar This field trip will take you to the best shorebird viewing areas along the coast! Target birds are 22 species of shorebirds including Snowy Plover, Willet, and Long-billed Curlew. Good numbers of waterfowl and other water species will be encountered along the way. “Streaked” Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs will also be sought after at Midway Beach Road. There will be some walking but most of the day will involve short visits to key areas in search of shorebirds. Bring a lunch and dress appropriately! Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge Guided Walk (Free) 11:30 am – 2:30 pm (High Tide @ 2:21 pm) (Departs from Kiosk at Bowerman Airport gate nearest main hangar) Leaders: Refuge Volunteers Join us on a guided walk to the prime shorebird viewing area along the Sandpiper Trail at the Refuge. Knowledgeable guides will provide information about the Refuge and the wildlife and plants of interest along the trail. These walks are free and open to the public. The guides will have spotting scopes for close up viewing. Binoculars are recommended. Walk departs from the Kiosk at the Airport gate. Two miles round trip flat walking. Weather can be variable so dress appropriately. Saturday, May 6 All Saturday and Sunday field trips depart from Hoquiam Middle School, 200 N. Spencer St: turn right off Emerson Ave. on the west side of Emerson Elementary. Ocean Shores ($ 40) 8:30am – 3:30 pm (Point Brown High Tide @ 2:49 pm) Leaders: Rob Chrisler, James Horan, Dr. Pete Wilburn, Jon Anderson This beautiful coastal resort town hosts some of the best birding spots on the West Coast with more species per location than anywhere else in the state of Washington. The tour will visit a variety of habitats and upwards of 60 species may be found. Highlights on this trip include: Semipalmated Plover, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Sanderling, Wandering Tattler, Surfbird, and Rock Sandpiper. Easy Walking. Bring a lunch and dress appropriately! Shorebird Identification Basics – Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge ($ 15) 12:30pm – 3:30pm (High Tide @ 3:09 pm) Leaders: Scott Morrison, Leah Johnson A bus will take you to the Sandpiper Trail at Grays Harbor NWR where you will walk 1/2 mile on a boardwalk to the prime shorebird viewing area at the tip of Bowerman Peninsula. As the shorebirds gather on the mudflats, you can learn to distinguish a Western Sandpiper from a Dunlin. Other possible birds include: Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot and Peregrine Falcon. We see other wildlife too, like weasels! The weather is variable so dress appropriately! Sunday, May 7 Tokeland/Grayland/Westport ($ 50) 8:00 am – 3:30 pm (Westport High Tide @ 3:26 pm) Leaders: Bruce LaBar This field trip will take you to the best shorebird viewing areas along the coast! Target birds are 22 species of shorebirds including Snowy Plover, Willet, and Long-billed Curlew. Good numbers of waterfowl and other water species will be encountered along the way. “Streaked” Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs will also be sought after at Midway Beach Road. There will be some walking but most of the day will involve short visits to key areas in search of shorebirds. Bring a lunch and dress appropriately! Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge Guided Walk (Free) 1:15 pm – 4:00 pm (High Tide @ 3:56 pm) Leaders: Refuge Volunteers Join us on a guided walk to the prime shorebird viewing area along the Sandpiper Trail at the Refuge. Knowledgeable guides will provide information about the Refuge and the wildlife and plants of interest along the trail. These walks are free and open to the public. The guides will have spotting scopes for close up viewing. Binoculars are recommended. Walk departs from the Kiosk at the Airport gate. Two miles round trip flat walking. Weather can be variable so dress appropriately. |