September 1  We arrive this afternoon at SeaTac airport and drive north through Seattle to Anacortes, with a stop at Padilla Bay to look for birds en route. We’ll use our remaining daylight to bird Washington Park, Rosario Strait, and other spots in the Anacortes area. Overnight Anacortes

September 2 Today we’ll bird in the Anacortes area and other parts of Fidalgo Island, including Mt. Erie and Deception Pass. The coastal areas and passes between the islands are good places to see alcids, sea ducks, and other coastal birds, while the lush forests give  us a chance to see Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Varied Thrush and Golden-crowned Sparrow. Overnight Anacortes

September 3  Leaving Anacortes, we head south to Whidbey Island, birding at several areas along Whidbey Island. We’ll take the ferry at Keystone to Port Townsend, and bird the Port Townsend area in the evening. After dinner in Port Townsend, we make the short drive to Sequim and check into our hotel. Overnight Sequim

September 4  We’ll spend all day birding in the Sequim Bay and Dungeness Spit area, one of the best birding areas of the northern Olympic peninsula. Shorebirds and waterfowl abound in the extensive coastal marshes here. Overnight Sequim

September 5  This morning  we leave Sequim early, and head down the west side of the Olympic Peninsula, with plenty of time to bird at various points en route, including the magical forest at Sol Duc, and the pristine Olympic Peninsula beaches at La Push, Ruby Beach, and Kalaloch. We arrive late at Ocean Shores. Overnight Ocean Shores

September 6 The Ocean Shores area has a well-deserved reputation as a great place to bird, with a wide variety of upland and coastal habitats in a relatively small area. It’s location along the coast at the mouth of Gray’s Harbor means it attracts many fall migrant songbirds and shorebirds. We’ll spend all day birding this area. Overnight Ocean Shores

September 7  We’ll depart early this morning for the drive to Westport, with plenty of time for birding along Gray’s Harbor and the famous Bowerman Basin on the way. This area is one of the most important migratory stopping points for shorebirds on the west coast. Overnight Westport

September 8  Just south of Westport are a number of bays and inlets that, like Gray’s Harbor, are important stopping places for shorebirds. Some rare birds, such as Bar-tailed Godwit are seen here at times. Today we’ll bird the Tokeland and Willapa Bay areas. Overnight Westport

September 9  We’ll spend the morning on a pelagic trip from Westport, traditionally one of the most productive of the west coast. In the evening we’ll do some birding in the Westport area. Overnight Westport

September 10  If weather interferes with our pelagic trip on Saturday, we have this morning as a back-up. Otherwise, we’ll leave Westport early, finishing our coastal loop as we return to the Tacoma area. On the way, we’ll stop for some birding at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and the south end of Puget Sound. Overnight Tacoma

September 11  This morning we’ll head to Fort Defiance Park for some last looks at the birds of the Puget Sound area. The mix of forest and coast here gives us a chance to look for anything we may have missed along the way. Afterwards we’ll make the short drive to SeaTac Airport and your flight home. Overnight at your home!

Arrival and Departure information: The tour begins in Seattle (at SeaTac airport) on September 1 and returns to Seattle (at SeaTac airport) in the morning of September 11. Flight arrangements between your home and SeaTac Airport in Washington should be made to arrive by early afternoon, about 1-2 pm. Departure flights should be made to leave SeaTac at mid-morning, about 10 am. Persons arriving by other means, or traveling to Washington early, should call for exact times and place to meet the tour.

If you have further questions regarding this trip, please call (866) 552-0221, or e-mail us at cbirds@westwings.com

This is the actual bird list from a previous year’s tour. The birds seen on any tour will vary, according to the yearly fluctuations in bird numbers, the desires of tour participants, and luck.