January 24 - February 6, 2007

• North Beach Peninsula (Long Beach Peninsula) and Willapa Bay:  Trumpeter swans, redheads, scaup, long-billed dowitchers and western sandpipers have been seen throughout the area. Several thousand dunlin are also wintering in the bay and are easily identified by their bright-red backs and black bellies.

• Chief Joseph Wildlife Area in the southeast corner of the state. "It's a beautiful spot that isn't well known outside of the local area here," said WDFW Enforcement Officer Alan Myers of Clarkston. "On any given day you might view elk, deer, bighorn sheep, otters, waterfowl, turkeys, and more." WDFW Wildlife Biologist David Woodall of Clarkston agrees, noting both bald and golden eagles can be seen now along the Snake and Grande Ronde rivers on the Chief Joe.

January 25 - February 7, 2006

• After a lull in orca sightings, several whales have once again been spotted in the North Sound area in recent weeks. About 15 orcas were spotted between Whidbey and Camano Island. They appeared to be separated into two separate groups, one observer reported to the Orca Network. The next day, a number of orcas were once again spotted along Whidbey Island, this time near the Clinton ferry dock. Four males and one small baby were spotted near the terminal, "and the baby was having a great time jumping out of the water," 

• Flocks of ancient murrelets, however, are showing up in large numbers along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A birder reporting to Tweeters birding website spotted about 400 ancient murrelets near Victoria, British Columbia, with about another 50 murrelets scattered between the Canadian city and Port Angeles. Another birder spotted about 50 ancient murrelets near Port Townsend.

• Ducks are just beginning to do some pre-courtship flying, reports WDFW district wildlife biologist Beau Patterson of Wenatchee. "Wells pool on the Columbia River is a good place to observe a wide variety of waterfowl and wintering bald eagles," Patterson said. "Rocky Reach pool has lesser numbers of ducks, but there are quite a few bald eagles there, as well as grebes and loons."

• Bald eagles feeding on waterfowl and other winter-weakened or road-killed wildlife are visible throughout the Yakima River drainage. Golden eagles will soon begin setting up nesting territories in the Tieton River area. The trail along the river is closed to all use from Feb. 1 through April 1 to avoid disturbing the big birds.
  

January 26 - February 8, 2005

• Birders who recently visited the popular Montlake Fill birding area, just east of the University of Washington on Union Bay, reported spotting a peregrine falcon, two sharp-shinned hawks, one cooper's hawk, a belted kingfisher, and seven Anna's hummingbirds, which were seen performing their intricate courtship behavior. In addition, a number of waterfowl were seen on the bay, including hooded mergansers, wood ducks, gadwall, bufflehead, coots, pelagic and double breasted cormorant, pied billed and western grebe and numerous wigeon, mallards and other ducks.

• Just a few miles out of Olympia, one birder counted 23 great blue herons sitting on pilings at Woodard Bay Preserve. 

• In the Chehalis Valley, more than 200 trumpeter swans can be seen feeding in area fields, while loons, grebes and scoters fill the air over Ocean Shores.

• It's deer-watching time near Spokane, with reports of hundreds of whitetails foraging at all hours of the day on south-facing slopes throughout the central district. Volsen also reports multiple moose sunning themselves on south-facing slopes near Newman Lake.

• Winter feeding of elk at WDFWs' Oak Creek Wildlife Area southwest of Yakima is still under way, even with the light winter, reports area manager John McGowan. Approximately 1,000 elk are feeding at the headquaters site off Highway 12, with an estimated 3,000 total elk being fed at six sites.
  
  Elk tours from old military trucks ("loud and cold!" McGowan notes) are conducted by AmeriCorp members, primarily on weekends. Groups can pre-register for these tours by calling a Senior Enviornmental Corps volunteer at 509-698-5106. Calls made within 36 hours of requested tour time are not guaranteed. A donation of $5 per individual is suggested by WDFW to cover operational costs and help pay for the elk food.
  
  McGowan also reports that numerous bald and golden eagles can be seen daily around the winter feedsites and along the Tieton and Naches rivers. 

