Woodland Park Zoo

Planning my epic road trip – The Oregon and Washington leg

/ Bret Newton / 3 Comments

I’m still iffy on this part.  I’ve never visited this part of the country at all.  There are only a few must get birds in the area.  I think most of this part will be sightseeing the spectacular scenery.

Day 21 (Friday July 3) – Coos Bay

  • Coos Bay is a well-known spot for sea birds.
  • Target Birds
    1. Brandt’s Cormorant
    2. Pelagic Cormorant
    3. Common Murre*
    4. Pigeon Guillemot*
    5. Western Gull
    6. California Gull
    7. Glaucous-Winged Gull*
    8. Rufous Hummingbird*
    9. Peregrine Falcon
    10. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    11. Violet-Green Swallow
    12. Black-Capped Chickadee
    13. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    14. Wrentit
    15. Wilson’s Warbler
    16. Black-Headed Grosbeak
    17. Red Crossbill
  • From here, I will trek up to Mount Hood for the night.
  • Target Birds
    1. Ruffed Grouse*
    2. Sooty Grouse*
    3. Golden Eagle
    4. Sandhill Crane
    5. Vaux’s Swift*
    6. Rufous Hummingbird*
    7. Red-Breasted Sapsucker*
    8. Pacific-slope Flycatcher
    9. Gray Jay*
    10. Clark’s Nutcracker*
    11. Violet-Green Swallow
    12. Black-Capped Chickadee
    13. Chestnut-Backed-Chickadee*
    14. Pacific Wren
    15. Varied Thrush*
    16. Hermit Warbler*
    17. Purple Finch
    18. Evening Grosbeak
  • Camp at Mount Hood

Day 22 (Saturday July 4) – Oregon Zoo, Grays Harbor, and Olympic National Park

  • I will finish birding the Mouth Hood area in the early hours and head on into Portland.
  • As a zoo buff, I will be hitting up the Oregon Zoo on this morning.  I hope to be in and out quickly as the July 4th crowds will probably be hellish.  Looking forward to seeing their Bornean Elephant and a few other species.
  • Hopefully by noon or 1, I will be on my way into Washington.  I’ve been informed that Grays Harbor is a great spot for birding.
  • Target Birds
    1. Brant*
    2. Surf Scoter*
    3. White-Winged Scoter*
    4. Black Scoter
    5. Red-Throated Loon*
    6. Pacific Loon*
    7. Common Loon
    8. Sooty Shearwater
    9. Brandt’s Cormorant
    10. Pelagic Cormorant
    11. Black Turnstone*
    12. Surfbird*
    13. Red-Necked Phalarope*
    14. Common Murre*
    15. Pigeon Guillemot*
    16. Marbled Murrelet*
    17. Rhinoceros Auklet*
    18. Heerman’s Gull
    19. Western Gull
    20. California Gull
    21. Glaucous-Winged Gull*
    22. Rufous Hummingbird*
    23. Peregrine Falcon
    24. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    25. Northwestern Crow*
    26. Violet-Green Swallow
    27. Black-Capped Chickadee
    28. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    29. Pacific Wren
    30. Wilson’s Warbler
    31. Purple FInch
    32. Red Crossbill
  • From here, I will head up to Olympic National Park for the night.
  • Target Birds
    1. Harlequin Duck
    2. Surf Scoter*
    3. White-Winged Scoter*
    4. Brandt’s Cormorant
    5. Pelagic Cormorant
    6. Common Murre*
    7. Pigeon Guillemot*
    8. Marbled murrelet*
    9. Rhinoceros Auklet*
    10. Western Gull
    11. Glaucous-Winged Gull*
    12. Northwestern Crow*
  • Target birds leave out the birds I should have picked up by this point.

Day 23 (Sunday July 5) – Woodland Park Zoo and Mount Rainier

  • The Woodland Park Zoo is one of the crown jewels in the world of zoo exhibit design, which I’ve been keenly interested in for some years.
  • From here I will head to Mount Rainier for the night.
  • Target Birds
    1. White-Tailed Ptarmigan*
    2. Sooty Grouse*
    3. Band-Tailed Pigeon
    4. Vaux’s Swift*
    5. Rufous Hummingbird*
    6. Olive-Sided Flycatcher
    7. Hammond;s Flycatcher
    8. Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
    9. Gray Jay*
    10. Violet-Green Swallow
    11. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee*
    12. Pacific Wren
    13. American Dipper
    14. Varied Thrush*