Shhhh… if you are quiet, you can hear it: The woosh of thousands of wings deftly riding the wind. Look up and experience a sight that will leave you breathless – thousands of shorebirds on their yearly migration with a layover in Grays Harbor. While some shorebird species live year-round in the area, migration is the best time to easily see many of these awesome birds – and experience a sight like no other.
“Grays Harbor and neighboring Willapa Bay provide a vast expanse of nutrient-rich tide flats, which provide one of the major resting and refueling stations for migrating shorebirds,” explains Mary Oneil, vice president of the Grays Harbor Audubon Society and field trip coordinator. “This is such a critical stopover that it has been designated as a Site of Hemispheric Importance.”
Bring the kids for an educational treat, or use it as a solo retreat to recharge your batteries. You’ll never forget it.
Best Time of Year to See Shorebirds in Grays Harbor
You can see shorebirds at any time in Grays Harbor, but if you want an easy birdwatching excursion on the Washington Coast, come during migration.
The best time of year to see shorebirds in Grays Harbor is the spring migration, from late April through early May. Mary says the fall migration is spread over a longer time frame (as early as July and continuing into November), so you don’t see the large groups of different species like you do in the spring.
“Thousands of birds fly over this area on their way from Mexico, South America and the South Pacific in search of a summer feeding ground which they find in Alaska,” she adds. “This is a monumental journey requiring great endurance and, of course, requiring a place for resting and grabbing a bite to eat.”
We are lucky that Grays Harbor is one of those resting places for 12 species of birds.
Migration makes Grays Harbor birding easy!
We all know how hard it can be to find birds – it can require getting up very early, before the sun, trudging through the woods or shrubs and standing for hours in the cold only to be disappointed. This is particularly hard with children.
Mary says don’t despair – head to Grays Harbor in late April! “When you walk up to a mudflat during migration season and the whole area seems to lift up into the air, filling the sky, you can’t miss seeing it,” she adds.
This spectacle is something your child will never forget! “One of my favorite examples was the year one of my brothers joined us four sisters for an afternoon at Bottle Beach,” shares Mary. “He was making fun of us and our expensive equipment for what – to look at a bunch of rocks on the edge of the sand. At the moment, all the birds were sitting tight, resting, but then the tide began to change, throwing more water up onto the sand. In an instant, the whole row of ‘rocks’ took to the sky, circling round and round. ‘Those were birds?’ he said in disbelief. ‘Give me your binoculars and let me have another look!’ And so, another birder was born.”
Best Places for Shorebird Watching on the Washington Coast
During the migration, you will see plovers, turnstones sandpipers, dowitchers and more. Wondering what the best places for shorebird watching in Grays Harbor are, especially during migration? Mary shares her favorite spots:
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge
1000 Airport Way, Hoquiam
- Home to the annual Shorebird Festival, it’s a great place to start!
- Easy walking paths and viewing platforms
Bottle Beach
33 Ocosta Third St, Aberdeen
- More birds here than at any other viewing site.
- High number of bird species.
Grayland Beach
925 Cranberry Beach Rd, Grayland
- Best place to see the endangered snowy plover
Ocean Shores
Various locations
- Jetty is the best place to see turnstones
- Harborside of Ocean Shores during incoming tide, head to Bill’s Spit to see birds pushed in by the rising water – Mary shares, “It’s outstanding!” Address: 740 Peninsula Court SE, Ocean Shores.
Mary adds that knowing what time of day to go birding in Grays Harbor is important, particularly regarding the tides. “You want to be on location well in advance to let the tide push the birds to you,” she shares. “I like to recommend at least two hours prior to high tide, but if there has been a lot of rain or if there are storm surges coming in from the high seas, a three-hour window might even be better. Just know if you show up at a beach at the listed high tide, the birds will already be gone.”
You can find tide times for the year in relation to the shorebirds on the Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival website.
Annual Shorebird Festival in Grays Harbor
And while you’re visiting Grays Harbor for birdwatching, don’t miss the annual Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival!
Happening each year around late April, early May, the festival takes your birdwatching to the next level with guided tours, field trips, bird walks, a dessert social, a marketplace with birding vendors and exhibitors, live music and more!
Nature puts on a show once a year in Grays Harbor as the shorebirds come – don’t miss it.
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