(tour: FON/WC-1 '16)
 

With a boat trip in Washington State:
For birds and marine mammals.
A list of seabirds that have been found during this tour.

Above: An Orca or Killer Whale
in the Puget Sound in Washington State.   
 Below: a Parasitic Jaeger 
photographed in the fall,
1 of 4 species in the genus Stercorarius 
that have been seen during 
FONT West Coast USA tours in September.
The others are Pomarine & Long-tailed Jaegers 
and the South Polar Skua.  
All 4 species have been seen during the tours
on pelagic trips in both Washington & California.   

And birding on Land, in Washington & California:
We'll go, as possible, for area specialties, and any rarities that may be present. 

It'll be peak time for SHOREBIRDING. Shorebirds, rare in North America, that have been seen during previous FONT September West Coast USA tours in California and/or  Washington State have included:
Lesser Sand Plover (formerly called Mongolian Plover), Long-toed Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Curlew, Ruff.

Other LANDBIRDING will be in a number of habitats from the seacoast up into the high mountains, and beyond, in Washington on the east side of the Cascades in sage and other habitats.
High in the mountains, during this tour in the past we've seen birds such as the Barrow's Goldeneye, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Pine Grosbeak. East of the Cascades, we've seen the Sooty Grouse (formerly called the Blue Grouse when it was conspecific with the more-easterly Dusky Grouse).     

Bald Eagles are common in the US Pacific Northwest,
both adult (above) & immature (below).

Schedule and Price Information follows.

The Cascade Mountains in Washington State.

The basic schedule of the tour:

The tour begins on Sunday, September 4 mid-day, at the Seattle airport. The first part of the tour (4 nights) in Washington State. Overnights would be in or near Burlington, Winthrop, and Ellensburg.

On Thursday, September 8 (in the afternoon); the flight from Seattle to San Francisco.

The second part of the tour (5 nights) in central California. Overnights would be or near Olema, San Rafael, and San Mateo (near the SFO airport). Departure from the San Francisco airport on Tuesday, September 13.

   

In Washington State, areas to be visited would be: 
the coast, the San Juan Islands in the Puget Sound, the Skagit Flats, the Cascade Mountains, and east of there near the Columbia River for sage species.

In California: the coast north of San Francisco, including the Muir Woods and the area of Point Reyes.

Point Reyes should well be one of the highlights of the tour. The picturesque place is legendary with birders, both for its many breeding species in an assortment of habitats, and for its lengthy list of fall vagrants.

 

We'll be a bit flexible during the tour to be where the good birds are!

The Yellow-billed Magpie is endemic to California.

Links:

Birds during previous FONT West Coast USA Tours  (327 species) 

California Birds, noting those during previous FONT tours  (with some photos) 

Washington State Birds, noting those during previous FONT tours  (with some photos)

Mammals & Other Wildlife during previous FONT West Coast USA Tours  (59 species) 

Marine Life of Western North America, including California & Washington State  (with some photos)

List of Butterflies in Washington State & California

Some Previous West Coast USA Tour Highlights

"Following the Path of Lewis & Clark, and Crossing Paths with a Bird from Hawaii"
a narrative relating a previous September 2005 West Coast USA tour

Tour Registration Form

A deposit of US$ 500 is required to register for this tour.

A Note about Birding during the FONT West Coast USA Tour:

During the tour, the best localities will be visited for the bird specialties of the areas (in both Washington and California) and an effort will be made as possible to see any rarity reported in the area at the time.

September and October are particularly good months for shorebirds including rarities.

Some of the rarities along the Pacific Coast during our West Coast Tours have included:

Little Curlew (seen during our 1994 tour in California) 
Lesser Sand Plover (formerly Mongolian Plover) (seen during our 1992 tour in California) 
Bar-tailed Godwit (seen during our 1991, 1993, 1994, & 2000 tours; in 2000, three individuals, in Washington State) 
Long-toed Stint (seen during our 1992 tour in California) 
Ruff (seen during our 2000 tour in British Columbia)
White-winged Tern (seen during our 1999 tour in California) 

During our 1998 tour, there were 2 species named Xantu: an out-of-range Hummingbird (in British Columbia), and the Murrelet (off the California coast).