• There are good chances to see snowy owls in the Mondovi area off the old highway north of State Route 2 between Reardan and Davenport in Lincoln County. WDFW Wildlife Biologist Jerry Hickman reports that there have been three different snowy owls in that area, along with lots of northern shrikes. 

• Eastern Spokane County's Saltese Flats is a good area to see birds of prey and coyotes. River and stream habitat throughout the region is dotted with the unmistakable white heads of bald eagles. 

• Listen for screech owls in courtship calling along the Little Spokane River in the county-owned Natural Area on the northwest edge of Spokane, and look for great blue herons near their old nests in the cottonwoods right on the river's edge.

January 26 - February 8, 2000

• And now that snow is on the ground in eastern Washington, elk are on hand by the hundreds– and on view– at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) winter feeding stations.

• Up to 1,500 elk appear each day at the WDFW Oak Creek Wildlife Area winter feeding station near Yakima, just off Highway 12 west of Naches. The best views can be had about 1:30 p.m., when new hay and alfalfa pellets are put out and elk are close to the parking lot fence near the visitor center. 

• The L. T. Murray Wildlife Area west of Ellensburg also offers views of elk feeding at Joe Watt Canyon. Recent counts showed 900 elk at the area, including more than 30 branched bulls. To visit the site, take the Thorp exit from Interstate 90; turn right on Thorp Cemetery Road (one mile south of the exit); travel west for 2.5 miles and turn left on Watt Canyon Road. The feeding site is one mile past the turn. Parking is available at the site. Feed is put out at 8 a.m., but elk are visible at the site throughout the day, says Douglas Kuehn, wildlife area manager. For more information call (509) 925-6746.

• Driven to lower elevations by the colder weather, Roosevelt elk are visible from Longmire at Mount Rainier National Park to the Washington coast. If accessibility is an issue, consider a trip to the Johns River Wildlife Area on Grays Harbor where 45 elk were spotted on a recent weekend. Renovations to the site, located mid-way between Aberdeen and Westport, were completed last summer including a paved half-mile trail leading to a hunters' blind. The area offers prime viewing of elk in the wild. Other recreation sites designed to be accessible to people with disabilities are listed in the state's Accessible Outdoor Recreation Guide.

• Vancouver Wildlife Area Manager Brian Calkins says late winter is the best time to see swans, geese, sandhill cranes and other waterfowl on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Bald eagles and great blue herons can be seen easily and they soon will be heading for their nests in the refuge. Most of the area can be viewed from the road and parking areas along its perimeter. Call WDFW's Region 5 office in Vancouver at (360) 696-6211 for more information. Shillapoo is located between Vancouver Lake/Lake River and the Columbia River. Take the Fourth Plain Boulevard off Interstate 5 and head west to get there. Fourth Plain eventually becomes Lower River Road.

• Thousands of ducks, geese, and other wildlife are feeding and resting at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge near the Tri-Cities now. Rivers and streams throughout the region are good places to see bald eagles.

January 28 - February 10, 1999

• Other spots to see wintering bald eagles include Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge in Clallam County on the Olympic Peninsula, and the Columbia River Gorge in southwest Washington, specifically Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery near the mouth of the Little White Salmon River in Skamania County.
  

February 8-21, 2006

• Later this month, birders can take part in the first annual Port Susan Snow Goose Birding Festival in the Stanwood and Camano Island areas. The festival is scheduled for Feb. 25-26, and will feature tours and speakers for the experienced and beginning birder. For more information visit http://www.snowgoosefest.org/.

• Reports are already coming in about sea lions in the Columbia River. By the start of this month, more than 50 adult pinnipeds could be seen at the east jetty in Astoria, while others were reported farther upriver - some hauled out on navigational buoys. A much larger group, numbering at least several hundred animals, has been congregating around the river mouth, said Steve Jeffries, a WDFW research scientist specializing in marine mammals.
  
  "It's that time of year again," Jeffries said. "They start arriving in large numbers to feed on smelt and spring chinook, then move on to later runs." By May, Jeffries said he expects to see around 400 California sea lions and nearly 1,000 Steller sea lions in the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam.

