Local bird watchers describe the best places for birds in the South Puget Sound area. Select from the list below to get more information.

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Black Lake Meadows | Capitol Lake | Grass Lake | McLane Creek
Mud Bay | Nisqually NWR | Olympia Waterfront
Priest Point Park | Watershed Park

Pictures

by Bob Morse, Bill Shelmerdine, and Cedar Wells  

To protect stream habitat and manage stormwater, the City of Olympia has created a series of ponds along Mottman Road that hold water runoff before emptying into the Black Lake Ditch and eventually Percival Creek and Capitol Lake. The city has landscaped the areas around the wetland and as it matures it is beginning to provide good bird habitat. Over 100 species of birds have been observed in this area. Since this is a stormwater detention facility, some or all of these ponds may be dry in the summer. The surrounding woods offer good birding year-round.

This site excels as a spring birding site. The site is particularly notable for waterbirds (including Virginia Rail and all three Teal), shorebirds, and concentrations of swallows (with a few swifts thrown in). This aspect is really a spring show. The ponds are generally dry by late July and August. However, in 1997 (a wet summer) the mud in the southern pond was wet and some shallow water was present during fall migration. This attracted a fall Solitary Sandpiper and a Bank Swallow among many swallows and several other shorebird species. The southern pond has been the best for swallows, shorebirds, and waterfowl.

Northern Ponds
To reach the northern ponds, take the Black Lake exit from Highway 101 and go west on Black Lake Boulevard. Turn left after the ShopFast grocery store onto Mottman Road and park by the chain link fence. Walk around the fence and scan the pond for ducks and shorebirds.

Southern Ponds
To reach the southern ponds, continue west 1/4 mile on Mottman Road and park by a gray gate on the right (just before the railroad tracks). Go around the gate to gain access to the rest of the ponds and wetlands.

Check for the Solitary Sandpiper in early May. This is one of the most reliable places to see this bird, with 1 to 3 here each spring between the last week of April and the second week of May (particularly long during migration in 1998). The southern pond, especially the northwest end, has been the best, although during 1998 this bird was also seen on the northern ponds. Sometimes diligent searching and patience are required.

Other shorebirds reported in the southern ponds include Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western and Least Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, and Common Snipe. There has also been evidence of nesting by Spotted Sandpipers, and Killdeer breed at the site every year.

In the woods and nearby fields are Bewick's Wren, Steller's Jay, Song and Fox Sparrows, chickadees, kinglets, Winter Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, and Spotted Towhee. The ash grove along the ditch near the entrance to the southern ponds is particularly good for passerines in spring migration.

During April and May there can be many birds birds here, particularly a good variety of warblers, but also tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers, and vireos. Bullocks Oriole and Dusky Flycatchers, Goldfinches, and nuthatches are common in early spring.

Tree and Violet-green Swallows inhabit the nest boxes. California Quail sometimes call from the nearby fields. House Finch nest in the blackberry thickets along the dike that parallels the drainage ditch.

You can follow the gravel path to the south end of the wetland, cross over to the dike, then follow the dike back to the point of origin thereby making a loop of the area.

Watch for Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Red-tailed Hawk, Bushtit, White and Golden-crowned sparrows, Wood Duck, Spotted Sandpiper, Willow Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, and Swainson's Thrush.

In the winter, the ponds can host a variety of ducks including Mallard, Pintail, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, and Bufflehead.

Salmon spawn in Black Lake Ditch during fall. This site is also good for dragonflies, with a reported siting of the Pacific Clubtail, Gomphus Kurilis, only the second State record, and the most sought species in Washington.

Pictures

by Tammy Pelletier  

Capitol Lake is changing. Earth movers are reshaping the shore, forming the first phase of Heritage Park — the Arc of Statehood. When the arc phase is done, new wetlands will be in place and a large green space will welcome lake visitors. In the meantime, wildlife watchers can still enjoy sights from several parks along the shore.

Natural History
In the 1950's, Capitol Lake was created by damming and dredging the Deschutes River estuary. The future of the lake is being discussed. Some want to let the lake go back to a natural estuary. Others want to keep the lake as a reflecting pond for the capitol dome. Read more about the Capitol Lake controversy at the Blacks Hills Audubon website.

Directions
From I-5, take exit 105 and follow signs to the Port of Olympia. Follow Plum Street. Take a left on Fifth street. Continue on Fifth to the north end of Capitol Lake. From south of Olympia, take I-5 to Exit 104 and turn onto Deschutes Parkway. Continue on Deschutes Parkway under I-5 to the south end of Capitol Lake. Follow Deschutes Parkway as it bends and passes a bridge and a restaurant. Look for signs to Tumwater Falls Park.

