Birding on Camano
If you are like me, the new year always holds promise for new opportunities, new experiences, and new memories. And for me, nothing sets the tone for the year like spending time in nature.
Birding is one of my favorite hobbies because it’s very accessible – there are no time requirements, it can be stationary or active, it can be a solo or group activity, and it can be done anywhere. You can bird from home with coffee in hand, or you can visit a local park or trail. If you haven’t explored Camano Island or are looking for some new places, here are some gems worth a visit this year.
English Boom Trail County Park
Starting on the north end of the island, this is a great spot for waterbirds, especially in the winter months. Multiple species of loon, scoter, and grebe can be seen here, in addition to the several ducks that are common.
Iverson Trail Preserve
Arguably the premier birding spot on the island, 199 species have been recorded here according to eBird.org. During low tides you can hope to find dozens of herons and eagles in the flats and on the pilings. Diving and dabbling ducks are bountiful here in the winter, as well as mesmerizing flocks of Dunlin. Trumpeter Swans are also common in winter, along with loons and grebes. Be sure to return in the spring to look for Purple Martins, Capsian Terns, and swallows.
Barnum Point Preserve
Situated along Port Susan Bay, an area officially designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), this preserve offers a bounty of birding options along its 10 trails. Goldeneyes and mergansers are winter highlights here, and the preserve is home to all 5 species of woodpecker in the area.
Four Springs Lake Preserve
An inland location, this preserve offers great opportunities for viewing forest birds. Take the Holton Wetland Interpretive Trail through the marsh and the Ravine Drop Off Trail for opportunities to see Brown Creepers, kinglets, chickadees, and in summer months, warblers. Don’t overlook the birds by the parking lot and grassy field, either!
Cama Beach Historical State Park
This park really has it all in terms of habitat, from shoreline to forest to lake. Head for the shoreline to view gulls, cormorants, and guillemots. The Cranberry Lake Trail takes you to the lake, where you may be able to see herons, kingfishers, and Wood Ducks.
Elger Bay Preserve
The best birding here occurs along the beaver marsh. In the winter, you can look for ducks, herons, eagles, and hawks at the marsh. In the summer, swallows, warblers, and flycatchers are common sightings here. Keep an eye out for woodpeckers along the forested trails in this preserve.
Camano Island State Park
Lastly and perhaps most well-known, this park offers a nice variety of habitat from saltwater beaches to dense forest. Look for gulls, grebes, loons, and ducks along the waterfront, then head inland to search for jays, kinglets, sparrows, and wrens. This park gets busy in the summer months, but can be quieter in the winter making it a lovely place to saunter.
These places all offer wonderful winter birding opportunities, but be sure to come back in the spring during migration and you’ll find a whole new suite of birds to enjoy!
