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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

Shorebirds

Shorebirds

A general category for sandpipers, plovers and allies. Dunlin flocks winter on the tide flats, and migrants pass through in spring and late summer.

Seasonality

Peaks in April, May, September. Migration peaks in April–May and July–September; dunlin and black-bellied plovers winter here.

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Behavior

Feed along the tide line; a rising tide concentrates them closer to shore.
Large flocks perform synchronized flights when a falcon is nearby.
Roost in tight groups at high tide.

Photography tips

Plan around the tide: a rising tide an hour or two before high water pushes birds toward you.
Get as low as safely possible for eye-level photos and soft foreground blur.
Wind and cold make birds hunker down; calm mornings give more natural poses.

Field ethics

Don't flush roosting flocks at high tide; migrating birds can't spare the energy.
Keep dogs leashed and away from flocks.

Where to look

Semiahmoo SpitWhatcom County · Peaks in April, May, September
Lummi Flats & Red River RoadWhatcom County · Peaks in April, May, September
Padilla BaySkagit County · Peaks in April, May, September
Samish West 90Skagit County · Peaks in April, May, September
Wiley SloughSkagit County · Peaks in April, May, September