Birding Tacoma

Joe Meche is a past president of the North Cascades Audubon Society and is still active in chapter affairs.He has been watching birds for more than 60 years and photographing birds and landscapes for more than 40 years. He has written more than 132 articles for Whatcom Watch.

I took my Caspian Tern presentation on the road at the end of March and found myself with time on my hands in, of all places, Tacoma. Since I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity to search for birds in a new locale, I made it a point to look around as time allowed. The presentation that I did was for the monthly meeting of the Tahoma Audubon Society, and the meeting place was the Tacoma Nature Center at Snake Lake Park. As soon as I arrived at the nature center, it seemed that I wouldn’t need to look or go very far!

It turned out that I had inadvertently discovered one of Tacoma’s hidden treasures. The 71-acre nature preserve encompasses Snake Lake and the surrounding wetlands and forests in an area just west of the bustle of downtown Tacoma. The trails that traverse the park start right at the same parking area for the nature center, so I was able to enjoy the center and all its exhibits and the adjoining grounds before I hit the trails. The main trail is conveniently laid out in a rough figure-eight pattern that crosses the wetland at three separate locations.

While the trails parallel the wetland, two bridges span the open water areas allowing ample opportunities to look for birds. As soon as I stepped onto the first bridge, there were hooded mergansers, buffleheads, and pied-billed grebes feeding and resting well within binocular range. As I scanned the trees, I imagined what the place would look and sound like when all the neotropical migrants arrived for the nesting season. I followed the trails on the north side of the wetland and climbed into perfect habitat to view woodland species, including two very obliging brown creepers and a Pacific wren.

Snake Lake was used by native tribes long before the first white settlers arrived. This was a place for gathering berries, bulbs, and shoots that were abundant in the wetlands, along with a variety of materials that were used in and around their dwellings. In a pattern that has been repeated many times in the history of Puget Sound, the natives were displaced when the new settlers saw the area’s potential for recreational pursuits. In 1928 Snake Lake and the surrounding land became part of the Metropolitan Parks District of the City of Tacoma.

Since I arrived much earlier than anticipated, I headed for the Tacoma Narrows and yet another of Tacoma’s treasures − Point Defiance Park. I traveled by way of the Commencement Bay waterfront with stops at a few small parks along Ruston Way. These parks provided views of the usual contingent of Puget Sound birds, including gulls and cormorants. When I arrived at the entrance to the park, I found a small pond that was filled with a variety of good birds, including buffleheads, ring-necked ducks, American wigeons, and hooded mergansers. The activity was so intense that I found it difficult to leave, but I continued into the park.

If you have the benefit of time and are feeling slightly more adventurous, the park has the popular Five Mile Drive to consider. This easy one-way drive takes you around the entire peninsula to see more of the natural setting and sample a bit of the history of the early settlements in this part of Puget Sound. Hiking and biking trails intersect the auto loop and side trips from the loop will take you to Fort Nisqually and Owen Beach.

Point Defiance Park actually started out as a military reservation in the 1840s, with its commanding views of the straits from the high cliffs on the tip of the peninsula. It was never used for military operations, however, and was authorized as a public park in 1888 by President Grover Cleveland. If you’re a fan of the whole historical reenactment scene, stop by Fort Nisqually while you’re in the park. The fort is now a living museum and has programs that delve into the early history of the area.

My preference was to stop by Owen Beach for the view across Dalco Passage to Vashon Island and Dash Point, with the possibility of observing seabirds that utilize the rich tidal straits. This particular part of Point Defiance Park offers a variety of activities, similar to many of Puget Sound’s marine parks. Whether you’re boating, beachcombing, wind surfing, or just watching the ferry run between Tacoma and Vashon Island, this is a great place to visit. I was especially thankful for the picnic shelters when a sudden downpour rolled through the area. This is a perfect location to utilize a spotting scope for bird watching.

This 702-acre urban park is similar in many ways to Vancouver’s Stanley Park, both in layout and in the variety of amenities provided in a unique natural setting. Like Stanley Park, there’s a wonderful zoo and aquarium with ample educational opportunities. This large zoo provides a great place for the entire family to spend the day exploring all the exhibits and walking the well-signed pathways. I’ve always had mixed emotions about zoos in general. While I can understand the education potential, especially for young children, I still find it difficult to embrace an exhibit containing sad-looking common murres and tufted puffins. I’m certain that those birds would be much happier and healthier diving in the cold waters of the Salish Sea.

The American Planning Association (APA) designated Point Defiance Park as one of the Great American Places in 2011. After my brief visit there, I wholeheartedly agree with the APA. The old-growth forests within the park, the beaches, the steep cliffs, and spectacular views of the Tacoma Narrows contribute to this urban park’s user-friendly appeal. Two U.S. presidents have been directly involved in legislation signing over this entire peninsula to the City of Tacoma to maintain for future generations.

When I returned from my afternoon at Point Defiance, I had time before the meeting so I set out on the Snake Lake trails one more time. Within the first quarter mile, I located four woodpecker species, kinglets, Bewick’s wrens, and yellow-rumped warblers. Great blue and green herons were prowling the shallows for late meals but the best was yet to come. It was just about dusk when I heard the unmistakable call of a great horned owl. After I located the owl, we exchanged a few hoots until I had to tear myself away for the presentation. My opening comments were about my discoveries of the day – information which was probably old hat for the locals, given their knowing nods and smiles.

Trips like this one always prove to me that every place you go has something to offer, if you have the time and patience to look. I also gain a little more appreciation and perspective for what we have here in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Even as towns and cities grow and human populations increase, it’s still possible to set aside natural areas with an eye to the future. In the end, all creatures benefit from these restful havens.