Olympic
National Park, Washington
June 2-10, 2007
Bird/Species
Trip List
Guide:
Peg Abbott with 6 participants
Common
Loon – Our first birds, seen in Freshwater Bay, were
a pair calling together. We watched another call in Neah Bay, a gorgeous
full breeding plumage individual. Many non-breeding or transitional
plumage birds observed, most ocean locations.
Pacific Loon – Breeding plumage birds in the
surf off Kalaloch, silver feathers shining in the sun – great
scope views.
Double-crested Cormorant – Port Townsend, Protection
Island, Port Angeles, La Push
Brandt’s Cormorant – Our least common
cormorant, seen at Port Townsend, and on Protection Island, outer
coast sea stacks
Pelagic Cormorant – The most abundant cormorant,
seen on nests at Cape Flattery, present at all ocean locations and
bays. Norma spotted the first one just off the bus, at Port Angeles,
in full breeding attire.
Great Blue Heron – Seen on several days, typically
at coastal estuaries
Canada Goose – Pair with goslings seen at Lower
Elwah Dam, lone individual at Upper Elwah, La Push, Crescent Lake
Wood Duck – a female spotted on the river above
Lake Crescent Lodge, odd location for this species. Female with five
chicks in small pond at Hoh Visitor Ctr.
Mallard – Lake Crescent, Protection Island,
calmer ocean bays, Dungeness
Northern Shoveler – Dungeness near Three Crabs
Restaurant
Gadwall – Dungeness, Protection Island
American Wigeon – Dungeness, bay by Three Crabs
restaurant
Greater Scaup – One lone bird, Neah Bay
Harlequin Duck – Protection Island, a lone
male and several females, grouped together at the island’s point
Black Scoter – male in pounding surf off Rialto
Beach near sea stack
Surf Scoter – Seen on several days, at most
ocean bays
White-winged Scoter – the more numerous and
common of the two scoter species observed, ocean bays
Common Goldeneye – Alex spotted this pair,
just off the mudflats at John Wayne Marina
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Sandra spotted a
breeding plumage male at Lower Elwah Dam
Common Merganser – Fairly common, at river
estuaries and a few in calmer ocean bays, a female with chicks in
freshwater stream below Kalaloch
Red-breasted Merganser – Group of males and
females at Pillar Point, several at La Push, including a female with
young chicks
Turkey Vulture – Seen almost daily, in low
numbers
Osprey – Deep in a nest near the Hoh Oxbow,
hunkered down due to weather
Northern Harrier – Seen on Dungeness, hunting
Sharp-shinned Hawk – Seen on Dungeness, hunting
songibrds aggressively – in the shrubs of a church parking lot!
Red-tailed Hawk – Dungesness, Elwah, and flying
above roads as we traveled
Bald Eagle – Seen in remarkable numbers, 22+
on Protection Island, 12+ at Pillar Point, on all the offshore islands,
many en route to Neah Bay. Nice to observe all age classes and variations
of plumage. Nest at Lake Quinalt, all in all our most common raptor
by far!
California Quail – Dungeness, great views and
photos
American Coot – Ponds on Dungeness
Killdeer – Our only regular shorebird, sand
and mudflat areas, the spit at Neah Bay
Black Oystercatcher – Protection Island, Neah
Bay, Port Townsend
Spotted Sandpiper – Heard only, Elwah River
Heerman’s Gull – One bird in surf with
large flock, off Kalaloch, adult
Mew Gull – One lone bird, perched on a rock
near crows for size comparison, we got the scope out to see it in
detail.
