Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Birders of the Puget Sound area are calling this the unofficial "year of the shearwater." Small flocks of short-tailed shearwaters, with a few sooty shearwaters mixed in, are still seen regularly, with a typical report reading something like “30 seen flying north” or “40 seen flying south.” It seems they’re always on the move.
The best nearby location for seeing shearwaters is still the Dune Peninsula area of Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. They’ve also been seen closer to home, primarily flying over the open waters of the Nisqually Reach. One friend told me: “I was looking at an ancient murrelet in my telescope when several shearwaters flew through the field of view.”
Ancient murrelets are small marine birds that winter in small numbers in Thurston County. They are quite small, slightly larger than a robin; in winter plumage they appear all gray with a white breast and chin, and a black cap. Their bill is pale and a good identification feature. They dive, and then “swim” underwater in pursuit of small fish. You might see them in any of our marine areas (I once saw one among the floating docks in Budd Inlet), but they typically prefer deeper water.
The “shearwaters flying by” accounts of this fall remind me of possibly the greatest wildlife experience of my life. It was in the fall of 1986 or 1987 and I journeyed one weekend to Ocean Shores seeking rare bird species. I was standing on the jetty that lines the entrance to Grays Harbor when a flock of dark shearwaters, mostly sooty, started flying into the harbor from the open ocean.
There were huge numbers in the flock and I watched them eagerly, hoping to see a light-colored bird, something unusual, mixed in. I never found that rare species, but what I did see was so astonishing I still remember it vividly. This thick flock of shearwaters kept coming and coming for over two hours! Using my best counting skills, I estimated that flock as over 1.5 million! Seeing that much life, all in one place and at one time, was for me the “experience of a lifetime.”
I asked Liam, who goes on many pelagic bird trips, about large shearwater flocks he has seen and he reports that the largest flocks nowadays are in the hundreds of thousands. One of my friends was salmon fishing in the ocean off Westport when he encountered one of the large flocks. The shearwaters were surrounding his boat as they flew by and, as he hooked a Chinook salmon, one became entangled in his fishing line. They got it loose while receiving several pecks from the bird’s sharp bill, and then he landed the fish.
Those Point Defiance birders seem to always see uncommon marine birds, ones that you should look for if you visit Dune Peninsula. Northern fulmars are still being seen, with up to three reported. Another bird reported in the Sabine’s gull. This is a small gull; its back is gray and its wings are contrasting black and white. For adults, the most striking is its black head and black bill with a bright yellow tip. Wintering birds and juveniles are most easily identified while flying with a unique gray, white and black wing pattern. Liam’s photo is of an adult, but that wing color pattern is the key to identifying a Sabine’s gull in any plumage.
Despite the federal government shutdown, our local Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge remains open to outdoor visitors (all buildings are closed). With the beautiful fall weather, the refuge is a great place for a bird watching walk. Taking my own advice, earlier this week I went out to the McAllister boardwalk and back. Birds were fairly sparce, but I did have nice views of whimbrels feeding in the salicornia (pickleweed) next the boardwalk.
These are large shorebirds with a speckled brown body, long down-turning bills, long legs and distinctive white stripes on their heads. They breed on the open arctic tundra and winter on the Pacific Coast south of Baja California. They feed by probing, seeking small creatures — while I watched, one caught a small crab that quickly disappeared down its throat. The whimbrels are here in small numbers throughout the winter, and a few may stay year-round.
In visiting the refuge for shorebirds, pay attention to the tide tables. Higher tides concentrate birds closer to the trail, where you get a better chance to spot them. While at the refuge, I also saw (at great distance, unfortunately) dunlin, dowitchers, yellowlegs, black-bellied plovers and one golden plover. Maybe next time the tide will bring them closer.
As of Oct. 21, the two rare godwit species, bar-tailed and Hudsonian, were still to be found with the large flock of marbled godwits at the Tokeland marina and boat basin. Still a chance to see these rare visitors.
Are you wondering why people go to the trouble of seeking out sightings of rare birds? A quick trip over to Tokeland might help you find out. Go look at these rare birds.
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
Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, an 18-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.
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SunterraTrail
Thank you. George and Liam. I always enjoy learning about the birds in our region.
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