Plan to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by about noon. We'll go directly to Mount Rainier National Park, where our birding adventure begins. The wet lowland forest may yield species such as American Dipper, Golden Eagle, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Townsend's Warbler before we check into Cowlitz Lodge, our home for the first three nights. One year we saw FOUR Black Bears on our first afternoon!

We'll spend two full days on Mount Rainier with its volcanic peaks, expansive glaciers, and unending beauty. An early climb into the highlands at Paradise and a location called Sunrise will be our best chance for Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, American Pipit, and Horned Lark. Views of FOUR White-tailed Ptarmigan on a recent tour were tremendous! The alpine meadows where we often find Mountain Goats will be in full fantastic bloom. We'll search for Northern Pygmy-Owl at Fryingpan Creek, along with American Dipper, Harlequin Duck, and Vaux's Swift. Additional species that we may find include Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Hermit Warbler, Varied Thrush, and Black Swift. Townsend's Chipmunk, Hoary Marmot, and Mule Deer are easily seen. Our lodge is near the Cowlitz River where a herd of Elk may be seen and heard grazing in the front yard.

Today we'll head for the coast, looking for a few new birds such as Western Scrub-Jay and Red-breasted Sapsucker along the way. We'll get our first look at the Pacific Ocean and the many birds it has to offer: Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Brandt's Cormorant, and Pigeon Guillemot are just a few. The Tokeland Peninsula has hundreds of Marbled Godwits and has produced a Bar-tailed Godwit on our past three tours. After studying Heermann's, Glaucous-winged, Western, and California Gulls in the harbor, we'll dine at Anthony's, then settle down for a good night's sleep at the Silver Sands in preparation for tomorrow's boat trip. We will be at the Silver Sands in Westport for three nights.

Today's agenda is highlighted by a full-day pelagic trip with Westport Pelagics. Our boat will take us offshore to see literally thousands of seabirds which may include Black-footed Albatross, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Common Murre, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklets, Tufted Puffin, Pink-footed Shearwater, Long-tailed Jaeger, South Polar Skua, and Sabine's Gull. On a recent tour a South Polar Skua had just appeared when we found a RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, one of few Washington state records. Mammals that we may see include Humpback Whale, Dall's Porpoise, Pacific White-sided Dolphin, and Elephant Seal. Leatherback Turtle, Ocean Sunfish, and Gray Whale also occur. This is the pelagic trip of a lifetime. We usually have time for some late day shorebirding. A second night in Westport.

Midway Beach is a reliable spot for the diminutive Snowy Plover. We'll spend most of the day at Aberdeen and Ocean Shores for large numbers of shorebirds, loons, grebes, cormorants, sea ducks, gulls, and alcids. This is our best chance for Pacific Golden-Plover. Past visits have produced American White Pelican, Great Egret, Lapland Longspur, Baird's Sandpiper, and 200 Harbor Seals. A return visit to Tokeland and other nearby coastal areas will give us plenty of time to find more shorebird species and search for any rarities that have been reported. After a very nice dinner at the Tokeland Hotel, we'll turn in for our last night in Westport.

Another stop at Aberdeen and several small beach areas will be in order. We can usually find a few new species of gulls, shorebirds, and waterfowl, with a good chance for Virginia Rail. As we drive north we'll look for Mountain Quail at a small airport where we have found them previously. We'll try again on our final morning if necessary. The John Wayne Marina may have Black Oystercatcher, Bald Eagle, lots of alcids, and a few very poor John Wayne imitations from the group. From there we'll look for California Quail in Sequim (pronounced 'squim'), our home for the next three nights.

One full day will be well spent at Dungeness NWR on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, named for a 16th-century Greek mariner. At Dungeness we'll expect good numbers of seabirds including Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, and Rhinoceros Auklet, plus upland species such as Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, and Bewick's Wren. Rarities that we've found there include Tufted Puffin, Pacific Golden-Plover, and Yellow-billed Loon. The view will include the snow-covered peaks of the Olympic Mountains and 10,000-foot high Mount Baker, an active volcano. Some nearby ponds are filled with waterfowl and may have Virginia Rail and American Bittern. Next day we'll be on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. Target birds here include Gray Jay, Red Crossbill, Townsend's Solitaire, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Northern Goshawk, and Sooty (Blue) Grouse. Black Bear and Olympic Marmot may be seen amidst the spectacular wildflower display. Ediz Hook is a good place to look for lots of Harlequin Ducks and an interesting assortment of gulls, alcids, and shorebirds. Both nights are in Sequim.

We'll do some early morning birding, probably at Dungeness, then work our way back to Seattle for the afternoon flights home, with a stop for Mountain Quail, if needed.

The Washington-Pacific Northwest Tour will be led by Bob Schutsky and/or John Puschock, who will give you a wonderful worry-free adventure of this incredibly beautiful area on Puget Sound. Bob has led many previous tours to this region. And John is a resident of Seattle.

$2495 per person based upon double occupancy. Single accommodations are available at an extra charge of $575.

Expert guide service, lodging for 9 nights, ALL meals, entrance fees, pelagic trip and ferry rides, and ground transportation within Washington. ALL tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything that you may wish to give to your tour leader(s).
Does not include the cost of airfare to and from Seattle. BIRD TREKS will, upon request, gladly help you obtain the best possible airfare. Also not included are the cost of alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature.

A $600 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. EARLY RESERVATIONS are helpful so that we can secure your spot on the pelagic trip. The balance is due 7 June 2008.

We offer the services of our exclusive BIRD TREKS travel agent, Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 22 years of experience in the travel industry and is a veteran birder. Contact her through Bailey Travel at 1-800-224-5399, or you can e-mail lori@baileytravel.com. By dealing with Lori you have the security of a 24-hour toll-free telephone number in case of any travel emergency. She can also assist you with all pre- and post-tour travel plans.

With written notice more than 60 days prior to the first day of the tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $75 service fee. With 30-60 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You will receive a full refund if you provide a replacement for your spot on the tour. No partial refund can be given once a tour begins. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment in case of injury or illness to you or your family prior to or during a tour. Click on the following link to Access America or contact BIRD TREKS for information on obtaining this coverage.