Field Trip Recap: Let’s Go Birding Together at Foulweather Bluff Preserve

Last Saturday, 15 birders gathered at Foulweather Bluff in Hansville for a memorable Let’s Go Birding Together outing. With beautiful weather and an enthusiastic group, we managed to record 29 species across the preserve's rich forest, wetland, and beach habitats.

Forest & Woodland Highlights. The walk began under the forest canopy, where we enjoyed surprisingly intimate views of a Hairy Woodpecker actively foraging near the trail. Attentive eyes in the group also picked up a Western Flycatcher and the subtle movement of a Brown Creeper working its way up the tree bark.

Shoreline & Pond Viewing Emerging onto the beach, the group was greeted by a scattered flock of about a dozen Least Sandpipers alongside several Killdeer. Midway down the spit, we bumped into Nick, a knowledgeable local birder who added great context to our sightings and joining us for the remainder of our walk. Shifting our focus to the inland pond area, we observed:

• Swallows: Dozens of Barn Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows putting on an aerial show.

• Heronry: Great Blue Heron nests with visible, active juveniles.

• Raptors & Waterfowl: A majestic Bald Eagle, a hunting Osprey, and the clear highlight of the day—two American White Pelicans giving us a breathtaking flyover.

Natural History Bonus Near the far end of the beach, we located what appears to be a Belted Kingfisher burrow excavated directly into the coastal cliff face. Down at the water's edge, participants were also treated to a low-tide pool filled with hundreds of live sand dollars—a fantastic reminder of how rich the Puget Sound ecosystem is.

Thank you to all 15 participants who joined us, shared knowledge, and made the morning such a success!

Photos by Justin Carrington & Chris Russell.