OPAS Field Trip: “Through the Seasons: Elwha River—End of Winter”
Organizer: Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society
Organizer Website: https://olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org/
“Through the Seasons: Elwha River—End of Winter” field trip
Co-leaders: Ben Hannah & Kathy McCoy
Date and time: Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11 a.m.—2 p.m.
Limit: 15 participants—Registration required
Free to attend
Join OPAS for the first in our new four-season series exploring the Elwha Valley. We’ll begin at the Madison Falls area, where we’ll check the river for American Dippers, Common Mergansers, Canada Geese, and other species using the riparian corridor. We’ll also spend time in the nearby bigleaf maple grove, a reliable spot for woodpeckers and songbirds. From there, we’ll enjoy a peaceful one-mile walk along the closed section of Olympic Hot Springs Road—a rare chance to bird a normally busy park road in near-silence, with the river beside us and a mix of riparian, deciduous, and conifer habitats along the way.
Although this area is lightly birded in winter, it regularly hosts a good variety of north Olympic Peninsula species, and recent years have even produced Northern Pygmy-Owls. We’ll watch for overwintering warblers and keep an eye out for early migrants like Turkey Vultures or Violet-green Swallows. Mammals are also possible, including black-tailed deer and the resident Roosevelt elk herd. Participants should bring binoculars and dress for cold, potentially wet conditions. Click here to learn where to meet and registration information.
American Dipper—Photo: Dow Lambert