Top birding on sandy point at Ocean Shores

Damon Point, Site 10 from "Olympic Loop" of Audubon Washington's Great Washington State Birding Trail

Location: Southeastern tip of Ocean Shores peninsula, Grays Harbor County.

Habitat: 71 acres of state-owned sand spit with shore pines, on saltwater harbor. A designated Important Bird Area.

Best seasons for birding: Year-round.

Birds commonly seen: North shoreline in fall hosts American pipits, horned larks, Pacific golden plovers and Lapland longspurs. Look inland for western and least sandpipers, dunlins, semipalmated plovers. Raptors abound: bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, and Peregrine falcons; September-April see merlins, rough-legged hawks. Offshore highlights are red-throated and common loons; surf, black, and white-winged scoters.

Viewing tips: Paved trail leads 0.2 mile. Beach extends 3.5 miles to point. Best viewing two hours before or after high tide. Bonus: Interpretive Center on Discovery Avenue Southeast, .3-mile from park entrance.

Getting there: From Highway 109 at Milepost 16, turn south onto Highway 115. Drive 2.3 miles, turn left (south) into Ocean Shores on Point Brown Avenue Northwest. Drive 5.3 miles. Veer right (west) onto Discovery Avenue Southeast/Marine View Drive Southeast. Drive 0.2 mile. Park on roadside.

More birding: On beach — West of Damon Point on Marine View Drive, park on roadside for short walk to shore. At Interpretive Center — From Damon Point, turn north onto Marine View Drive Southeast/Discovery Avenue Southeast. Drive 0.3 mile, staying straight at Y. Park at center. Cross street south to boardwalk. Watch for common loons in bay, least sandpipers on beach.

Source: Audubon Washington, Great Washington State Birding Trail maps. See maps online (or order hard copies, $4.95 apiece), at wa.audubon.org.