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Salt Creek Recreation Area, WA


Synopsis

    Salt Creek is not only an excellent place to bird, but the tidepooling is phenomenal.  In the summer months, when the tides are lower, the water draws back to reveal many treasures among the rocks and seaweed.  I’ve seen sunflower stars, leather stars, gumboot chitons, brittle stars, blood stars, gooseneck barnacles, tunicates, anemones, polychaetes, nudibranchs, urchins, and so much more.  It’s not hard to find them once the tide has receded.  The colors, textures, and even smell are something to behold and enjoy.
In the winter, the park is a great place to look into the Strait of Juan de Fuca for seabirds. Marbled Murrelets, Red-throated Loons, and Long-tailed Ducks can be seen foraging in the waters off of the park. Tongue Point, the rocky outcrop that is mostly exposed during the low tides of summer, becomes a haven for foraging rocky sandpipers. Black Oystercatchers and Black Turnstones regularly forage on the small rocky island.
    The park is also near to Ediz Hook in Port Angeles and Dungeness Spit of Sequim, which is a popular birding/hiking/beach destination.
    

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Pictures







Bird List

Canada Goose
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red Crossbill

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Information

Located: west of Port Angeles, WA
Directions: take hwy-101 west out of Port Angeles, turn onto hwy-112, turn north onto Camp Hayden Road.
Salt Creek Recreation Area

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Email: Birder AT NWBirding.com
page updated: 11/12/11