Best birding at Chinook County Park

Location: In town of Chinook, Pacific County.

Habitat: Beach and mud flats of Baker Bay on Columbia River.

Best seasons for birding: Fall through spring.

Birds commonly seen: Use scope to see black-bellied and semipalmated plovers and Western and least sandpipers feeding on sandbar. Purple martins nest in pilings. Fall specialties are brown pelicans and Heermann's gulls. Residents October through March include surf and white-winged scoters, some black scoters, American and some Eurasian wigeons, Northern pintails, greater and lesser scaups, and a few green-winged teal.

Viewing: Best at change from low to incoming tide. Walk to water, set up scope by picnic tables.

Getting there: From Highway 101 at Milepost 3.9 in the town of Chinook, turn southeast onto Chinook County Park Road.

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.