Pacific Northwest Trip Report (February 8-24, 2002)
Karen and I went to the Pacific Northwest February 8 to February 24, tacking a week plus of birding onto a week of business in Seattle. We circled the Olympic Peninsula and joined the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (OPAS) for a two-day trip to the Skagit-Samish flats areas. We saw 110 species, which included 31 "lifers" for me. Using the ABA book A Birder’s Guide to Coastal Washington as a guide to the Pacific shore part of the trip, we saw Long-billed Curlews and a Bar-tailed Godwit in the little village of Tokeland. With the OPAS group, we added Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, Marbled Murrletes, Eurasian Wigeons, a Prairie Falcon, and some female Pine Grosbeaks. Our 110th specie was a Barn Owl. The clouds of Snow Geese and Dunlins were impressive.
I highly recommend the ABA book as it gave great directions
and the birds to expect. The group from OPAS was so friendly
and helpful that you would have thought they were from Western
Pennsylvania. They even quoted me in their newsletter. Since
we left they have been chasing a Falcated Duck and a Great
Gray Owl in the area we birded with them.
— by Bill & Karen Parker