Bird Watching Notes
Tumwater Falls Park, on the Deschutes River near the brewery, is a fun place to observe birds. Take the trail on the west side of the upper falls (below the restaurant) and look for the American Dipper bobbing along the rocks. Watch a Common Merganser dive near Deschutes Falls and ride the currents down to Capitol Lake. Listen for the chattering of a Belted Kingfisher as it plummets to the water to catch a fish. Check trees and shrubs along the river for warblers and a range of migrant passerine.

Tumwater Historical Park, at the south end of the lake, provides an excellent view of the old brewery building, where first year Thayer's gulls can be seen in the winter. Geese and ducks also meander in the lake's south basin. Red-winged Blackbirds call from the cattails.

Further north, along Deschutes Parkway, Capitol Lake Interpretive Center has a floating dock for scanning the lake with binoculars. In the early spring and fall, Bonaparte's Gulls fly low over the lake, feeding before sunset. In fall and winter, waterbirds congregate nearby. Look for American Wigeon, Coot, and Bufflehead. The ponds often contain a variety of dabbling ducks including Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, and Gadwall.

From Marathon Park, just north beyond the railroad tracks, bird watchers can see Capitol Lake's middle basin, north basin, and Percival Cove. Dozens of cormorants sometimes swim in synchrony in Percival Cove. Look for other nearby birds including Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Belted Kingfishers, and Wood Ducks. Where Percival Creek enters Percival Cove, a Great Blue Heron and a Black-crowned Night Heron may be spotted. Near the lake, look up. A Bald Eagle or an Osprey may be overhead carrying fish. In the fall and winter, both lake basins are often dotted with Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Loons, and American Coots.

Pictures

by Jim Lynch  

Grass Lake Refuge was acquired by the City of Olympia in 1989 after a heated battle between what is now Friends of Grass Lake and land developers who had already begun to plow their tractors into the area before receiving permission. Through persistance by Friends of Grass Lake, the refuge was acquired for 1.8 million dollars and is now approximately 165 acres of wetlands, coniferous forest, meadows as well as dozens of other microhabitats--both native and non-native. The area is home to over 200 species of plants and 98 species of birds. It is a seasonal wetland which fills up in fall and winter, and almost completely empties during summer. The excess water from the three main bodies of water (Grass Lake East, Grass Lake West and Lake Louise) drain out into the Kaiser wetland and into Green Cove Creek which eventually empties into Puget Sound.

Natural History
Grass Lake Refuge contains a large diversity of plant species, some of which cannot be found in another single area in Thurston Co. Species such as Oregon White Oak, Oregon White Ash, Pacific Ninebark, Rattlesnake Plantain, Pacific Willow, Black Cottonwood, 4 types of Sedges (Carex), Western Trillium, and Fairy Slippers can be found in different areas of the refuge due to the wide variety of habitats. The large number of plant species offer diverse food sources for the birds.

Directions
Grass Lake can be reached by taking Mud Bay Rd and turning north onto Kaiser Road. The refuge is directly off Kaiser and is designated only by a gated entrance with a "No unauthorized vehicles" sign and a sign asking to keep all pets on a leash. No bikes, motorbikes vehicles or unleashed pet are allowed in the refuge.

Bird Watching Notes
Grass Lake Refuge plays a key role for migrating birds, both for those that only stop for a few hours, as well as those who spend a couple of weeks there before moving on to other areas. Due to the level of water dropping off significantly in summer and early fall, shorebirds and waterfowl can be found on Lake Louise, which is the main lake directly off the Kaiser Entrance. Species such as Common Snipe, Hooded Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Green-winged Teal, and Greater Yellowlegs are commonly seen before the lake fills up in mid to late fall. In the forest, many Spotted Towhees, Winter Wrens, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Kinglet sp., and the occasional Bewick's Wrens can be found. As the water level increases, numbers of wintering birds move into the lake and the shorebirds, no longer able to feed on the muddy lake bed, begin to leave. Pied-billed Grebes, Bufflehead, and American Coots are among the few to move into the lake first as well as Purple and House Finches in the brambles along the path to the lake.

Grass Lake Refuge is an excellent Neotropical birding site, hosting Black-throated Greys, Wilson's Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Orange-crowned Warblers, Solitary Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, Barn Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows, Western Tanangers and Black-headed Grossbeaks.

