Fort Flagler State Park	xxx	xxx
HABITAT:	State’s 784 acres of meadows, forest, 4 miles of saltwater beach.
BIRDING:	Shorebirds grab headlines: Western Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Black Turnstones, Surfbirds. Summer-fall, see Heermann’s, Bonaparte’s, and California Gulls; plus Caspian and Common Terns. In winter on sand spit, Thayer’s Gulls mix with Glaucous-winged and Mew. Fall-spring, saltwater is home to Pacific Loons, Brants, Red-breasted Mergansers, Pigeon Guillemots, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks, Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants.
VIEWING:	Walk west on sand spit for Western Meadowlarks in driftwood. At low tide, walk beach east 1.0 mile to Marrowstone Point. Take trail up to bluff and back on park road for American Pipits. Check snags year-round for Pileated, Hairy, and Downy Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Sapsuckers. Scope tallest trees for Bald Eagles, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons. (Also see sparrows of Kah Tai Lagoon; forest birds of Fort Worden.)
ACCESS:	From Hwy 19 at milepost 10.7, turn east onto Hwy 116/Ness’s Corner Rd/Flagler Rd. Drive 9.8 miles (stay left at Y at 1.9 miles) to end of Hwy 116 at park. Continue 0.5 mile to 4-way intersection. Spit/campground – Turn left (west), drive 1.2 miles to end, park at kiosk. Marrowstone Point – Drive north to learning center/museum/housing. Drive 0.1 mile. Turn right at sign to Marrowstone Point. Drive 0.4 miles; road curves along bluff, drops to parking at beach.
MORE BIRDING :	From Fort Flagler entrance, return west 5.4 miles on Hwy 116. Turn left (south) at Jefferson County Park sign, drive 0.2 mile to beach parking lot. Halfway to beach is access to 2-mile trail to small county park by highway bridge over Oak Bay Lagoon.
EVEN MORE BIRDING :	From Fort Flagler entrance, return 8.1 miles on Hwy 116 to Y intersection. Turn left onto Oak Bay Rd. Drive 0.4 mile. Turn left at camping sign onto Portage Wy. Drive 0.2 mile to Oak Bay Campground. Scan inner bay. Along with birds found in/around Fort Flagler, rocky shore and jetty attract Black Turnstones, Surfbirds, Black Oystercatchers. Bonus: harbor seals, river otters.

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