Bottle Beach
Bottle Beach is a great place to see some of the tens of thousands of shorebirds that pass through Grays Harbor in Spring on their way to Alaska and northern Russia. Large numbers of birds feed out on the mudflats along this stretch of the estuary between the Elk and John Rivers. Bottle Beach is special as it is the last section of mudflat to be covered over at high tide so all the birds in the area congregate here before moving to their high-tide roosts. In spring tens of thousands of birds may be present, mostly western sandpipers and smaller numbers of dunlin and short--billed dowitchers - still numbering in the thousands though. In Autumn the number of birds is smaller however migration is spread out over a longer period of time. In winter a sizeable population of Dunlin winter in Grays Harbor. Late October, when the birds first arrive from Alaska is best with around 20,000 to 30,000 birds present.
Best Times To Visit
Peak Spring migration is typically the last week of April, though it can extend well into the first two weeks of May. In Autumn good numbers of birds can be seen from mid-July onwards, dropping in September but picking up again in the middle of October when the Dunlin arrive from Alaska.
During The Day
The site is totally driven by the tidal cycle. Two hours either side of high tide is the best time to visit. The water is really shallow so the mudflats are rapidly covered and uncovered and the birds disperse quickly over the area to feed.
What Species To Expect
Western Sandpiper is easily the most numberous species, though large numbers of dunlin can be found in winter. Short-billed dowitcher is the next most numerous species, followed by Black-bellied Plover. Smaller numbers of Semi-palmated Plovers and Greater Yellowlegs can also be seen.
| Spring | Common | Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover, Semi-palmated Sandpiper |
| Less Common | Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Red Knot | |
| Unusual | Long-billed Curlew, American Golden Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Semi-palmated Sandpiper | |
| Autumn | Common | Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plover |
| Less Common | Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel | |
| More Unusual | Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Red Knot, Baird's Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Pacific Golden Plover | |
| Rare | Buff-breasted Sandpiper |
Specialities
While the site is a great place to photograph Red Knot. Most birds passing through Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay stick to the offshore mudflats and islands however up to 400 birds can be seen here in Spring when the birds are close to being in full breeding plumage. For some reason they are more unusual in Autumn.
What's Good
- The site contains a large numer of birds which offers ample opportunities to take pictures, particular when birds are flying around when predators such as a peregrine falcon or merlin appears.
- In Spring the birds are intent of feeding and can be approached relatively easily. This does not mean you should chase them around, particularly if the birds are staging on the beach waiting for the tide to fall. There are plenty of falcons around and putting a flock into the air because you got too close is likely to result in birds being killed. A better approach is to sit down on a section of beach and let the birds come to you.
What's Not So Good
- The site contains a large numer of birds which can be seen close up. With digiscoping the field of view is really narrow to photographing individual birds can sometimes be really difficult.
- The exposed mud and sand heats up really quickly. As a result a heat haze forms which distorts images and is particularly noticeable when using the high magnifications offered when digiscoping. Early morning is cool enough but there is often low clouds which severely restricts the light.
- In Spring, particularly around the time of the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival the beach can be relatively busy - usually up to a dozen people but sometimes large groups of 30 to 50 people show up. As a result you will have to share the beach with others and the opprtunities for taking photographs will be fewer.
- This being the Washington coast, the weather is really unpredictable. Spring is usually marred by low clouds and rain. If the sun shines make the most of it.