Four Days in May

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.

There are times throughout the year when I’m reminded of how special the Pacific Northwest can be. It’s a feeling that’s usually associated with seasonal changes, and perhaps no other time of year brings this to the forefront more than the first part of May. There are opportunities aplenty to see large numbers of birds and a diversity of species. From the middle of April to the first part of May, northbound migrants are overlapping many of the birds that have wintered here, making for a wonderful mix for bird watchers. Some of our resident birds already have young in their nests, and the migrants that spend the summer with us are arriving to stake out their territories.

A common facet of avian migration, this overlapping phenomenon creates an exciting time to be outdoors. Many shorebird species are in transit to their northern nesting grounds, sporting colorful breeding plumage. The same black-bellied plovers that moved through the area in the fall, looking gray and indistinct, are now sporting the deep black belly patches that give them their name. While many of the migrants have the same basic plumage year round, shorebirds can be quite beautiful in May. Breeding plumage makes it easier to identify most species.

After a relatively cool and soggy April — a record-setter for rainfall, in fact — May came in with sunshine and its own record-setting high temps. True to the old adage about weather, however, we waited and it did change; but all the more reason to seize each day for whatever it has to offer. It’s the roller-coaster weather of the Pacific Northwest that keeps us on our toes and increases our appreciation of each and every day. Since we’re powerless to change the weather, we simply embrace it and dress accordingly.

I had the opportunity to spend the first four days of May in the field and afloat, with a wide range of birds to complement the gamut of weather and habitat. It was not intentional on my part to piece together the variety that I encountered, but it certainly worked out that way. I began this sampler on the first day of May, which turned out to be the best day of the year, with ample sunshine and temperatures right around 70 degrees. I visited the following places on the first four days of the month.

There’s no need to travel very far to spend a day birding at a world-class refuge. Just 45 miles from Bellingham, on Westham Island, BC, this place is a birdwatcher’s delight. If you arrive right as the gate opens, at 9 a.m., you have the entire refuge to yourself before the crowds come in. Some of the birds at Reifel are well habituated to humans, allowing for close looks to observe bird behavior. The real crowd pleasers these days are the sandhill cranes that nest at the refuge. These are wild birds so keep an eye on their stiletto-like bills, especially if there are chicks close by.

The trails and pathways at Reifel are laid out in a pattern that allows you to cover the entire refuge in a systematic way. On the other hand, you can just start walking and explore. Before long, you’ll find yourself surrounded by birds, many of which are used to handouts, so be prepared. There are numerous blinds that offer closer looks at most of the waterfowl, and well-placed benches to stop and enjoy the day. The observation tower offers a 360º view of the entire refuge and the surrounding wetlands out to the Strait of Georgia. Reifel is on my Top Ten list of favorite places to see birds.

Since the refuge closes at 4 PM, it’s natural to incorporate a stop in Blaine on the way home. On this particular day, the incoming tide was moving a few thousand shorebirds directly toward me at Marine Park. The last spot to be covered by the high tide, however, is the boat launch area next to the marina. This is where all of the shorebirds were as the sun was going down. I had great, close-up views of dunlin, western sandpipers, one least sandpiper, more than two dozen whimbrels and a lone marbled godwit. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

For an off day when you have a little time on your hands, drive, ride your bike, or take the bus to the parking area on Electric Avenue that is the trailhead for the Whatcom Creek Trail. From here, it’s a short walk to one of Bellingham’s very own urban preserves — Scudder Pond. This 2.8 acre wetland is owned by the North Cascades Audubon Society and abuts Whatcom Falls Park. The cattails on the pond shelter numerous waterfowl species, including nesting wood ducks and hooded mergansers. Over the past several years this has been one of the more reliable places to see Virginia rails, with at least two nesting pairs. On this day I observed two recently hatched chicks, which resemble small bundles of black feathers with long legs.

Many passerine species nest at Scudder Pond, as well, including bushtits, song sparrows, cedar waxwings, and the ever popular red-winged blackbirds. Just before the trail enters Whatcom Falls Park, a few snags provide nesting potential for woodpeckers. On the day that I stopped by, one of the snags was visited by northern flickers and pileated woodpeckers while a downy woodpecker was busy delivering food to a nest in the same snag. To have three woodpecker species in one tree at the same time was a real treat. All this was happening while a few of the recently arrived black-headed grosbeaks filled the day with song.

Whale watching cruises are often the focal point for many visitors and residents alike during the summer months, but there are very few local cruises which are dedicated to bird watching. There is, however, one notable exception. Leaving from the Fairhaven Cruise Terminal, the Salish Sea cruises south to as far as the southern tip of Lopez Island. While the cruise focuses on the variety of species that spend time in local waters, this is also a great opportunity to gain perspective on the geography of this part of Puget Sound. Naturalists and spotters are onboard to assist in identification and point out the names of all the islands that you navigate past on this seven-hour cruise.

On the trip that I took on May 3, we had 37 species of birds and good views of a large number of harbor seals. Birds that we saw along the way included migratory flocks of Bonaparte’s gulls, along with significant numbers of rhinoceros auklets, marbled murrelets, and pigeon guillemots — all in breeding plumage. In addition to the natural beauty and the birds, motoring through the Swinomish Channel through La Conner offers a different view of one of the unique towns in northern Puget Sound.

The southern part of the channel is bordered by extensive tidal flats and this is the place for black oystercatchers and Caspian terns. As you leave the channel and head into deeper water, ospreys and bald eagles are common sights all the way into Deception Pass. The tidal flow through this narrow pass is considered to be one of the most formidable on the West Coast. The bridge over the narrow passage connects Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. The next stop was the south end of Lopez Island, with hopes of seeing tufted puffins. With or without puffins, it’s a very pleasurable cruise and a great way to spend a summer Saturday. The lunch is great, too!

This North Cascades Audubon Society field trip began as the May Day Meander since the inaugural hike was actually on May 1. Since then, the name was altered slightly but the hike remains as enjoyable as ever, despite what you might have heard about the rain. This year, eleven intrepid birders set out to hike the length of Whatcom Creek, from Scudder Pond to Holly St. in downtown Bellingham.

Despite the fact that rain greeted us at the trailhead, eleven participants were ready to go. As soon as we reached Scudder Pond, the air was filled with Vaux’s and black swifts. When the ceiling is low, these high-flying mountain birds have a tendency to seek flying insects at lower elevations. It was quite a spectacle right at the start and added to other highlights on this three-mile walk, which included two American dipper nests and one barred owl in the park. The two green herons on the lower creek topped off the day.

In all, those first four days in May provided just a slice of the opportunities that exist in the Fourth Corner. George Reifel is an easy one-hour drive into British Columbia, but be sure to take your passport. Scudder Pond is extremely easy to get to, as is all of Whatcom Falls Park. For prospective boaters, the trips have been trimmed down to four this year, so sign on early for the remaining trips in June, July, and August. Better weather is upon us, and summer is right around the corner, so make plans now to get out enjoy all the bounty that we have close at hand.