Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival

Start planning to attend the next festival: May 3 - 5, 2024

Ocean Shores

1 - Ocean City State Park (Discover Pass) is on the coast just off SR-115, the road to the beach off of State Route 115 at the entrance to Ocean Shores was impassible as of January 10, 2023.  Use the beach access west of the round-about.
. The habitat varies from the large wetlands at the entrance, to dense shore pine forest with walking trails, to the sand dunes and beach on the west side of the park. Expect to find shorebirds out on the beach, including sanderling, dunlin, semipalmated and black-bellied plovers, and least and western sandpipers. This is a good beach for raptors and gulls too.

2 - Weatherwax Nature Preserve - Located in the heart of Ocean Shores, this second-growth marine forest is a good place to look for local forest birds as well as migrating warblers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, raptors, and waterfowl on the east where the forest meets Duck Lake. South on Point Brown Avenue. Left on Ocean Lake Way two miles south of the round-about, then right onto Overlake Street. Entrance is just around the curve in the road.

3 - North Jetty - The North Jetty is located at the south end of Ocean Shores Blvd. and overlooks the entrance to Grays Harbor and the Chehalis River. This is a great place for finding pelagic birds, waterfowl, rock birds, shorebirds, and raptors. Terns, gulls, and kittiwakes can also be seen from the rocks. The rocks of the jetty can be wet and slippery and the waves can be treacherous, so use caution.

4 - Damon Point is at the southeastern tip of Ocean Shores. Take WA-115 south then turn left onto Point Brown Avenue and it will lead straight to the southern tip where you will turn right onto Discovery Avenue. Parking is available along the road. Seventy-one acres of sand spit with shore pines and sourrounded by saltwater. Good for viewing shorebirds and raptors. This is also good for brant, loons, and scoters. Snowy Owls are occasional winter visitors. Keep tides in mind as some high tides can cut off access to this area.

Beach Access off Ocean Shores Boulevard: Damon Road, Chance ala Mer, Pacific Avenue, Ocean Lake Way, and Taurus Avenue

At Ocean Shores also look for brant, loons, scoters, gulls, northern harriers, peregrine falcons, merlin, and bald eagles.

Ocean Shores Birding Site Info

If you travel to Ocean Shores you can make your way down the peninsula using beach accesses until you reach the southern tip (North Jetty) where a diversity of bird species can be seen.

To get to Ocean Shores from Hoquiam, travel west on WA-109 and you will begin your own migration with stopover areas to view a diversity of shorebirds, pelagic birds, waterfowl, and even raptors.

Trail to beach at Ocean Shores

Beach at Ocean Shores

Ocean Shores - North Jetty

Sanderlings prefer the front beach where you can see them running after receding waves in search of food. Photo by Rod Gilbert.

Semi-palmated plovers explore seaweed brought in by the tides. You may also see them shuffle their feet to bring invertebrates to the surface. Photo by Tom Rowley.