Field trip birders—Photo: Dow Lambert
Dungeness Bay Late August Field Trip Report 8/30/2026
by Bob Boekelheide
When you think of birds in Dungeness Bay during late August and early September, what species immediately comes to mind? California Gulls, of course. Late summer is the peak of California Gull migration, as they move from nesting colonies in the prairies of western North America to their winter hangouts in California and Mexico. After nesting, much of the world’s population passes through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, visiting bays, river mouths, and joining feeding flocks offshore. California Gulls didn’t disappoint on our 8/30/2026 OPAS field trip to Dungeness Bay—we saw thousands around the bay as well as many up close and personal.
California Gulls at Three Crabs—Photo: Bob Boekelheide
The weather cooperated beautifully, with high overcast and light winds all day. Twenty birders joined our field trip, eager to find migrant shorebirds, waterfowl, and, of course, gulls.
For adrenaline junkies, we witnessed a young Peregrine Falcon trying to chase down a forlorn dowitcher, weaving and looping over the salt marsh in hot pursuit. Amazingly, after many twists and turns, the dowitcher finally eluded the Peregrine by ducking into a shrub on the edge of the marsh. As a result of the chase, several field-trippers chose Peregrine Falcon as their bird of the day. But hey—what about the poor dowitcher? Check out Michelle Meney’s amazing photo of the Peregrine in flight.
Peregrine Falcon—Photo: Michelle Meney
A special treat for many participants was great looks at a juvenile Baird’s Sandpiper at the mouth of Meadowbrook Creek. One of the world’s longest-distance migrants, Baird’s Sandpipers nest on the high Arctic tundra in northern Alaska and Canda, then fly all the way to southern South America, wintering mostly between the Andes and Tierra del Fuego. To accomplish this feat, they have very long wings for their size, with wingtips extending well beyond the tip of their tail.
Juvenile Baird’s Sandpiper—Photo Bob Boekelheide
It was wonderful to hear Purple Martins chirping overhead at Three Crabs. The last Purple Martin chicks fledge from the OPAS nest boxes in early September, so now is the time to say goodbye to the martins for another year. They won’t be back again until next April – we miss them already.
The shorebird show continued at Dungeness Landing Park, with dancing Greater Yellowlegs and 356 stoic Black-bellied Plovers. A young Peregrine Falcon, likely the same one we saw at Three Crabs, strafed the shorebirds a couple more times, coming in low under the radar and putting up the flocks.
In total, between Three Crabs and Dungeness Landing we tallied an even 50 species for the day. Migration is full tilt through September and October, so it’s a great time to go find some birds.