Birding

From lush rainforests to alpine meadows to the wild and rugged coast, the Olympic Peninsula is home to a thriving segment of the Washington State Birding Trail. You’ll find more than 300 species here, from common backyard varieties to the rare and unexpected. Audubon Washington’s comprehensive guide offers everything you need to locate, discover and explore birding habitats across the Olympic Peninsula.

Keep your eyes peeled for marbled murrelets, brants, falcons, Steller’s jays, dippers, thrushes, wigeons and too many more to mention. Viewing areas abound. Some of the hot spots are Cape Flattery, Neah Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway, the Port Angeles waterfront, Ediz Hook, Hurricane Ridge, Marrowstone Island and the Dungeness Spit. The Dungeness River Nature Center in Sequim is an ideal destination for avid bird seekers and novices alike.

With a majestic and varied landscape as a background for birding endeavors, Hood Canal is a gorgeous place to come search for life-list birds. From wetlands to saltwater shores to a 20-acre freshwater beaver pond, means that there is always great viewing.

Birding is a year-round activity on the Olympic Peninsula, and there’s never a shortage of action. The big party happens in April when birders far and wide show up for the annual Olympic Peninsula BirdFest, ideally timed to overlap wintering birds with the beginning of spring migration. Field trips, presentations and a workshop highlight the weekend festivities.