McNary National Wildlife Refuge is winter wonderland for waterfowl

Site 39 from "Sun & Sage Loop" of Great Washington State Birding Trail.

Location: Off Columbia River in Walla Walla County, near the Tri-Cities.

Habitat: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge; 15,894 acres of river islands, sloughs, seasonal wetlands, mudflats, riparian areas, shrub-steppe uplands.

Best seasons for birding: Fall through spring. Winter gets top rating.

Birds commonly seen: Some 100,000 Canada geese and mallards arrive in October and November, plus tundra swans, green-winged teal, lesser scaups, ring-necked ducks, common goldeneyes, hooded mergansers, American wigeons and canvasbacks. Good migratory birding in spring and fall for ruddy ducks and yellow-headed blackbirds.

Viewing: Take 1-mile loop Burbank Slough Wildlife Trail; check out viewing blind. Walk 0.3-mile Bird Spur trail in trees. Bonus: painted turtles sunning on logs.

Access: From Highway 12 at Milepost 295.3, turn north onto Highway 124 (toward Waitsburg). Drive one mile. Turn right onto Lake Drive. Drive 0.7 mile. Turn right into McNary Education Center.

More birding: Return 1.6 miles toward Highway 12. Turn right into Hood Park. Turn right at gate to dirt parking area. Walk east past steel gate into trees, and follow 0.5-mile informal trail around slough. Best birding in fall and winter. Examine trees for Harris' and white-throated sparrows, hermit and varied thrushes, black-capped chickadees. Find flocks of yellow-rumped warblers, cedar waxwings, Oregon juncos. Look for wood ducks at marsh pond.

Source: Audubon Washington, Great Washington State Birding Trail maps. To order maps (Cascade Loop, Coulee Corridor, Olympic Loop, Southwest Loop or Sun & Sage Loop), go to www.wa.audubon.org. Details, call 866-922-4737.