• Heavy snow in the Methow Valley of Okanogan County is causing significant winter mortality on mule deer, reports WDFW district wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin of Winthrop. "And that means we have lots of scavenging eagles, both bald and golden," he said. "Viewing opportunities for these raptors, which are sometimes in large groups, is excellent right now, mostly from Winthrop south in the watershed."
  

• McGowan also reports that numerous bald and golden eagles are visible in the Oak Creek vicinity, feeding on winter-killed deer, elk, sheep and other carcasses along the rocky cliffs.

February 9-23, 2005

• Trumpeter and tundra swans are still scattered throughout the Skagit area, including an estimated 500 of the magnificent birds at the Johnson DeBay Slough swan preserve near Mount Vernon. 

• For birds on a much smaller scale, head to Tenant Lake in Whatcom County where a birder recently counted 70 barn and tree swallows.

• Chimacum is currently playing host to 68 trumpeter swans, visible right off Center Valley Road. Several smaller flocks have been reported farther south at the Duckabush delta (16 birds) and the Skokomish Valley (seven birds)

• In the Columbia River Gorge, resident peregrine falcons are starting to exhibit nesting behavior, says WDFW District Wildlife Biologist David Anderson, who advises viewers to keep an eye on cliff faces from Bonneville to The Dalles Dam for a possible glimpse of the raptors.

• Geese and ducks can be seen in large numbers at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Clark County and the Vancouver lowlands.  In the Woodland Bottoms area west of Interstate 5, egrets can be seen now.

• Bald eagles can also be found along the Okanogan River, hanging out near traditional nest sites. We're also hearing great horned owls calling and seeing lots of waterfowl, including common loons, along the Columbia River at the mouth of the Methow River by Pateros.

• Birders who recently checked out the Johnson-DeBay Slough Swan Reserve, northeast of Mount Vernon, counted more than 250 tundra swans there, according to a post on the Tweeters birding website.

• A trip through the San Juan Islands, or just a short hop from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend, Edmonds to Kingston, or Seattle to Bainbridge Island can give passengers a look at California sea lions, harbor seals, orcas, and a great variety of seabirds.  A boater reporting to Tweeters found himself in the midst of more than 300 feeding long-tailed ducks, as well as western grebes and gulls.

• Early morning hours should be fruitful in spotting the local elk herd on the Davis Lake unit of the Cowlitz Wildlife Area.  The bald eagles have returned to the Tilton River forested corridor across the highway from the wildlife area office.  Waterfowl is abundant on area ponds and inundated fields.

• The South slopes on the Klickitat Wildlife Area are clearing up and the deer are starting to crowd onto these areas.  Age class numbers are still diverse with a good percentage of fawns that appear to be in good shape.
  

• It's mating season for many species of eagles, owls and hawks, and other large birds like ravens and magpies. Watch or listen for pairs in aerial or treetop mating rituals, including nest preparations.

• A concentration of wintering bald and golden eagles can be observed in and around the Oak Creek headquarters site southwest of Yakima and along the nearby rock cliffs. The eagles are feeding on winter-killed elk and deer carcasses.

February 5-18, 2003

• While the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival has officially ended for another year, there are still plenty of bald eagles to be seen along the river, particularly in the Rockport and Marblemount areas. Good bets for a great glimpse at bald eagles include Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport, the Sutter Creek Rest Area at Milepost 100 on State Route 20 and the Marblemount Fish Hatchery. Bring a spotting scope or binoculars for up-close views of eagles roosting in tall riverside trees or feeding on the salmon carcasses that litter the gravel bars. 

• The annual Great Backyard Bird Count is set for President's Day weekend, Feb. 14-17. Last year, birders from throughout the nation identified 505 bird species and more than 4.7 million birds. The project is co-sponsored by the National Audubon Society and Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology. More information is available at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ on the Internet. 

• Swans and snow geese top the list of beautiful birds that can still be found in the agricultural bottomlands of Skagit and Whatcom counties. Fir Island, Padilla Bay and the Johnson DeBay Slough Swan Reserve east of Mount Vernon are all good bets for birdwatching. 

