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DISCOVER
Sunday, October 29, 2000 WINTER WILDLIFE: Some creatures are stirring
From birds to elk, it's a wild kingdom
NATALIE BAUER, THE OLYMPIAN "You have to be patient. You have to earn your right to sight elk in the wilderness. You have to be one with their habitat." -- Frank McMahon district chairman for the Western Washington Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Hibernating in winter is for the bears, not for the birds.
Most wildlife enthusiasts know that bird watching is best when the temperature drops and the snow starts to fall.
Lucky for avid bird watchers, South Sound is a great place to spy on their favorite feathered friends in winter.
Joe Buchanan, a wildlife biologist at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, says one of the best spots for birding is the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, especially for people who prefer open fields and pastures.
"There's a great diversity of habitat," Buchanan said. "You tend to see a lot there."
Birding the refuge's Brown Farm Dike Trail is a fantastic place to see more than 150 species of birds, including bald eagles, brant and several varieties of loons, grebes, hawks, falcons and great blue herons.
Winter in the refuge is also a temporary home to nearly 20,000 migratory waterfowl.
For birders who favor woodland areas, Buchanan suggested Priest Point Park along East Bay Drive, where dunlin, kingfisher, great blue herons and sandpipers among many other species can be seen.
Buchanan's personal favorite for bird watching is Oyster Bay, a great spot to see shore birds and waterfowl.
And never underestimate Olympia's waterfront when the southern part of the Budd Inlet fills with wintering water birds. Higher tides tend to be the best time to catch a closer glimpse of Olympia's waterfowl, Buchanan said.
Kelly McAllister, the district wildlife biologist for Thurston and Pierce counties, suggested McAllister Creek, the Kennedy Creek Estuary and the open pasture lands south of Mount Rainier as some other great birding locations.
McAllister said birders are most likely to see hawks, falcons, waterfowl and shorebirds during winter, and don't forget the resident Canada geese.
Both Buchanan and McAllister recommend keeping a good pair of waterproof binoculars and a field guide handy for quick identification.
Buchanan also suggested joining a local chapter of the National Audubon Society and participating in the expert-led field trips for beginning birders.
Early morning and right after it stops raining are the best times to go birding.
"Most wild animals are most active in the morning," McAllister said. "It tends to be a little bit better in early morning."
Winter is also a great time for elk spotting.
Frank McMahon, district chairman for the Western Washington Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said South Sound residents have great access to elk spotting, both in public and private areas.
McMahon said the best place for public elk spotting is at the Oak Creek Game Station, where elk from the Yakima herd are fed during the heavy snows from January to March.
Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., more than 800 elk show up for the feeding, as well as deer and orange sheep.
"It's awesome," McMahon said. "It's like an alarm clock goes off at 11 o'clock."
Volunteers from the elk-viewing audience are sometimes asked to help feed the animals.
McMahon also suggested heading to the Hob River Valley to spot the Olympic Peninsula herd.
The mudflow area of Mount St. Helens is also a good vantage point for elk spotting, but beware: The public access roads are blocked in winter. Wear good boots for trudging through the snow.
McMahon said the best times for elk spotting are the first two hours after dawn and one hour after sunset.
But McMahon warned eager elk spotters to take care when they are in the elk's habitat because elk are "flighty" at the first sight of humans.
"But as long as people don't bother them and hamper them, they'll stay there," he said.
The best elk spotters are those who wait, McMahon said.
"You have to be patient," he said. "You have to earn your right to sight elk in the wilderness. You have to be one with their habitat."
The Olympian Copyright 2000
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