August Birding at Ocean Shores

Trip leader: Timothy Leque

Registration: Email Tim Leque to register at timleque@nullhotmail.com

Description: We will start the morning at Oyhut Wildlife Area, meeting at the entrance and parking area at Tonquin Ave. at 8:00 AM. A Discover Pass is required to park at Oyhut. From the parking area we will walk to the lagoon where we have a chance of encountering roosting shorebirds. August 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 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 August. We 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 = Approximately 3-5 miles over the course of the morning, with most distance occurring at Oyhut Wildlife Area. Pace = 2, Terrain = B.

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. The weather in Ocean Shores is typically warm and pleasant in August, but fog or rain is always a possibility on the outer coast at any time of the year, so bringing extra layers is strongly recommended.

Directions: The meeting location is at the south end of Tonquin Ave. SW, near the southern tip of the Ocean Shores Peninsula. The starting point is 1 hour, 40 minutes from Olympia. Carpooling is encouraged.

Parking: A Discover Pass is required at the meeting place at Oyhut Wildlife Area. There is a large pull-out at the Ocean Shores STP. Pt. Brown Jetty has free public parking.

Photo credit: Pacific Golden-Plover at Oyhut, by Rachel Hudson