Well we’ve done a lot of articles, visited a lot of parks, wildlife refuges, as well as traveled out of the country to find birds and wildlife. So we felt it was time to finally list the best spots for birding in our home state of Washington. We’ve got our work cut out for us to do the same for other PNW states as well as Canada but we’ll get to it! As for this list we’ll start with our six favorite spots but may come back later to update if we feel the need to add more.
Head north of Seattle anytime of year to the Skagit Valley, out here in this picturesque farmland you’ll see Short-eared Owls, Northern Harriers, and lots of Bald Eagles. Head to the Snow Goose Produce Market to get an ice cream cone or in the summer to get some fresh berries and vegetables. And then look for the actual Snow Geese – massive flocks of these bright white geese arrive here. Watching them take off and land in giant groups is mesmerizing. Check out both our previous articles on the Skagit Valley, the first on the Owls and the second following the Harriers.
Down in the South East corner of the state is Walla Walla, a wonderful little city, known for it’s winery’s and stunning views of the Blue Mountains. Schedule out one early morning before you spend the day wine tasting to head over to Bennington Lake for some birding. You’ll see Western Tanagers, Lazuli Bunting, Quail, Orioles and more. Bring your bug spray and sun screen make sure you circle the entire lake. Then after a day of wine tasting find one of the many incredible restaurants in town for dinner. We loved Hattaway’s on Alder, but there are many great spots here! Check out our article on Walla Walla birding.
Down on the Columbia River, just north of Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR sits the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. Here lies miles of wetlands along the Columbia, the refuge lies between the Columbia and the quaint town of Ridgefield. There are multiple entrances and trails to visit, you’ll see all sorts of birds here, waterfowl, song birds, birds of prey and more. Ridgefield is right off I5 so you could plan a day here or just swing by on a drive between Portland and Seattle. Check out our article on birding in Ridgefield.
Well if you didn’t stop at Ridgefield on your drive between Portland and Seattle, maybe you still have time to stop at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Just northeast of Olympia, the parking area and visitor center is even closer to the freeway than Ridgefield. Another spot with all the different kinds of wildlife to see, this refuge has a massive long boardwalk that goes out a ways over tidal flats where the Nisqually River flows into the Puget sound. Here we saw loads of waterfowl, Harriers, pheasants and more. Read more about the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge here.
Back on the east side of the Cascades you’ll find the McNary Wildlife Refuge as well as the Columbia Wildlife Refuge not far from the Tri-Cities. Kind of a two for one here, McNary is near where the Snake River feeds into the Columbia as well as the Walla Walla River. Where three rivers meet there are bound to be lots of birds! There are other parks nearby as well, you could spend multiple days here watching wildlife and hopefully enjoying some east of the mountains sunshine. The Columbia Wildlife Refuge is a short drive north of the Tri-Cities, it is a beautiful rocky landscape spotted with glacier made lakes. Here you can hike and enjoy the views as well as watch for wildlife. Read about our visit here.
Not far from the Skagit Valley is the last of our favorite spots for birding, one the the greatest and quite unique part of Washington is the islands in the Puget Sound. While there are many islands and coastal areas to explore we have always loved Whidbey Island. A short ferry ride from Mukilteo or a scenic drive through the Skagit Valley and across the incredible Deception Pass Bridge will take you to Whidbey Island. A long narrow island that includes lakes and multiple state parks including historical Fort Casey provides loads of opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing. You’ll find seabirds, waterfowl, song birds, owls and even White Pelicans which now frequent the island every year at Deer Lagoon and Crockett Lake (where we spotted the pictured River Otter). You can’t go wrong on Whidbey, visit Deception Pass and South Whidbey State park and anywhere else along the way. Get some ice cream in Coupeville and visit the pier, grab dinner in Langley or pick up a sandwich at Pickles Deli and find a spot for a picnic.
Honorable Mentions: Two places we’ve visited but have yet to write about are Discovery Park in Seattle and the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge just south of Cheney in Eastern Washington. Both places have a wide variety of wildlife and are well worth the visit! You should also check out the Theler Wetlands near Belfair on the Hood Canal, a beautiful area in the South Puget Sound.
Useful Links and Info:
- Check out all our other birding and nature adventures here.
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- Most of these shots were taken with the Sony a7 along with the Sony FE 200-600mm lens.
- Always bring bug spray and sun screen when birding!