• One popular birding site in Grays Harbor County is the Brady Loop, just off Highway 12 near Elma. On a recent sunny afternoon, one contributor to the Tweeters website spotted the following: Two Western scrub jays, an American Kestrel on a power line, trumpeter swans, bufflehead, great blue heron, Canada geese, northern harrier, a bald eagle and a northern flicker. He also reported two raccoons, "lying in a tree who seemed to be relaxing the day away." 

• The returning smelt run is drawing quite a crowd-and not all the enthusiasts are bothering to bring nets. A sizeable number of seals and sea lions -- at times numbering some 30 animals-are lolling on the river front in the vicinity of County Line Park near Longview enjoying the seasonal bounty. Keep an eye out while driving Highway 4 for a look at these eager eaters, advises Joe Hymer, regional fish biologist. 

• A Tweeters website correspondent reports spotting approximately 30 great egrets grouped around the edge of ponded water in pasture land on a recent visit to Woodland Bottoms, near Woodland, (Cowlitz County).

• WDFW Chief Joseph Wildlife Area Manager Bob Dice Jr., of Clarkston reports that elk are "highly visible" now anywhere along the county road through the wildlife area, which lies just south of the mouth of the Grand Ronde River. Dice says as many as 120 elk have been seen in a group at one time.

• Elk viewing is still a good bet at the winter feeding station on WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area, six miles west of Naches off Highway 12. Feed is mechanically re-supplied daily at 1:30 p.m., but elk are in viewing range throughout the day.  AmeriCorp members are operating a tour truck around the herd for close-up views.  Thirty-minute tours for up to 18 people are conducted continuously each day on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information on Oak Creek elk, call (509) 653-2390.

• The second annual Grand Coulee Balde Eagle Festival, Feb. 15-17, centers on viewing the 200-plus bald eagles wintering in the area. The family-oriented festival also features eagle natural history displays and forums, traditional Indian dancing and drumming to celebrate the species, eagle art, photo, and poetry contests, even a bald eagle "look-alike" contest where bald men have the advantage. The town's Grand Gallery of Arts Theater, 204 Main St., is the center of activity where eagle-viewing shuttle bus tours depart regularly from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day during the festival. Eagles mostly concentrate in a night roosting area in Northrup Canyon, part of Steamboat Rock State Park, seven miles south of Grand Coulee on State Route 155, where WDFW and the parks department have teamed up to develop an eagle viewing site, trails and parking lots. The eagles can usually be seen from 2 p.m. until dusk in the pine and fir trees along the south wall of the canyon. Bring a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope and dress for the cold. For more information on the festival (which is named for the original spelling of bald eagle when it was named our national bird) see the Internet website, Grand Coulee Balde Eagle Festival.

February 6-19, 2002 (earlier also)

• At Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area, an average of 300 elk a day are on hand, visible from observation points along State Route 504.
  

February 9-23, 2000

• This is a good time to see many types of waterbirds that spend the non-breeding season along the coast, from pelagic birds like shearwaters to shorebirds like turnstones. If you're without a boat, try watching from a jetty; the north jetty of the Columbia River in Fort Canby State Park near Ilwaco and other spots in Willapa Bay are good bets.

• Short-eared owls are readily seen in the late afternoons west of Highway 195 in southern Spokane county, especially in the extensive Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) farmland acres west of Plaza and along Bradshaw Road. 

• If the snow cover lasts, deer viewing should remain good along the Palouse River in Whitman County, and along the breaks of the Columbia River in northern Lincoln County. 

• Northern shrikes have been visible in open habitats of Spokane, Whitman and Lincoln counties. A few snow buntings have also been spotted mixed in with large flocks of horned larks in most areas of Lincoln County.

February 11-24, 1999

• Mid- to late-February is also the time when Washington's largest birds begin to gather at traditional nesting sites. At four feet tall, with six-foot wingspans, Great blue herons are hard to miss. When dozens to hundreds of pairs of these long-necked, long-legged, long-billed wading birds gather at "rookeries" or communal nesting areas, it's pure spectacle. The Great blue heron breeding and nesting season extends into April and May across the state. But for the next month, these handsome blue and gray plumed birds are most visible, while the deciduous trees that usually hold their nests are leafless.
  