Ring-billed Gull – on pier with other gulls,
La Push harbor
California Gull – Dungeness
Western Gull – Seen in much lower number than
Glacous-winged, at most major ocean beaches and headlands
Glaucous-winged Gull – By far our most abundant
gull, seen daily
Glacous Gull – First winter bird in transitional
plumage, at La Push, seen flying and sitting on the water
Caspian Tern – Freshwater Bay, Dungeness, Pillar
Point
Common Murre – Protection Island seen with
feeding flock, then by the thousands on and near Tatoosh Island, Cape
Flattery, many off west coast sea stacks
Pigeon Guillemot – Our most regularly sited
seabird, feeding close to the shore at most locations, also Protection
Island
Marbled Murrelet – Clallam Bay and Neah Bay
Cassin’s Auklet – Two birds seen feeding
off Protection Island
Rhinocerous Auklet – Port Townsend, Protection
Island, Neah Bay
Tufted Puffin – Protection Island, Cape Flattery,
Kalaloch Rocks
Rock Dove – Urban areas, jetty at Neah Bay
Band-tailed Pigeon – two birds seen feeding
– Dungeness
Mourning Dove – One bird seen on telephone
wire on Dungeness
Common Nighthawk - Heard only – near Peak 6
store up the Hoh right at dark
Vaux’s Swift – Good numbers flying, cliffs
above Elwah River
Rufous Hummingbird – Seen daily, best views
at the Dungeness River Audubon Nature Center (DRANC) at feeders and
along trails
Belted Kingfisher – John Wayne Marina, and
spotted by Betty at Clallam Bay
Red-breasted Sapsucker – Beach 2 Trail, and
heard at Espresso stop our final day coming back from La Push
Downy Woodpecker – quick views on the trail
at DRANC
Hairy Woodpecker – Near Beaver dam going up
Sol Duc River, and on trail to Sol Duc Falls
Northern Flicker – Dungeness, Hurricane Ridge
Pileated Woodpecker – A very vocal bird near
Lake Crescent Lodge, heard on Hall of Mosses rainforest trail
Willow Flycatcher – Perched up for us at DRANC,
edge of meadow off railroad trail
Hammond’s Flycatcher – Sol Duc and conifer
forest en route to Neah Bay, Hoh
Pacific-slope Flycatcher – Heard everywhere,
finally got great views in an open Madrone tree at John Wayne Marina.
Purple Martin – Pair seen flying over tidal
area, near Three Crabs Restaurant
Tree Swallow – Seen on several days, inland
pond areas and rivers
Violet-green Swallow – Quite common, seen each
day at Lake Crescent over the lake, beautiful views at Kalaloch
N. Rough-winged Swallow – Freshwater Bay –
several perched for close inspection
Cliff Swallow – quick looks by bridge near
Pyscht, nest building on cabins at Kalaloch
Barn Swallow – Our most common and widespread
swallow, seen daily
Gray Jay – Hurricane Ridge
Steller’s Jay – Seen almost daily
American Crow – Seen daily
Northwest Crow – Port Townsend, Neah Bay, Pillar
Point, La Push
Common Raven – Seen daily
Black-capped Chickadee (HO) – Dungeness, shrubs
by church parking lot
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – Seen on most forest
trails, and riparian forest of Dungeness. Norma had excellent looks
at a group on the Sol Duc Trail, the Big Cedar Tree area west coast,
Port Angeles
Bushtit – Quick looks at an active flock on
Dungeness
Red-breasted Nuthatch – DRANC at feeders and
on trail, Lake Crescent
White-breasted Nuthatch – Hurricane Ridge
Brown Creeper – Great views at DRANC, and on
several forest trails
Bewick’s Wren – One individual singing
atop a shrub, meadow near DRANC
Winter Wren – Seen or heard every day, best
views near Lake Crescent Lodge and at Sol Duc
Marsh Wren – A curious individual at a cattail
marsh area en route to Neah Bay, also heard at Dungeness
American Dipper – Super views on Barnes Creek
near Lake Crescnet Lodge, and above Sol Duc Falls we watched a parent
feeding its baby
Golden-crowned Kinglet – One of our most common
forest birds, seen on each forest trail and around the Lake Crescent
Lodge, Hoh, good views Big Cedar Tree, seen daily
Swainson’s Thrush – First heard at Dungeness,
seen at Makah Museum and Kalaloch Lodge, perched high on conifers
singing, easy to spot at Kalaloch and Hoh
American Robin – Everywhere, amazingly common!
Varied Thrush – Heard on several forest walks
and high atop Hurricane Ridge, seen well along streambank above Sol
Duc Falls, hopping on ground at the Hoh, even in the parking lot!
