Washington's Olympic Peninsula: August 4 to 12, 2010
Photos by leader Mark Garland
To download a copy of the trip species list in pdf format, click here.
August 4: Our trip was due to begin at 4 pm, but we were able to start earlier thanks to everyone’s travel schedules. Don’s van got the earliest start, with time enough to visit a few areas on Whidbey Island before rendezvousing with Mark’s van at the Harbour Inn, in Freeland. Everyone enjoyed great views of Pigeon Guillemots on the short ferry crossing to Whidbey Island. As we got acquainted and went through an orientation we were distracted by wildlife right in the yard of the motel. Bushtits, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Eastern Cottontails, an introduced mammal here, were among the sightings.
August 5: We birded around the motel informally in the early morning hours, finding Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Red-shafted Flicker, and while a Bewick’s Wren chattered noisily, it gave us just quick glimpses as it dashed from bush to bush. We next traveled up to Keystone, where we enjoyed great looks at Marbled Murrelet, Pelagic Cormorant, and other species while waiting for the ferry to Port Townsend. Our half-hour ferry ride provided more views of these species along with an astounding number of Rhinoceros Auklets – the total number probably approached 1000 birds. At Port Townsend, northeastern corner of the Olympic Peninsula, we visited Port Townsend for more coastal birding – Heermann’s Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were conspicuous, and an Eared Grebe was a surprise – along with a few land birds and an extremely cute young harbor seal. After a lunch break in historic downtown Port Townsend we traveled west, stopping at the John Wayne Marina near Sequim. Here a breeding-plumaged Pacific Loon performed admirably for us and Mew Gulls were among a lounging gull flock that harbored 5 different species. We arrived in Port Angeles late in the afternoon and settled into our harbor-view rooms at the Port Angeles Inn.
August 6: We awoke to dense clouds, but undaunted we started early for the drive to Hurricane Ridge, located above 5,000 feet in the mountains of Olympic National Park. We crossed through the top of the cloud and into bright sunlight at about 1000 feet of elevation and stopped for photos of the mountains with the clouds hugging valleys below. We enjoyed flowers in addition to the views, then Woody called out with excitement: he had found a Sooty Grouse, a bird noted as “most wanted” by some in the group. We all enjoyed great views, and many photos were taken of this cooperative bird. Band-tailed Pigeons and an American Kestrel gliding past in the background. Further up the road we enjoyed great views of a Black Bear sow. Some of heard an odd bleating noise – turns out it was the cub, and we watched as the two bears reunited, jogged down the road a short distance, and then disappeared into the subalpine forest. Even with these stops en route, we arrived at Hurricane Ridge ahead of the crowds, and after a stroll through the meadows here we continued to the end of the road and the Hurricane Hill Trail. We chose different speeds along this trail, but none of us moved too quickly, as the wildflowers and the mountain scenery led to many photo stops. The afternoon wrapped up with an optional visit to the Ediz Hook, a great, arcing spit that defines the Port Angeles harbor. Here we enjoyed views of many Harbor Seals and a handful of water birds, including many Heermann’s Gulls.
August 7: Heavy clouds and light rain most of the day; perfect weather for our first look at the Olympic Peninsula’s legendary rain forests! But first came an optional pre-breakfast visit to the Dungeness River Audubon Center, a great songbird spot where we enjoyed views of Spotted Towhee, Western Wood-Pewee, Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and others. We spent the morning strolling along the Marymere Falls trail, which begins on the shores of Lake Crescent. The number of huge trees seemed uncountable – Douglas fir, grand fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and others from 6 to 10 feet in diameter created a living cathedral. At trail’s end, some chose to climb the steps up to the waterfall viewpoint while others enjoyed the antics of an American Dipper in the stream. After lunch at the historic Lake Crescent Lodge we visited the mouth of the Elwha River. Highlights here included gulls, shorebirds, alcids, and two charismatic amphibians, Pacific red-legged frog and rough-skinned newt.
August 8: We visited the Sol Duc Valley of Olympic National Park (after a long roadside stop to enjoy perfect views of Band-tailed Pigeons) to marvel at more massive trees and the clear, sparkling waters of the Sol Duc River. Next we traveled to the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, enjoying lunch at Sekiu (pronounced, “C Q”), where Bald Eagles frolicked above the shore. Our primary stop for the day was Cape Flattery, the very northwestern corner of the continental US. The view of the sea here is spectacular, and we lingered for quite a while, enjoying the views and the wildlife show. Sightings included sea otter, Tufted Puffin, Brandt’s Cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, and Peregrine Falcon – at point blank range for a lucky few members of the group. We thought our birding was finished for the day, but along the waterfront in the town of Neah Bay we found a huge flock of shorebirds, dominated by Western Sandpipers. As we sorted through the shorebirds, Bald Eagles started to come out of the trees all around us – at least 12 individual eagles converged onto the beach, finding various scraps on the low tide flats.
August 9: The day began with a visit to Rialto Beach and La Push, two areas on opposite sides of the mouth of the Quileute River. Here we found a host of water birds, including Black Brant, Common Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Mew Gull, and Common Murre. After lunch in Forks, the town now famous from the Twilight series of books and movies (you can get vampire-themed meals at many restaurants here!), we headed into the Hoh Rain Forest section of Olympic National Park. We again marveled at the gigantic trees and we discussed the ecological complexity of this luxuriant, old-growth forest. These are tough habitats for birding, yet we found Willow Flycatcher, Gray Jay, Pacific Wren (recently split from Winter Wren), and Wood Duck, among others.
August 10: This morning we visited the Queets Rain Forest, finding tracks and even the musky fragrance of elk but never able to glimpse one of these big herbivores. We did enjoy a great roadside view of Ruffed Grouse. Next came a visit to the Lake Quinault Lodge, where the highlights included tasty lunches and active bird feeders, with Black-headed Grosbeaks and Steller’s Jays putting on especially great views. We paid homage to the world’s largest Sitka Spruce tree and then headed south to Ocean Shores, the southwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula. After checking in to the surprisingly luxurious Grey Gull, we visited the very tip of land at the mouth of Grays Harbor. Here we marveled at a seemingly endless string of Sooty Shearwaters gliding past the coast, Gray Whales spouting near to shore, and a cooperative Wandering Tattler sitting on the rock jetty. At day’s end we could even watch the sun set over the Pacific from our balconies.
August 11: The day dawned foggy and damp, but that didn’t deter us from continuing our search for water birds. We saw plenty this morning, including King Eider, Red-necked Phalarope, Hudsonian Godwit, and Western Gull. A cooperative pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves demonstrated that this recent arrival to the US has now spread all the way across the country from its initial arrival region, southern Florida. We checked the waterfront a bit more after lunch, enjoying one more fabulous view of Wandering Tattler, before beginning the journey back to Seattle. Just a short drive to the east took us out of the coastal fog and into a sunny, warm day. Magnificent Mount Rainier showed itself to us at the midpoint of the drive. Back in Seattle we gathered for a round of farewells, as everyone was heading home the next morning.
--- Mark Garland and Don Freiday
Photos by Mark S. Garland unless otherwise noted.
Photos in text include Black Bear sow and cub,
Don Freiday on Marymere Falls Trail, and White
bog rein orchid.