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WildLookoutKnow where to go. Know when to photograph.

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WildLookout

Opportunity scores are planning aids, not sighting guarantees. How scoring works

Wildlife welfare comes before any photograph.

Sightings from eBird
Weather by Open-Meteo
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Tiles by OpenFreeMap · Terrain from AWS Terrain Tiles

Songbird

Pacific wren

Troglodytes pacificus

A tiny, dark wren of mossy conifer forests and stream ravines in Whatcom and Skagit counties, with a long, tumbling song far bigger than the bird.

Seasonality

Peaks in April, May, June. Resident all year in damp forest; most vocal and easiest to find from March through June.

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Behavior

Creeps mouse-like through roots, fallen logs and ferns on the forest floor.
Sings from a stump, log or low branch, often bobbing as it calls.
Holds territories along shaded streams and damp ravines all year.

Photography tips

Light is low under the canopy; raise ISO and use the widest aperture you have rather than dropping the shutter speed.
A singing bird on a mossy stump is the classic frame; get low so the forest behind it falls into soft green.

Field ethics

Stay on trails in ravines and along streams, where nests are hidden in roots and banks.

Where to look

Whatcom Falls ParkWhatcom County · Peaks in April, May, June
Stimpson Family Nature ReserveWhatcom County · Peaks in April, May, June
Barrell Springs WetlandsSkagit County · Peaks in April, May, June