Birding at Ocean Shores

We will start the morning at Oyhut Wildlife Area, meeting at the entrance and parking area at Tonquin Ave at 8:00 AM. From the parking area we will walk to the lagoon where we have a chance of encountering roosting shorebirds. September is a great time to look for golden plovers at Oyhut, and a number of other shorebird species are possible, including rare migrants.

Next, we will move down the road to the Pt. Brown Jetty. This is a reliable location to observe rockpipers and other shorebirds, as well as gulls, waterfowl and occasionally even pelagic species can be observed here in September.
We will plan to wrap up birding by noon.

If there is interest among participants to keep birding, an optional stop at Bill’s Spit will also be on the table.

Walking distance is approximately 3-5 miles over the course of the morning, with most distance occurring at the Oyhut Wildlife Area. Moderate pace over soft ground and sand.

Restrooms. There are portable toilets at Pt. Brown Jetty, and several locations with public restrooms in Ocean Shores.

What to bring: Binoculars. Water. Comfortable walking shoes. Fog or rain is always a possibility on the outer coast any time of the year, so bringing extra layers is strongly recommended.

Photo credit: Surfbird with Black Turnstone at Pt. Brown Jetty, by Rachel Holland.