Cedar Waxwing – DRANC, Freshwater Bay, Dungeness,
Neah Bay – fairly common
European Starling – All too common in a wide
range of habitats
Cassin’s Vireo – Seen near Crescent Lake
Lodge and heard at Pillar Point
Hutton’s Vireo – Singing constantly at
several stops in Sol Duc valley – one perched at the road edge
for our inspection
Warbling Vireo – Seen well on trail near Dungeness
School, heard often esp. in alder woodlands
Orange-crowned Warbler – Heard often, seen
well when Sandra spotted it at DRANC
Yellow Warbler – Trail by Dungeness School
Black-throated Gray Warbler – parking lot at
Hoh Visitor Center, great views
Townsend’s Warbler – Hurricane Ridge,
Sol Duc
Common Yellowthroat – Marsh area en route to
Neah Bay
Wilson’s Warbler – Seen and heard first
at DRANC, then several forest locations
Western Tanager – Pair up Sol Duc, Pillar Point
Black-headed Grosbeak – Hurricane Ridge, DRANC,
heard several other locations
Spotted Towhee – DRANC, shrubby areas at forest
edges
Chipping Sparrow – Dungeness, Pillar Point,
La Push
Savannah Sparrow – Dungeness, great views of
singing male, Anderson Prairie near Forks
Fox Sparrow – Hurricane Ridge near Visitor
Center, several other locations
Song Sparrow – Seen daily, a group feeding
chicks at Pillar Point was fun and great for Marge to photograph
Lincoln’s Sparrow – One furtive individual
spotted by Janet at DRANC
White-crowned Sparrow – Seen daily, great songster
Dark-eyed Junco – Seen at all forest and edge
locations
Red-winged Blackbird – Dungeness, Protection
Island, marsh area en route to Neah Bay
Brewer’s Blackbird – Dungeness
Brown-headed Cowbird – Fairly common
Pine Grosbeak – Seen at feeders at DRANC, great
views
Purple Finch – Hurricane Ridge, DRANC
House Finch – Seen daily
Red Crossbill – Several flocks encountered,
Hurricane Ridge, Neah Bay
Pine Siskin – Hurricane Ridge, DRANC, seen
on most days including Hoh Rainforest
American Goldfinch – Great looks on all days
House Sparrow – Seen daily
Mammals:
Columbia Black-tailed Deer – Hurricane Ridge,
Lake Crescent, Sol Duc, Elwah, quite common. Janet spotted a newborn
fawn at the Hoh.
Roosevelt Elk – Big group of females and young
seen en route to Neah Bay, in thick grass – lovely! Also Bochachiel
River and Quinalt area
Marten – Janet likely spotted this mammal,
running across a downed log on the Sol Duc Ancient Forests trail
River Otter – Great looks at Hoh, and in the
creek below Kalaloch Lodge
Townsend’s Chipmunk – Lake Crescent,
Pillar Point
Olympic (Yellow-pine) Chipmunk – Hurricane
Ridge
Southern Red-backed Vole – likely the vole
species spotted by Sandra near Barnes Creek
Harbor Seal – Many at Protection Island, also
Port Townsend, and several north coast beaches, La Push
California Sea Lion – Marina at Neah Bay, marina
at La Push
Harbor Porpoise – Quick views at Shipwreck
Point
Gray Whale – Amazing close views seeward off
the jetty at Neah Bay, pointed out to us by Ralph, a local worker,
as we were studying seabirds with our scope on the inland side!
Reptiles
and Amphibians:
W. Red-backed Salamander – Trail by Hurricane
Ridge Visitor’s Center
Western Toad – Meadow near DRANC
Notable
Invertebrates / Butterflies:
Alas, our weather was not butterfly friendly this week!
Click Beetle
Banana Slug
Pale Swallowtail
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Veined White
Cabbage White
Checkerspot, sp.
Plants
– a partial list…..compiled by Alex Vargo
Wallflower
Lupine
Glacier Lily
Indian Paintbrush
Fan Leaf Cinquefoil
Pioneer Violet
Spreading Phlox
Marsh Marigold
Vanilla Leaf
Hook Violet (blue)
Thimbleberry
Lanced-leaf Springbeauty
Sitka Columbine
Fringecup
Fleabane
Wandering Fleabane
Forget-Me-Not
Raspberry
Pond Lily (yellow)
Pearly Everlasting
Novika Wild Rose
Cusik Speedwell
Pacific Rhododendron
Vanilla Leaf
Watercress
May Lily
False Solomon’s Seal
Foamflower
Trillium
Madrone tree
Trillium
Star Flower
Devil’s Claw
Wild Strawberry
Scotch Broom
Field Chickweed
Orange Honeysuckle
Starflower
Stone Crop
Tiarella
Bald Hip Rose
Oxeye Daisy
Piggy-back Saxifrage
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Candy Flower (white)
Common Hawthorne
May Lily
Indian Plum (orange berry shrub)
Stellata
Dandelion
Herb Robert Geranium
Spotted Coral Root Orchid
Western Coral Root Orchid
Single Pyrola
Bunchberry
Corydalis (fumariaceal)
Club Moss
Cow Parsnip
Siberian Spring Beauty
Foam Flower
Large Mountain Monkeyflower
Beargrass
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