Birding at Kennedy Creek
December 14 @ 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Birding at the Kennedy Creek Estuary DNR Interpretive Site
Date: Saturday, December 14th.
Start/End: From 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This will be a good tide level for shorebirds. Participants can arrive any time during the period. Observations are from a single, generously sized location at the end of a 100-yard path.
Location: Kennedy Creek Estuary DNR interpretive site, 1350 SE Old Olympic Highway, Shelton, WA 98584. From Olympia, follow Highway 101 towards Shelton and turn right at the second yellow sign for Old Olympic Highway. From Shelton, follow 101 towards Olympia. About 1.5 miles past the Little Creek Casino, turn left at Old Olympic Highway. Either way, the trailhead is located a short distance up the road on the shoulder on the water side (not at the lot just off the highway, except for overflow). Discover Pass required.
Description: Each November tens of thousands of salmon return to a two-mile stretch of Kennedy Creek to spawn. The nutrients released after they spawn and die nourish the stream, the surrounding forest, and this gem of an estuary. In December, numerous Bald Eagles fight over salmon bits, and the shorebird flocks of Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover are sometimes strafed by a Peregrine. It’s also a good location to study gulls and a variety of dabbling and diving ducks, and an occasional mixed flock of songbirds can add to the fun.
Trip leader: Anders Price.