Birds and bird festivals 

Every day this time of year, another migrating bird species arrives. This week, suddenly and from many locations, the first black-throated gray warbler migrants have been seen. They are returning from their wintering sites in Central Mexico.  

A black-throated gray warbler, as seen singing.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

They are small, just 4 to 5 inches, and very active. They have blue-gray backs, and black stripes on the sides of their white breasts. Their faces feature a bold black stripe through the eye and a bright yellow patch behind the bill. The sexes are similar, with the female being somewhat duller and the male having a solid black throat. 

They nest on horizontal branches, usually on fir trees, but they often come down to brushy sites near the ground in pursuit of insects, their preferred food. That brings them in-close, where one can get a good look. Several years ago, one male spent about a week fighting his reflection in a window. That certainly gave me a good look, and helped make this bird one of my favorites.

A western flycatcher.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

A second favorite summer-only resident, the western flycatcher, is also arriving this week from its wintering areas in central Mexico. This bird frequents the understory of large conifers, sitting on an open perch, and then darting out to catch his prey. One often hears its song, a short three-note whistle, before actually seeing the bird. 

The several small flycatcher species in our area are difficult to identify visually. Liam’s photo shows the key features — olive green overall with two wing bars, lighter breast and an eye ring. But for me the key to their identification is location, behavior and its distinctive vocalization. 

A Cassin's vireo.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

A third interesting migrant, also arriving from its Mexican vacation, is the Cassin’s vireo. You may know this bird as the solitary vireo, but a while back ornithologists divided that species into three separate ones. This is a fairly common smallish bird, similar in size to sparrows and warblers, and it actively hunts its insect prey at mid-height in open deciduous trees.  

Both sexes are alike in this species. The dominant color is olive-brown with a grayish head and two white wing bars, and the white breast is tinged yellow under the wings. One very obvious identification mark is the bold white “spectacles” on its face. It has a distinctive ascending and descending song that’s hard to describe. The Merlin app will help with this challenge.  

Spring bird festivals – Part 1 

This coming weekend is the Olympic Bird Fest with its headquarters at the Dungeness River Nature Center, located near Sequim. There are many field trips offering opportunities to see both spring migrants and species like the harlequin duck and Heerman’s gull that winter in marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  

A bit closer to home, the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival is scheduled for the weekend of May 1-3. High tides during daylight hours are the best times to get a close-up view of the abundant shorebirds that visit Grays Harbor to feed before traveling on to their arctic breeding territories. They are pushed closer to shore, and closer to you, during highest tide. 

The festival centers around the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, located off Highway 109 adjacent to Bowerman Airport just west of Hoquiam. The nearby sewage treatment pond is also worthwhile checking out since it sometimes attracts interesting birds. 

My favorite shorebird viewing area is on the south side of the harbor along Highway 105. It’s Bottle Beach State Park, a relatively recent addition to our state park system. There’s good parking, and a short trail leads to a long beach that is available for shorebird feeding even at the highest tides.  

About a mile before Bottle Beach the highway crosses Johns River. By turning left (south) at the first road after the bridge, you will come to the WDFW Johns River Wildlife Area and a dike trail, a good birding location. A Washington Discover Pass is required for parking at both Bottle Beach and Johns River.

This past weekend there was a white-tailed kite frequenting the Johns River area. This medium-sized raptor hunts rodents by hovering over grassy areas. When not hunting, it often perches in the open. It has a gray back and wings and a bold black shoulder patch. Its dramatic white tail is partially hidden when it perches, but that shoulder patch is always visible. Twenty years ago these birds were seen most years in southwest Washington, but they have been rare of late.

A white-tailed kite.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

Spring migration season is prime time for bird watching for both beginners and lifelong friends of our feathered neighbors. This might be the time to push household chores aside and reconnect with all these long distance travelers. 

 George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com 

Bird photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, an 18-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.