Swainson’s thrush is one or our most beautiful singers. Its melodious warbles ring out across the landscape from early morning to dusk. The Swainson’s are gone now, but are replaced by the hermit thrush, a similar looking bird but with a rusty tail and dark brownish back. Its eye ring is thin and white in color. Whereas the Swainson’s eye-ring is buffy.

Birds on migration need safe places to feed and rest. The Long Beach peninsula is one of those places, in fact one of the best places!

Shorebirds, ducks and other waterfowl are still on the move. Wherever there is a wetland there will be ducks and geese. The skies over the Peninsula feature flocks of waterfowl looking for a restful place where they can find refuge and refuel for their journey to their wintering grounds. Some will choose Willapa Bay, while others will decide on the ocean beaches. The most prominent and largest number of waterfowl these days are mallards, green-winged teal, northern pintail and American wigeon. Canada and cackling geese will also stop by in large numbers.

Our winter songbirds will make their presence felt as well. Golden-crowned sparrows will arrive in the fall. Others such as spotted towhees, Anna’s hummingbird, dark-eyed juncos, chestnut-backed chickadees, house finch and winter finches should all be easy to see, especially at feeders where they can find their favorite snack or meal. The Anna’s hummingbird stays here all year. Thus, keeping the hummingbird feeders going will help them through the cooler winter months when nectar and insects will be harder to come by. If conifer seeds are plentiful we may see large numbers of red crossbills and perhaps even a white-winged crossbill or two.

Water is of the essence for our feathered friends for bathing and drinking. Most songbirds will take advantage of a water source which may be a pond, stream or even a bird bath. As autumn descends and winter approaches we can help our birds, by inspecting our feeders to make sure they are ready for fall and winter feeding, and by keeping our bird baths cleaned and filled with water. Fresh water is an excellent strategy for attracting birds to your yard.

Autumn is indeed a spectacle. Be sure to look up, down and all around. The best places to witness this spectacle is Willapa Bay, Leadbetter Point, Tarlatt Slough, and our harbors. Our backyard feeders, fields, and forests will also bear witness to the spectacle of autumn birding.

Happy birding!