  Heron rookeries are often seen in clusters of tall (over 50 feet) cottonwoods or other trees along waterways or wetlands. Huge nests of sticks are used year after year, with a few additions and rearrangements made each season. The exchange of nest sticks between pairs of herons is a mating ritual worth watching. Despite their formidable size, herons are shy birds that can be vulnerable to human disturbance. When you visit a rookery, keep your distance by using binoculars, scopes, and telephoto camera lenses, be quiet, move slowly and leave pets at home.
  
  Here are some of the most accessible Great blue heron rookeries in Washington:

• Samish Bay flats in Skagit County, west of Edison and north of Bayview State Park; rookery is at the east end of Samish "Island" (peninsula)
• Peasley Canyon marsh near Auburn in King County; at intersection of Peasley Canyon Road and West Valley Highway; from Interstate 5 take exit 143 and head east on 320th Street [abandoned]
• Dumas Bay Sanctuary west of Federal Way and north of Dash Point State Park in King County
• Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, northeast of Olympia in Thurston County; rookery is on McAllister Creek, where bald eagles also nest and sometimes "quarrel" with herons
• Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area north of Olympia off Henderson Inlet in Thurston County
• Vancouver Lake/Shillapoo Wildlife Area, one of the largest rookeries in the region, is northwest of Vancouver and south of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Clark County  [moved furthyer east]
• Reed Island State Park southeast of Washougal in Clark County; rookery can be seen from a walking trail on a dike along the Columbia River
• Potholes Wildlife Area south of Moses Lake in Grant County; rookery is near northeast arm of Potholes Reservoir (also communal nest sites of other herons, egrets, and cormorants)
• Little Spokane River Natural Area, northwest of Spokane; rookery is above the river about half-mile from trailhead on Rutter Parkway.
  

• Late February marks the start of a "listen-able wildlife" opportunity in western Washington's lowlands: the Pacific tree frog "chorusing" and breeding season. These common and tiny (less than two-inch) frogs are Washington's loudest natives, with the males repeating a two-syllable "rib-it, kreck-ek" call to attract females. The calling stimulates other males to join in and large concentrations of the frogs can be heard far away, especially on nights when air temperatures remain above 45 degrees. You can hear chorusing at many open wetlands and meadows, such as the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge in Thurston County or Tacoma's Snake Lake Nature Center. Tree frogs are found across the state, but eastsiders and those at higher elevations may not hear them chorus until later this spring. (Tree frogs have the longest breeding season of any amphibian in the state, chorusing well into July in some areas.)

• Spring migration is under way and almost anywhere there's lots of water in Washington you have a good chance of seeing big birds — tundra swans and Canada geese as well as ducks of many kinds. Some of these waterfowl species have spent the winter in Washington (especially on the west side), and the areas where they've hunkered down for the season are good spots to see their migrating cousins joining them now. Waterfowl wintering areas make excellent feeding and resting stopovers for birds winging their way to breeding grounds further north.

February 11 - March 10, 1999

• On the dry east side of the Cascades, the concentrations of hundreds of tundra swans and Canada geese as well as ducks of many kinds is a sight to behold. Here are some spots to consider spending a few hours with binoculars and cameras: 

• Wilson Creek: Stratford area along Highway 28 in Grant County (northeast of Ephrata), including the wetlands of Crab Creek, Brook Lake, and Billy Clapp Lake on the Stratford Wildlife Area . 

• Columbia National Wildlife Refuge: Potholes Reservoir area (south of Moses Lake); contact headquarters, just northwest of Othello, at 509-488-2668, for more detailed information about this 23,000 acre refuge, Or take a detour from Interstate 90, westbounders drop south on Highway 17 to Highway 262 and follow west along O'Sullivan Dam and south of the Frenchman Hills - Winchester Wasteway (a good bird viewing spot in and of itself), then west on Highway 26 to the Columbia River at Vantage and back to I-90. 

