PNW Birding where to go · what you'll see · how far you'll walk 23 spots

← All spots

02 · Whidbey Island

Crockett Lake

Brackish lagoon, wet pasture, beach

A shallow lagoon beside the Coupeville ferry landing that is, acre for acre, the best shorebird spot on this list. Pull off the highway, set up a scope, and let the birds come to you: sandpipers and plovers on the flats, falcons and harriers never far behind.

Effort Easy · roadside viewing Road shoulders and pullouts along SR 20; a scope does the walking.
When to go July through September for shorebirds; winter for raptors. Pair it with the Coupeville ferry and Fort Casey.
Access Free pullouts. Discover Pass if you park at Fort Casey next door. Directions eBird hotspot

Birds by season

Curated highlights · the current season is marked

Spring

  • Black-bellied Plover
  • Whimbrel
  • Caspian Tern
  • Northern Harrier

Northbound shorebirds pass through fast.

Summer

  • Western Sandpiper
  • Least Sandpiper
  • Short-billed Dowitcher
  • Peregrine Falcon

Fall shorebird migration starts by early July.

Fall

  • Pectoral Sandpiper
  • American Golden-Plover (rare)
  • Merlin
  • American Pipit

Rarity season; scan every flock.

Winter

  • Short-eared Owl
  • Rough-legged Hawk
  • Trumpeter Swan
  • Bald Eagle

Raptors work the wet fields at dusk.

Reported here in the last 30 days

● Live from eBird

Checking recent checklists…

Sources

Up next

Live sighting data from eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology · Location research: Washington Trails Association, Eastside Audubon, Birds Connect Seattle, Washington Ornithological Society, Birdful · Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors