The greater yellowlegs has very yellow legs and is one of our larger shorebirds at 14 inches in size. This bird was foraging in the mudflats of Tarlatt Slough.

Shorebirds are inspiring, awesome and fascinating. Some are noisy and conspicuous, while others are quiet and blend in with their surroundings.

They come in three sizes, large, medium and small. Shorebirds are a group of closely related species that vary considerably in their plumage and general appearance. They also vary in shape, habitat and behavior. Thus, most scientists agree that due to there being many exceptions, it is difficult to come up with a definitive definition of what a shorebird is. Shorebirds do share many traits such as being long distant migrants, being strong fliers and sporting pointed wings. Most have thin pointed bills with which they probe in the mud for prey. They tend to live and forage near the water’s edge and are often seen in large flocks during the non-breeding season. Most shorebirds prefer muddy or sandy shorelines or salt marshes for feeding. This photo essay reveals most of the common shorebirds you will see on our ocean beaches, on the mudflats of Willapa Bay or in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

Pull Quote

You will be fascinated and inspired by the beauty and behavior of the shorebirds that find their respite here after the long journey from their wintering grounds as they wend their way north to their breeding grounds.

Watching shorebirds on the beach is particularly fascinating. To see large groups of sanderlings racing along with the incoming waves or the semipalmated plover and other plovers running, stopping, and then picking for prey is amazing. It inspires me when I think of and watch our tiniest shore birds like the least sandpiper feeding among the sanderlings and dunlin on our sandy beaches or watching them sleeping behind a decorative piece of driftwood in the sand close to the dunes. Large flocks of dunlin form what I think of as dark brown carpets or huge rugs on the sand near the water’s edge. They have stopped on their journey to the Arctic to refuel and rest.

You will see shorebirds in open spaces and usually at quite a distance. They might be at rest or moving as they forage for prey. Binoculars allow you to look closely at shorebirds but are not easy to hold steady for a long time. Because it often takes a while to identify a specific bird or a flock of shorebirds, most birders recommend a telescope and tripod. This allows you to take your time. I generally look first with my binoculars and then focus with my spotting scope on the bird(s) that I want to check out and identify.

For me, every day is a good day for shorebird watching on the peninsula. There are always shorebirds on the beaches. Take a walk one day, with binoculars in hand. You will be fascinated and inspired by the beauty and behavior of the shorebirds that find their respite here after the long journey from their wintering grounds as they wend their way north to their breeding grounds. Their return trip in late summer and fall is also a sight to behold.

Happy birding!