Birding is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities in the country, and Tillamook is rich with sighting opportunities with more than 356 species recorded in the county checklist, making the area a bird watching paradise. The coastline areas are home to or visited by all manner of sea and shore birds and inland forests shelter migrating songbirds. Eagles are often seen, as are hawks.
Among waterfowl, it’s common to see american wigeon, northern pintail, surf scoters and buffleheads. brown pelicans use the Bay from May to December and peak in September. Western sandpiper, least sandpiper, black-bellied plovers, semi-palmated plovers, whimbrels, sanderlings, dunlins and short-billed dowitchers are also seen. There are two rookeries around Tillamook Bay that host great blue herons. One in Garibaldi is quite large (up to 50 nests). The herons are year-round residents. The Bay also provides an important habitat for many birds migrating on the Pacific flyway. Bird watching can be done from the shore or the water. For water viewing, you can get close to more remote areas in a kayak or a canoe. Either way, beginners are advised to bring a good pair of binoculars and a field guide to help identify what you see.
The Oregon Coast Birding Trail lists 173 birding hot spots, and close to 20 of those are in Tillamook county, including the Barview Jetty Park, on the north end of Garibaldi, and the Garibaldi Boat Basin, just a short walk from the center of Garibaldi.
www.oregonbirdingtrails.org
