Description

Celebrating Nature
and the Spring Migration of
Shorebirds in Grays Harbor County
EACH SPRING, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip! Tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the open mudflats in the estuary. This concentration of birds offers people a great chance to view a number of shorebird species, and with luck, to see the birds fly together in beautiful formations while trying to escape the fastest creature on earth, the Peregrine Falcon.

There's Something for Everyone!

Keynote Speaker

Field Trips with expert birders to birding hotspots in Grays Harbor County

Lectures on shorebird identification.

The Birding Marketplace with numerous vendors and exhibitors.

Saturday Night Annual Dinner and Speaker

Nature Fun Fair with lots of hands on activities is great for kids and families.

Shorebird viewing is of course why most people participate in the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. Shorebird migration in Grays Harbor County begins around April 21 and continues for about 3 weeks. Each year, field trip leaders and observers at the Refuge post their bird sightings. Click here to download the detailed list of birds seen on the 2015 Field Trips and by observers at the Refuge.