Pictures

by Bob Morse  

The McLane Creek Nature Trail consists of a series of beaver ponds with trails through surrounding coniferous forest, deciduous woods, open areas, marshes, and swamps.

Directions
To reach McLane Creek, take the Evergreen State College exit from northbound Highway 101. Then take the Mud Bay exit. Go left at the stop sign and left again onto Delphi Road. At 3.4 miles, turn right at the DNR McLane Creek Nature Trail sign.

Bird Watching Notes
In the mixed coniferous and deciduous woodlands near the ponds you may see Common Flicker, Ruffed Grouse, Band-tailed Pigeon, Bewick's and Winter Wrens; Downy, Hairy, and Pileated Woodpeckers; Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-sided and Black-capped Chickadees, Western Tanager, Dark-eyed Junco, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Swainson's Thrush, Steller's Jay, Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Vamed Thrush (winter), Red-breasted Sapsucker; Yellow, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, and Wilson's Warblers; Bushtit, Solitary Vireo, Grays Jays (winter), Spotted Towhee, and Rufous Hummingbird.

The fresh water pond habitat, including vegetation, provide homes for Wood Ducks, Pied-billed Grebe, Common and Hooded Merganser, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Canada Goose, Mallard, Belted Kingfisher; Violet-green, Tree, Rough-winged, and Barn Swallows.

Red-winged Blackbird, Great Blue Heron, and an occasional Spotted Sandpiper appear in the marsh.

Rest rooms are available in the parking area.

Pictures

by Bob Morse  

Mud Bay
Take the Second Avenue Southwest exit from Highway 101. Take the Mud Bay Road and park on either end of the long concrete bridge spanning Mud Bay.

Check the Mud Bay water and mud flats for Glaucous-winged, Mew, Western, California, Bonaparte's, Ring-billed, and Herring Gulls (winter). Scan the mud flats for Great Blue Heron, Dunlin, yellowlegs, and the shorebirds. Common birds include Mallard, goldeneye, mergansers, both scaup, and Dunlin (in winter). Check nearby for Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, and nesting swallows.

Check the small pond across from the Blue Heron Bakery for Hooded Merganser, Canada Geese, and Bufflehead.

Perry Creek
In the winter (December-January), check nearby Perry Creek for gulls as they feed on dead salmon. To reach Perry Creek, cross over Highway 101 and continue on Second Avenue SW. Go right on Old 410 Highway. Just after the bridge go left on Perry Creek Road and park here. The common gull is Glaucous-winged gull, but check for Ring-billed, Herring, Western, and Glaucous (rare in winter).

Pictures

by Bob Morse and Woody Franzen  

Over 175 species of birds have been recorded at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, so it is a favorite spot for birders traveling the I-5 corridor. Check the log at the headquarters office for the latest sightings (or read it online at the Peepers web site).

Nisqually NWR has a variety of habitats. Up to 20,000 ducks and 300 geese find food, water, and shelter in the grasslands, mudflats, and freshwater ponds during spring and migration (part of the refuge is closed during hunting season).

Salt marshes serve as resting and feeding habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. Brant feed on beds of eelgrass. Deciduous woodlands host numerous songbirds and raptors. Grasslands attract Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl, Northern Harrier, and feeding Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, American Wigeon, and the occasional Eurasion Widgeon.

Directions
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is on the southern end of Puget Sound between Olympia and Fort Lewis. Take Exit 114 from I-5 and follow the signs to the refuge. The refuge is open daily during daylight hours. The daily entrance fee is $3.

Bird Watching Notes
Birding the Brown Farm Dike Trail can be especially rewarding. Check the Nisqually River for Red-breasted Merganser and Barrow's Goldeneye, and nearby riparian and brush habitats for Bushtit, Winter Wren, Spotted Towhee, sparrows, and finches. Listen for Marsh Wren in the cattails and search for migrating warblers in the alders. The observation tower offers good views of the mudflats. A Black-headed Gull was seen from here on January 17, 1993.

Scope the mudflats and saltwater for ducks, geese, Bald Eagle, shorebirds, and gulls. Red-throated Loon are sometimes in the McAllister Creek river mouth. The McAllister Creek mudflats can be a good place for Greater Yellowlegs. In the fall, watch for Greater White-fronted Geese, Sharp-shinned and Cooper Hawks, and maybe a Sandhill Crane. Lincoln's Sparrow mix with migrating and wintering sparrow flocks. Freshwater ponds hold Sora (rare), American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, and Virginia Rail.