• Sprague to St. John area of Whitman County, along Highway 23 through Rock Creek - Cottonwood Creek drainages, south of Rock Lake. 

• Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, near Cheney (southwest of Spokane), where a few rare trumpeter swans are known to mix with the more common tundra swans by early March. 

• McNary National Wildlife Refuge, near Burbank off Highway 395 (east of the Tri-Cities); sloughs off McNary Dam on the Columbia River provide excellent stopover areas for migrating waterfowl.

February 18 - March 2, 2004

• More than 300 tundra swans, as well as ruddy ducks, cinnamon teal, tree swallows, yellow rumped warblers, American kestrel, bald eagles, rough legged hawks, northern harriers, red tailed hawks, western scrub jay and a hooded merganser were sighted at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.

• The first sandhill cranes have been sighted in the Columbia Basin.  The seventh annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival is March 26-28.
  

February 19 - March 4, 2003

• Less familiar the canada geese is the brant, a small, stocky goose with a black head and neck. Because they rely on eelgrass as their primary source of food, they are seldom found very far from saltwater. At this time of year, the best place to see brant is in Willapa Bay, although smaller colonies can be found in such areas as Hood Canal, Grays Harbor and the Nisqually Delta. By April, however, migrating brant will fill bays and inlets throughout Puget Sound on their way north to nesting grounds in the high tundra of Alaska, Russia and Canada. At its peak, the brant population will grow from 10,000 over-wintering residents to up to 40,000 birds, skimming the wavetops in long undulating lines, then bunching up into dense flocks. 

• Smelt-fancying seals and sea lions continue to put on quite a show in the Longview area, with several hundred animals seen there last week. The smelt-or the animals drawn to them-also are attracting bald eagles to the lower Grays River, says WDFW's Joe Hymer. 

• WDFW staff at the Cowlitz Wildlife Area have seen a dozen great blue herons at Oxbow Lake. Wildlife area ponds are teeming with waterfowl. Observations have included buffleheads, mallards and hooded mergansers, as well as many blue herons.  

• About 20 tundra swans were recently feeding and flying around near Chewelah. WDFW's Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County is also hosting a number of swans, according to manager Juli Anderson. 

February 20 - March 5, 2002

• Elk are still visible at Mount. St. Helens Wildlife Area. While on the move to higher elevations they frequently can be spotted from State Route 504 (Spirit Lake Highway) even at midday, says Brian Calkins, wildlife area manager.

• This is the time of year when an influx of sandhill cranes in flocks of up to 50 birds may be on hand in and around the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Large flocks of Canada geese were reported at the wildlife area over the past weekend.

• Great blue herons are re-building their nests in the age-old rookery on the Little Spokane River in Spokane County. 

• Early spring waterfowl migrations are starting and a good place to watch is Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, near Cheney (southwest of Spokane), where a few rare trumpeter swans are known to mix with the more common tundra swans by early March. 

• The road into Northrup Canyon, which is managed by Washington State Parks, is partially blockaded so plan on parking and walking a (short) bit to see bald eagles. The best time to see the most birds is the last couple hours of daylight, from about 3:30-5:30 p.m. WDFW biologist Ron Friesz advises staying on the road or parking area, keeping your distance from the roost sites, which can be occupied by up to 100 eagles. "These birds use it because it provides protection from harsh winter weather so they can conserve energy. It also serves as a place for eagle pairs to meet and form or renew bonds." 

• Bald eagles are feeding on fish and waterfowl throughout the reservoir area and can also be seen more easily, although in fewer numbers, along Banks Lake from Coulee City to Soap Lake, below Grand Coulee Dam along the Columbia River, and on Lake Roosevelt from Grand Coulee to Kettle Falls. Friesz says that a growing population of year-round or resident eagles nest along Lake Roosevelt, Rufous Woods Lake, and Banks Lake. Most of the eagles that use the Northrup Canyon roosts are migrants that nest much further north. "They're not in a hurry to return north just yet," he says. "They'll hang around through mid-March."