Weather in this region tends to be milder than winter in much of the rest of the continental United States. As it is much warmer, winter brings many of the Arctic-breeding birds to the shores, bays and beaches of Oregon and Washington.
You fly in and out of Portland’s convenient airport.
With five excellent days of bird watching in the field, we should see twenty-five waterfowl species (including a number of Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, Brant and perhaps Emperor Goose), a number of fantastic alcids (Rhinoceros Auklet, Ancient Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet and more). We will likely find as many as a dozen gull species (including Bonaparte’s Gull, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake). A number of shorebirds (Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird and many others) can be found here fairly reliably and are very difficult in other parts of the United States. A number of other west coast or northwestern specialties include Red-breasted Sapsucker, Varied Thrush, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Wrentit and Hutton’s Vireo. Many of these species are unknown, difficult to find, or just rare east outside of California, Oregon and Washington. We also have plans to find Snowy Owl, but this can be difficult and require some luck.
Harry Fuller (bird guide) has decades of experience birding the steep mountains and open oceans of the Pacific Slope. More on Harry on the Nestling Tours website at http://www.nestlingtours.com/AboutUs-Bios-1.html.
January 2010 Trip Description:
Flight and Local Travel:
Most participants will travel to Portland and arrive at the airport prior to 10 AM on Friday, January 22.
Some participants may choose to fly in the day before and spend an extra night (at an additional cost) close to the airport.
Others may meet the group at or near the airport at around 10 AM on January 22.
Everyone should try for a flight home after 3 PM to allow for early morning birding travel to Portland on January 27 before heading for Portland airport and arriving at about 1:30 PM.
Please contact us before booking your flight so that you understand the group’s plans well. Booking flights outside these timeframes can result in additional lodging and transport costs.
January 22, Friday (Day 1): We pick up birders at Portland Airport and go straight to Sauvie’s Island: Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Cackling Goose, Glaucous-winged, Thayer’s, Mew and Western Gulls, Possible Glaucous Gull, possible Rough-legged Hawks and Short-eared Owls. Several species of grebe (including Red-necked) plus three loons species (Common, Pacific, Red-throated) possible on the Columbia River. Spend that first night in Astoria, about 80 miles west from Sauvie’s Island.
January 23, Saturday (Day 2): Astoria: Here, Lewis & Clark spent their winter in Oregon in 1804-5. They were the first American explorers to discover numerous western species including, Western Tanager, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Lewis’s Woodpecker and Clark’s Nutcracker. Just over thirty years later John Townsend and Thomas Nuttall came here, crossing the Great Plains on foot with fur traders. They added numerous new species to the list of known birds in North America, including Townsend’s and Macgillivray’s Warbler, Yellow-billed- Magpie, Tricolored Blackbird, Black Oystercatcher, Townsend’s Solitaire, Chestnut- collard Longspur.
West of Astoria is the mouth of the Columbia River, on the south (Oregon side) is Clatsop Spit. In the winter there are a dozen possible gull species including Slaty-backed from Asia. Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs are regular in small numbers. Pacific Loons outnumber the other species here. All three Pacific cormorant species (including Brandt’s, Pelagic and Double-creasted) occur along with Brown Pelicans, Northern Fulmars, all the northern grebes, jaegers and various near-shore alcids like Cassin’s Auklet. There’ll be thousands of Sanderlings and a mixture of other shorebirds including Greater Yellowlegs and Black-bellied Plover.
Along the coast south of Clatsop Point, we will look for along the rocky shoreline for all three scoters, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Wanderling Tattler. Other wintering birds we could see: Trumpeter Swans, Emperor Goose, Brant, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Murre, Glaucous Gull, and Northern Shrike.
We will spend a second night in Astoria to set up for an early departure northward the next morning.
January 24, Sunday (Day 3): We then head north into Washington toward the Olympic Peninsula and then Skagit Delta. On I-5 near Olympia is Nisqually Refuge. It is about 160 miles from Astoria. Here we should add Rhino Auklet, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Varied Thrush, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow and any freshwater ducks we’ve missed. Several western gull species are also common here.
January 25, Monday (Day 4): From there we head north to Olympic Peninsula. Along Olympic Peninsula we should add Harlequin for sure, Long-tailed Duck, possibly Snowy Owl and Yellow-billed Loon and even Gyrfalcon which does show up around Skagit, any scoters we’ve missed. Huge flocks of Trumpeter Swans. Alcids possible include Ancient Murrelet, Rhino Auklet, Marbled Murrelet. Red-throated Loon will be abundant, Common and Arctic will be present. In the wooded foothills we should find Anna’s Hummingbird, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Townsend’s Warbler, Wrentit, Bushtit, both kinglets, Hutton’s Vireo.
January 26, Tuesday, (Day 5): Next morning ferry and drive across Puget Sound to Skagit River Delta. We finish up at Skagit where we have chance of Gyrfalcon, Bohemian Waxwing and Snowy Owl along with huge flocks of swans, ducks, geese and many other raptors. Spend the fifth night near Anacortes.
January 27, 2010, Wednesday (Day 6): In the morning, we may have time for a little birding before heading to Portland for afternoon flights home.
Pricing:
The base trip price is $1,049 for 5 days of bird watching. This includes the services and expenses of the bird guide (Harry Fuller) and host (Tom Bush). Other included services are travel planning and transportation services (including the van and gasoline). This includes lodging for four nights for one person (and assuming you have a spouse or roommate). The price of breakfast is included. If you want a single room, this will cost an additional $300.
In addition, you should budget between $150 and $240 for your flight to Portland and another $80 to $145 for five lunches and five suppers (averaging $8.00 to $14.50 for each meal).
Some participants may choose to fly in the night before, and an additional night of lodging will be about $100 per room (near the airport).
Checklist of Bird Species (Most Likely and a Few Key Hopefuls):
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Snow Goose
Emperor Goose *
Brant
Wood Duck
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon *
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Grouse *
California Quail
Mountain Quail *
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Black Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Rock Sandpiper *
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous Gull
Herring Gull
California Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Ancient Murrelet
Cassin’s Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Band-tailed Pigeon
Snowy Owl*
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Shrike
Hutton’s Vireo
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
Bewick’s Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Varied Thrush
Wrentit*
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Bohemian Waxwing *
Townsend’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur *
Snow Bunting *
Red Crossbill
Purple Finch
Evening Grosbeak
The list does not include very likely birds such as Mourning Doves, Jays, Crows, American Robin, House Finch, Song Sparrow and Dark Eyed Junco and many others.