Great-horned Owl can often be seen in the cottonwood trees on the one-mile Twin Barns Loop Trail between the Twin Barns and the intersection with the Brown Farm Dike Trail.

Barn Owl nest in the attic of the north barn and can be spotted going in and out of the west end of the barn after sunset.

Nisqually Reach Nature Center
While you are in the neighborhood, you may want to stop by at the Nisqually Reach Nature Center, located off the refuge at nearby Luhr Beach (near the upper left corner of the refuge trail map). Birding at the Center can be great with the right tide, weather, and season. Spring, fall, and winter are all good for observing birds, with winter providing the greatest number of species. During winter, Brant, Bald Eagles, and Great Bluen Heron are always present along with abundant waterfowl and often, Peregrine Falcon. In deeper water to the north, Oldsquaw, Rhinoceros Auklets, murrelets, and Common Murre may be sighted. Often interesting gulls and terns put in their appearance. Spring and fall shorebird migration offer another dimension of birding. Bring a canoe or kayak and have a much closer viewing opportunity. If you are really lucky in the spring, you see White Pelicans.

A spotting scope is a birding essential at the Center. If you plan your trip there on Saturday or Sunday between 12:00 and 4:00 pm, you'll be able to observe birds from inside, out of the wind and rain. A covered pier provides shelter and excellent viewing. If you have any questions about the Nisqually Reach Nature Center, call 459-0387 and leave a message.

NOTE: Some of the trails at the Nisqually NWR may be closed through spring 1999 due to the flood restoration project. For information on closures, call the toll-free construction hotline at 1-877-606-4400. For further information, write Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98576 or call (360) 753-9467.

Pictures

by Scott Richardson  

The Olympia waterfront offers enjoyable, comfortable birding. It's especially good from October to April, when Budd Inlet fills with wintering waterbirds. Important stops can be checked quickly by making a quick detour on all-day road trips. Locals or out-of-towners with three hours to spare can cover the area thoroughly on a low-impact, relaxing walk with almost no vehicular interaction.

Directions
From I-5, take exit 105 and follow signs to the Port of Olympia. Follow Plum Street, which changes to East Bay Drive as it crosses State Avenue. One block past State, turn left onto Marine Drive, which skirts the edge of East Bay. Park on roadside gravel and check the south end of the bay, where Moxlie and Indian creeks enter through a 6-foot outfall pipe.

Bird Watching Notes
Remnant pilings often hold Double-crested or Pelagic cormorants, Ring-billed, Mew, Glaucous-winged, and hybrid gulls, or a kingfisher. A Willet was seen here regularly for two winters and a Snowy Egret perched on the pipe during its May 1996 visit. In summer, the piling-mounted nest boxes hold several Purple Martin pairs. The interpretive sign at East Bay Park features Barrow's Goldeneyes.

The shallow waters at the head of the bay frequently hold Horned Grebe, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, and goldeneyes (both Barrow's and Common). Greater Yellowlegs often use the shoreline. Dunlin appear in winter and other peeps during migration.

Walk or drive the straight shoreline for another viewpoint. An excellent vantage is unavailable in the construction zone (through spring 1999).

Continue to public parking at the north end of Swantown Marina, where rest rooms are available. A public dock offers the first good look north toward the broadening Budd Inlet, but the expanse can be seen better from the KGY radio station. Explore the marina for grebes, ducks, or an occasional Rhinoceros Auklet.

The radio tower at the tip of the "Port Peninsula" is the next stop. Spend some time here scanning with a scope (window-mounted works well). Almost any "typical" waterbird is possible here. Yellow-billed Loon, Eared Grebe, and Oldsquaw are infrequent treats. Bonaparte's Gull and Caspian Tern are regular seasonally and shorebirds use the mud flats. Walk toward the entrance of Genoa's and follow the path on the left down to a guest/public moorage that allows a westerly view.

The log yard and container storage zone are off limits, so reverse direction and head to the Farmer's Market. (Walkers can follow the line of trees beside the log yard to get away from cars and make a brief sparrow search.) The Farmer's Market is a great food stop, open 10-3, Thursday to Sunday, April to December. [Read the bricks next to the market's logo slab for a secret message.] Follow the broad, red walkway west to the Port's guest moorage for the best look at lower West Bay. Scan for grebes, sea ducks, and surprises.

Walkers should continue south along Percival Landing, a pleasant walk with few birds (although martins nest). Weave over to West Bay by walking the plank beside the Oyster House.

