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Dungeness Bay |
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HABITAT: |
WDFW/county 200+ acres of river estuary, freshwater wetlands, tide flats, saltwater bay on Strait of Juan de Fuca. |
| BIRDING: |
Year-round avian extravaganza! Plentiful Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlins, Sanderlings, Brant, Western and Least Sandpipers – and rarely seen species: Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Wilson’s Phalarope; Sharp-tailed, Stilt, and Pectoral Sandpiper. Catch sight of American and Pacific Golden Plovers. Highlighting fall-winter are huge flocks of American Wigeons with some Eurasians; plus Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls. Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants abound. |
VIEWING: |
Premier birding at Crabs & Helen’s Pond – Best at rising/falling tide. From roadside at restaurant, scan tide flats, river estuary. Purple Martins nest in boxes on pilings May-August. At high tide, many birds move to Helen’s Pond, surrounding fields and cattail marshes. Check for Virginia Rails, American Bitterns, occasional Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Dungeness Landing County Park – From ADA observation deck, watch bay for sea- and shorebirds, skies for Caspian Terns spring-summer, trees for Bald Eagles.
Marlyn Nelson County Park – Check strait for Rhinoceros Auklets, Ancient Murrelets, Eared Grebes, Harlequin Ducks; and cliffs for Pigeon Guillemot nest holes. |
| ACCESS: |
Crabs & Helen’s Pond– From Hwy 101 at milepost 264.2 eastbound/263.8 westbound, take Sequim Ave exit. Turn north onto Sequim Ave/Sequim-Dungeness Wy. Drive 4.8 miles, veering right at Y to stay on Sequim-Dungeness Wy. Drive north 0.6 mile to road end, park on west or north. For pond, turn east onto 3 Crabs Rd, drive 0.2 mile to gravel pullout on right.
Dungeness Landing County Park – From road end, drive back south on Sequim-Dungeness Wy 0.6 mile. At Y intersection, turn right (west) onto E Anderson Rd. Drive 0.8 mile. Turn right (north) onto Marine Dr. Drive 0.2 mile, veer right onto Oyster House Rd, go downhill to Dungeness Landing parking.
Marlyn Nelson County Park – From Y intersection with E Anderson Rd, drive 3.5 miles south on Sequim-Dungeness Wy. Turn left (east) onto Port Williams Rd. Drive 2.6 miles to road end. Park by beach. |
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