Bird Watching At The Harbor Resort By Gary Otnes, Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Gary Otnes and his wife Marion are avid bird watchers and travel from Minnesota at least twice a year to enjoy the local wildlife of the Westport area.

For a change of pace from the sometimes list-chasing try a leisure day or two (or more) birding in and around the Harbor Resort, Westport, Washington. The resort offers several nicely appointed modular units situated squarely on Gray's Harbor, so close to the water that one can even fish from the deck attached to the unit. Tables and chairs are provided for deck use enabling easy use of a tripod-mounted scope. The beauty of the place is that the sea birds either fly close before one, or actually land on the deck railing. Not only does this afford super photographic opportunities, but also allows the birder the chance to work on, close-up, the plumage characteristics that separate various sea birds. Then, when rainshowers dampen things momentarily, simply move indoors and wait it out in comfort. To stretch the legs the birder is welcome on the adjacent marina decks, where not only sea birds are plentiful, but also sea lions and seals can be seen. Grey whales stay clear of the marine proper, but can be occasionally spotted from your deck. If one feels the urge to do a bit of land birding much habitat is readily available along the coast and immediately inland from Westport, twenty miles south to Tokelend. At Two Harbors St. Park, a few miles south, even a scrub-jay has been found. Along the coast a few miles more south a band-tailed pigeon is usually present. And all along the coast itself the birder can either drive or walk to find thousands of sanderling, dunlin, whimbril, long-gilled curlen, golden and pacific plover! Then return to the comfort of the resort's unit and besides the usual common gulls . . . western, glaucous-winged, thayer's, california, ring-billed and heermann's (this one's summer and fall) . . . one can occasionally spot black legged kittiwake and mew gull. The aforementioned gulls are not all inclusive., for others also show. The birder will see jaegers, terns, and various alcids as well. Rather than taking up space with a list of birds seen in and around the resort, just refer to any field guide to western birds. Check out the range maps. Any bird shown to nest at or migrate through the resort will be found there.

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