Port Angeles and the Strait of Juan de Fuca/Sam Merrill and Bob Wadsworth

This is an overnight trip leaving Olympia Saturday, March 19 and returning Sunday, March 20, with Saturday night in Port Angeles. The focus is on seabirds at several locations on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The trip is especially suitable for beginning and intermediate birders, but is open to birders of all skill levels who would enjoy seeing birds, beaches, and the rocky shores of the Olympic Peninsula in the early spring in the company of others. Our current plans are to make an initial stop on Hood Canal near Brinnon, then head for the John Wayne Marina on Sequim Bay, the Three Crabs area, the Dungeness NWR on Dungeness Spit, and then on to Port Angeles for dinner together and to stay overnight. Sunday morning we plan to bird from Ediz Hook next to Port Angeles, followed by Salt Creek County Park (about 15 miles west of Port Angeles), where we will look for Harlequin Ducks, Black Turnstones, and Black Oystercatchers among the waves crashing onto rocky headlands. If time permits and there is interest, we can inspect the location of the dismantled Upper Elwha Dam in the beautiful Elwha Valley before returning to Olympia by 5 p.m. or before. There will be short walks up to half a mile or a mile during the trip.

Please register by March 1. E-mail Bob Wadsworth at rwadsrk@nullgmail.com or call 360-352-7299 to register. There is a limit of 12 people for this trip. Carpooling may be arranged. We will meet at the Mud Bay Park & Ride at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 19. Bring binoculars, a scope to share if you have one, and warm clothes as shore locations can be windy. Bring any other supplies or accessories you need to be comfortable.

Please make your own lodging plans in Port Angeles. There are many hotels and B & Bs. See TripAdvisor.com or your preferred travel website for details. Recommended budget-friendly accommodations are: Port Angeles Inn, Royal Victorian Inn, Super 8; higher-end lodgings include The Red Lion and Olympia Lodge.