Washington Photo Tour: Breeding Passerines of the West

Washington, the “Evergreen state” is rightly famed for its dramatic scenery, but is often overlooked as a premier destination for bird photography. This photo tour combines the Olympic Peninsula, with its yawning miles of coastlines and forests bordering this, with a trip into the east of Washington, where forested highlands, mountain lakes, riparian patches and rolling hills will be on the agenda. Thus, the tour will visit a bounty of excellent bird habitats, including dramatic jagged mountains, glacial valleys, and ancient old growth forests, as well as the seemingly endless western coastlines. When many people think of Washington, they think of the waterbirds. This indeed applies to this tour with birds like Barrow’s goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon and if we’re lucky on timing, Red-necked Grebe. However, an abundance of songbirds breed in the state, particularly in forests and steppes in the east. We will be visiting areas of the scenically-stunning cascades to seek out photographs of species like Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager. We will also take advantage of the several ‘chicken-like’ birds that breed in Washington, chiefly the Sooty and Dusky Grouse, both will hopefully strut their stuff in front of our lenses. It cannot be overstated quite how oddly underrated this region is for the bird photographer; this tour will provide an abundance of proof of this. On many days we have multiple options on where to photograph birds in a vast region with plentiful habitats and breeding birds all around, and so the detailed day plan will often evolve based on what species we are still looking to photograph at that point. Please note, this tour does not visit any feeding sites and is ENTIRELY field photography. There is a little bit of walking required but no strenuous hiking.