Whittier Johnson – January 26, 2021
Map: Potlatch State Park; eBird: Potlatch State Park
The Hood Canal and surrounding area offer excellent birding. Here is an outline for a surprisingly easy trip to the area where you can scan for sea birds and expect to find a mix of bush birds. There will likely be gulls at every stop. This may be either a challenge or curse depending on your point of view.
Potlatch State Park – A Discovery Pass is needed if you stay beyond the 15 minute free parking limit and you will. I like to start my Hood Canal area trip here. It’s about a 35 minute drive out Highway 101 from Olympia. I’ll back-track from this stop to the next stop at Hunter Farm.
At Potlatch State Park, a scope is valuable. Setting up just above the beach beyond the restrooms, scan the marine waters near and far for ducks, scoters, grebes, brant, scaup, etc. Don’t ignore the nearby trees and forested hillside. There are chickadees, finches, red crossbills, and more here from time to time. I’ve seen flocks of over 100 Western Grebes from this location. Dunlin flocks are often on the beach here when the tide is right. A flock of American Wigeon is often nearby. Try to find a Eurasian Wigeon among them.
Leaving Potlatch State Park I backtrack on Highway 101 to the junction with Highway 106 to Union. Hunter Farm is the first left after you cross over the Skokomish River.
Hunter Farm – Park near the garden. A stop at the market here is a good way to remind them that birders are customers.
The garden is closed for winter. Dead plants and those gone to seed attract an array of sparrows and other birds. Expect to see Song, Golden-crowned and Fox Sparrows. Spotted Towhee and Dark-eyed Juncos should be in the area. Brewers and Red-wing Blackbirds can sometimes be found in the nearby fields. On a quick stop there in January I saw more blackbirds (both Brewers and Red-winged) than I could count. Wander through the cattle gate and down the access road. Unusual finds are possible here. Last season I found a Western Kingbird hanging out and feeding near the pumpkin chunking trebuchet/catapults. Check the Bald Eagle nest in the big cottonwood trees on the river side of the access road. Puddles and wetlands in the pasture will hold a few ducks. I only saw Mallards and a large, loud group of Canada Geese on my last visit. Look for a shorebird hidden in the puddles. I’ve found Least and Spotted Sandpipers from time to time. If you see or hear a Ring-neck Pheasant, don’t be surprised. There are caged pheasants at the mini farm and some escape. This also a pheasant release area.
Skokomish Delta Overlook – On Highway 106 about two miles north from Hunter Farm is a small, unmarked roadside pullout on the water side of the road. Be careful crossing from the northbound lane or stop here on your return from Union (next stop). Scope both the beach and the grassy point formed by the Skokomish River as it enters Hood Canal and the open marine water. Here, one may find many Great Blue Herons hidden among the driftwood and grasses and Northern Pintail, Mallard and American Wigeon in the shallows. Bald Eagles are usually here. Scanning the more distant marine water, look for large groups of Surf Scoters with White-winged Scoters mixed in. There should also be large numbers of Scaup and Brant. Horned Grebes are usually nearby. Common Loons, Bufflehead, Goldeneye, Double-crested Cormorant and Mergansers are usually sprinkled throughout.
Union – Hood Canal Marina – A four-minute drive up Highway 106 from the Skokomish delta brings you to Union and the Hood Canal Marina.
There are visitor parking spots in front of the giant brass propeller blade. As I parked there January 26, I looked out of my windshield to see Horned Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers and six Barrow’s Goldeneyes within forty feet of the front of my car. As I eased out of the vehicle they eased out into deeper water. This is a spot where you scope the canal. In addition to the ubiquitous Buffleheads and Horned Grebes, look for loons. I saw four Common Loons before I got my scope out. This neighborhood is home to Eurasian Colored Doves so don’t ignore shore side activity.
When I finish birding at the marina, I cross over the highway and go uphill past the closed and boarded up Union Country Store. I hope it reopens someday soon. Uphill from the marina are sparrows, doves, LBJ’s, jays and others.
I drive across from the marina up E. McReavy Road one short block turning right onto E. 3th Street to check the neighborhood and vacant lots for birds. Just beyond the fire station on E 4th Street, the homeowners have bird feeders. Stop and take a look. The vacant lot next door may also hold birds. I return down the hill to the highway via E Main Street. A left turn on Highway 106 and you are headed back toward home.
Time constraints often force me to head back to Olympia at this point. If you want to continue out the canal, it is about five minutes to the Alderbrook Resort and eight or ten more minutes to Twanoh State Park.
I take the Purdy Cutoff Road on my way home. It follows a portion of the Skokomish River and Purdy Creek. Sometimes birds there cause me to pull over and take a look. The road ends at Highway 101 directly across from the George Adams Salmon Hatchery. I often manage a quick stop at the Hatchery for a look along the creek for American Dippers. They frequent the area.
This trip is worth considering for mobility-challenged birders. To view the beach at Potlatch, one needs to transverse a grassy field. At Hunter Farm, access is by walking a dirt road with potholes. These might not be problematic for some and, in addition, there are various pullouts (not mentioned) along the highway that offer views of the shoreline and water.
BEFORE YOU GO:
Before heading off for a birding adventure, here are some things to consider –
1. It’s always best to have a partner with you – both to maximize the joy and to minimize the risks. BHAS cannot ensure that these locations are totally safe.
2. Don’t forget to bring your mask and hand sanitizer. Have your mask handy and put it on when passing another person not in your party.
3. Leave valuables at home.
4. Check the weather and the bird reports before heading out. An easy way to check what birds have been seen is through Birder’s Dashboard http://birdingwashington.info/dashboard/. It is a simple way to research a species, place, or checklist.
