- This event has passed.
Birding at the Kennedy Creek Estuary
January 14 @ 12:00 pm-2:00 pm
Birding at the Kennedy Creek Estuary DNR Interpretive Site
Date: Sunday, 14 January 2024
Start/End: From 12:00 until 2:00. This will be a good tide level for shorebirds. Participants can arrive any time during the period. Observations are from a single, generously-sized area.
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, although you can park here and walk the short distance up the road to the trailhead). Discover Pass required.
Description: This rich estuary empties into Oyster Bay at the end of Totten Inlet between Olympia and Shelton. A healthy November chum salmon spawning run in Kennedy Creek provides plenty of nutrients for many animals, including birds. In January, 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. Over several decades, regular monitoring has tallied around 200 bird species at the site.
Trip leader: Anders Price
Photo credit: Shorebirds at Kennedy Creek, by Anders Price.