Birding the Pacific Northwest: Inland Valleys & Lowland Forests

In Part III of our Pacific Northwest adventure, we'll explore the lush, green lowlands between the rugged coast of the Pacific Northwest and the mighty, snow-clad Cascades.  

From prairies and wetlands to riparian and coniferous forests, the Pacific Northwest staggers the mind with its endless kaleidoscope of shades of living green!  Is there anything more lovely than the sun filtering through a lime green leafy canopy of delicate vine maples?  Or a meadow of grasses and daisies shining brightly in a forest clearing?  Or fog-drenched forests clothed in mosses and carpeted with ferns?  I think not! 

Part I: Seabird Colony at Haystack Rock
Part II: Birding the Pacific Northwest Coast
Part IV: Olympic National Park
Part V: North Cascades National Park
Part VI: Mount Rainier National Park
Part VII: Crater Lake National Park

Male Lazuli Bunting at William L. Finley NWR


Traveling from place to place in a state of awe, we visited the Willamette Valley's William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, near Corvallis, Oregon; northern Washington's gorgeous Skagit River Valley; and the estuary of the Nisqually River at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, near Tacoma, Washington.  We also spent time in some magnificently wooded urban parks, including Seattle's Seward Park and Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, both of which are first-class birding destinations just minutes from the heart of the city, ideal for locals and visiting birders alike!


Habitats represented in the Willamette Valley's William L. Finley NWR include grassland and upland prairie, oak savannahs and Douglas fir forest, as well as wetlands and riparian areas.  We spotted nearly 50 species of birds in the short hours we spent wandering a couple of the refuge's most popular trails, the half-mile Homer Campbell boardwalk and the one-mile Woodpecker Loop trail.

Common Black-capped Chickadees, familiar to so many across the U.S., were a new species for me, which we spotted shortly after our arrival, as a chatty family group foraged and flitted through the leaves.

Black-capped Chickadee


The Homer Campbell boardwalk leads through riparian forest to an observation platform overlooking the wetlands.  Like wetlands here in California's Great Central Valley, those of the Willamette Valley provide a seasonal winter home for migratory waterfowl.  In fact, the William L. Finley NWR was established in order to protect wintering habitat for the dusky subspecies of the Canada Goose, a western subspecies which breeds only in Alaska's Copper River Delta and on islands in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound, and spend their winters in the Willamette Valley and areas along the lower Columbia River.

But on this June day, there wasn't too much going on out there.  



We did spot a soaring soaring Bald Eagle though!

Bald Eagle


Throughout the forests and riparian areas, we were treated to the continuous songs of Swainson's Thrushes, Song Sparrows, Yellow Warblers and Black-headed Grosbeaks.

Swainson's Thrush


In areas dominated by Douglas fir forest, the soundtrack was comprised of Pacific Slope Flycatchers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Band-tailed Pigeons, and several species of woodpeckers.

Woodpecker Loop Trail at William L. Finley NWR


In the grasslands we saw Savannah Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, swallows and soaring raptors.  But by far my favorite was this stunning male Lazuli Bunting!

Lazuli Bunting

 

Farther north, detouring only slightly out of Tacoma, Washington, we paid a visit to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, to look for Bank Swallows.  Our evening visit was brief, but we were by no means alone; much to our surprise, the refuge was packed with visitors, walking the boardwalk trail through wetlands and riparian forest, out to the wide-open estuary of the Nisqually River.  

Evening at Nisqually NWR


We spotted quite a few of the standard riparian forest birds along the trail (warblers, chickadees, thrushes, sparrows and the like), as well as herons, egrets, and a female Hooded Merganser with several juveniles.

Female Hooded Merganser


But the swallows were what we came to see!  And they were present in huge numbers, clouds of swallows swooping low over the wetlands and estuary.  Barn Swallows were abundant, along with Tree Swallows and Cliff Swallows.  We had a few false alarms with Northern Rough-winged Swallows before we finally picked out a pair of Bank Swallows, which we both saw and heard well several times.  Another new bird for us!

Not a Bank Swallow, but an obliging Barn Swallow.


In both Tacoma's Point Defiance Park and Seattle's Seward Park, we were absolutely delighted by what we found: miles of beautifully forested walking paths winding quietly through densely wooded lowlands along the Puget Sound (in Tacoma) and Lake Washington (in Seattle).  We are unashamedly envious of those of you who live within walking distance of such incredible recreational opportunities! 

The forest at Point Defiance Park


And the birding here, of course, is top-notch!  Point Defiance Park preserves acres of virgin forest, and the quality of habitat is reflected in the birdlife.  Birds found here are typical of those of coniferous forests, including many species found at higher elevations as well.  

Dark-eyed Juncos and American Robins were extremely abundant, and the woods echoed with the calls of Swainson's Thrushes and a host of different warbler species (nearly a dozen in all!)   

Dark-eyed Junco


Woodpecker activity is also high in these damp forests, with Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers being the most common.  Believe it or not, I photographed this bold Pileated Woodpecker chowing down on the berries of an Oregon grape shrub just outside the Audubon center at Seward Park on a bustling Saturday afternoon!  (The parking lot is literally right behind this bird!)

Pileated Woodpecker


When we visited Seward Park in June, Bald Eagles, Cooper's Hawks and Barn Owls were reported to be nesting in the area.  We spotted Osprey fishing on Lake Washington, so I'm sure they were nesting nearby as well!

Bald Eagle nest


While many of us tend to gravitate to the Pacific Northwest's rugged coast or magnificent mountains (with good reason!), don't pass up the opportunity to spend some time savoring the quiet, low-lying areas in between as well!

Daisies - quite possibly my favorite flower - grow wild in fields and along roadsides
throughout the Pacific Northwest!


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