Birders' Top Spots | Cowlitz Wildlife Area: Swofford Pond

Location: Near Mossyrock, Lewis County

Habitat: A 220-acre pond bounded by wetlands and mature deciduous trees owned by Tacoma Power, managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Best season for birding: Good year-round. Excellent sightings now, mixing winter birds with beginning of spring migrants.

Birds commonly seen: Lots of birds of lots of species: Look for Western grebes doing mating dance on water, and nesting ospreys, plus common loons, Barrow's goldeneyes, and common mergansers. Ruby-crowned kinglets and pine siskins sing in cottonwoods, Pacific-slope and willow flycatchers in alders. Red crossbills stay late spring-late fall. Winter promises northern shrikes, plus northern shovelers, lesser scaups, northern pintails; blue-winged, green-winged, and possible cinnamon teal; and occasional ring-necked ducks. American kestrels, bald eagles, red-breasted sapsuckers, and downy, hairy and pileated woodpeckers are year-round residents.

Viewing: Walk 1.25-mile trail along shoreline or take nonmotorized boat on pond. Bonus: possible river otter and muskrat.

Getting there: From Highway 12 at Milepost 86.9 in the town of Mossyrock, turn south onto Williams Street/Highway 122. Drive 0.3 mile. Turn east (left) at "T" onto East State Street/Mossyrock Road. Drive 2.5 miles. Turn right at "Y" (south) onto Swofford Road. Drive 3 miles (road turns left at 1.8 miles, becoming Green Mountain Road.). Turn right (south) into parking for South Swofford Pond Trail.

Source: Audubon Washington, Great Washington State Birding Trail maps. To order maps (Cascade Loop, Coulee Corridor, Olympic Loop or Southwest Loop), go online to www.wa.audubon.org. Call toll-free, 866-922-4737, for more information.