Drivers should follow Capitol Way south and turn right on one-way State Avenue. Stop at Bayview Thriftway or KFC (it takes a while to turn around after crossing the bridge). Brief parking at either establishment is okay, but long-term parking is discouraged unless you're buying. Both have dining areas, however, that overlook the water.

Walk across the bridge for a look into West Bay Lagoon, which can hold good numbers of Greater Scaup, Barrow's Goldeneye, and Great Blue Heron. Band-tailed Pigeons and kingfishers use the big-leaf maples along the shoreline, shorebirds roost on the cobbles, and Green Herons occasionally patrol the channels.

The dam at Fifth Avenue attracts salmon watchers and seal watchers, and it's a good place to see Pelagic Cormorants, Barrow's Goldeneyes, Great Blue Herons, Bonaparte's Gulls, and Belted Kingfishers, too. Walk to the dam operations building for a good look at freshwater Capitol Lake, which is beyond the scope of this guide.

Drivers can head back east on 4th or 5th till I-5 signs appear, or take East Bay Drive a little further north to Priest Point Park. Walkers can retrace their footsteps or take Fourth or State avenues for a direct route back to East Bay.

Pictures

by Bob Morse  

Priest Point Park is a City of Olympia park with a mixture of mature coniferous and deciduous woods and lush understory. There is access to a rocky beach, mudflats, a number of picnic areas, and restrooms. Some of the best birding is on the west side of the park.

Directions
To reach Priest Point Park, take exit 105B from I-5. Follow Plum Street north. Continue past 4th Avenue. Plum Street becomes East Bay Drive NE as it follows along the eastern shoreline of East Bay in Budd Inlet. After about 2 miles you will reach Priest Point Park on East Bay Drive.

While you are on your way to Priest Point Park, you might want to stop and check out the Purple Martin colony in East Bay.

Bird Watching Notes
Typical birds include Northern Flicker, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers (Pileated are best seen early in the morning working the stumps below and around kitchen 3). Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted nuthatch, and both kinglets can be found in these woods. Brown Creeper have nested in the maple east of kitchen 3 in the park island.

Osprey nest in the tall snag north of Ellis Cove. The mudflats and rocky beach host Greater Yellowlegs, Western and Least Sandpipers, and Dunlin (especially in winter). Cormorants, Mallard, Glaucous-winged Gull, Great Blue Heron, and Kingfisher are often nearby. Watch out for passing Bald Eagle and Pigeon Guillemot. Band-tailed Pigeon frequent the trees to the south of the cove.

The Ellis Cove trail and other park trails provide plenty of opportunity to get away from noisy traffic and picnickers and listen for birds.

Pictures

by Larry Goldstein  

Watershed Park is a 117-acre refuge located close to the city center and the State Capital. The watershed has been an important part of Olympia's history, having served as the city's main source of fresh water from 1909 to 1947. In 1955 the city passed an ordinance to protect the area from further development. The 1.5 mile trail that winds through the park was officially built in 1977. The trail has recently been upgraded with improved drainage, new bridges and benches. The area is maintained by the City of Olympia and the City of Olympia Stream Team. Directions From south of Olympia take Interstate 5 to Exit 105 and bear left to a T-intersection at Henderson Boulevard. Go left 0.1 mile to the small parking lot clearly marked with a sign, "City of Olympia Watershed Park, G. Eldon Marshall Trail." From north of Olympia take Exit 105B and bear to the left to the first light. Go left 0.8 mile along Henderson Boulevard to the parking lot on the left. Natural History Moxlie Creek, the main waterbody in the park, is maintained by ground water (springs) and surface water runoff. Chinook Salmon are found in the creek from May through September. Coho and Cutthroat trout also live in the creek. The habitat is characterized by big leaf maple, Douglas fir, red alder and incense cedar. The understory includes huckleberry, Oregon grape, licorice and sword ferns, salmon berry and devil's club. Bird Watching Notes Watershed Park provides a diverse habitat for many birds including Wood Duck, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Screech-Owl, and Western Wood-Pewee. Nesting highlights include Great Horned Owl and Pileated Woodpecker. Osprey and Bald Eagle may occasionally be seen in the trees. More common birds associated with the mixed coniferous and deciduous woodlands include: Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's jay, Chestnut-backed and Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter and Bewick's Wren, Brown Creeper, Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Pine Siskin, and sparrows. Birding is best in early spring through fall.