Has more birdsong been waking you up in the morning lately? Washington, with its incredible range of ecosystems and natural resources, is home to a staggering variety of avian life. If you’re curious about birding or want to know more about the songs outside your window on a bright spring morning, Yakima Valley is the perfect place to learn the fundamentals of birdwatching.
Why Birdwatch in Yakima?
Yakima County is one of the state’s larger counties, covering over four thousand square miles of land and several distinct biomes. From the extreme heights and temperatures of the Cascade Mountain Range to the colors and textured landscape of the canyon’s shrub steppe, you’ll have no trouble finding unique species of birds no matter your surroundings if you’re willing to stop and take a closer look. The Yakima Audubon Society (YAS) has identified 320 individual bird species that call Yakima Valley home.
Taking a short walk near your home will most likely reveal ten or twelve of the more common species to the observant eye, and it’s only a short drive to a few of the best locations in the state for birding variety and abundance.
Birdwatching at Home in Yakima
To start your birding journey from the comfort of your own home, follow the National Audubon Society’s four steps for learning to bird: stop, look, listen, and repeat. The most common time to hear bird calls is early morning, around and after sunrise.
Waiting until later in the day won’t ruin your chances of seeing a unique bird, though, as different species prefer different times of the day. Song Sparrows and House Sparrows are most active in the mornings, while you’re more likely to hear owls, such as the Western Screech-Owl or the Great Horned Owl, at nighttime near where they nest in the upper branches of cottonwood trees.
To bird from your backyard, it can be helpful to find a good pair of binoculars to identify birds perched high up in trees or in flight. You can also invite the birds a little closer by setting up a feeding station in your backyard near a window. Although it may take some time for the birds to become comfortable staying for more extended periods of time at the feeding station, with patience, you’ll soon have your own regular avian visitors. In the spring, keep an eye out for
Many birders use physical field guides, and you can find a copy of your own at Inklings or the Yakima Area Arboretum. Still, apps are also a popular and widely accessible way to identify and learn more about the birds in your area. Try eBird, created and sustained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, for a free and easy way to identify birds by their calls, photos, or written descriptions.
Just like the Leave No Trace principles, when you’re out on your favorite trail, remember not to disturb the birds that you observe.
Birding Around Yakima County
Snow Mountain Ranch
2648 Cowiche Mill Road #2262, Cowiche
Wenas Wildlife Area
312 Mt Vale Road, Selah
To see more specific birds or to check off another of the YAS’s master list species, you may need to scout out different habitats from what is visible from your backyard. Explore along the banks of Cowiche Creek to see Red-Tailed Hawks, Bullock’s Orioles, and the appropriately named Canyon Wren.
Snow Mountain Ranch will lead you to the favorite haunts of the vibrant Lewis’s Woodpecker and the small but intricately patterned Vesper Sparrow and Sage Thrasher, which hide in the shrub or hop along the ground relatively unbothered by nearby onlookers. From mid-spring to early summer, take your time along Wenas Lake to find nests and breeding birds among the ponderosa and subalpine forested areas.
Further on North Wenas Road from the creek, you’ll find Audubon Road leading into Wenas Wildlife Area. Here, nestled among the ponderosa pines, you can find a stunning array of wrens, vireos, woodpeckers, sparrows, and finches. Hummingbirds can also be spotted hovering between and above the brush on the hillside.
Also be sure to keep an eye out when you’re driving on country roads. Although the American Kestrel is fairly common across all of the United States, its signature speckled red back and habit of sitting on fence posts and telephone wires make it an easy species to identify as a beginner birder in Yakima.
Getting Involved With the Yakima Birding Community
It may seem intimidating to venture out into a new habitat, but equipped with your regular safety essentials, a pair of binoculars, and a trusty field guide or bird identification app, you’ll be well on your way to a successful birding adventure.
If you’re interested in learning more before going out on your own, YAS, its sister chapter, Kittitas Audubon Society (KAS), and the Yakima Area Arboretum have plenty of educational birding programs available for the public. Both KAS and YAS lead monthly bird walks across the county that are open to the public and led by local experts. Visit each organization’s website to learn about the upcoming field trips and to get involved in the community! You can also share sightings and track personal bird lists with the globally used eBird app or visit the BirdYak forum to discuss sightings and identification specific to Yakima County.
As the warmer weather and migration patterns invite more birds home for the summer, take the chance to learn a little more about our natural surroundings and explore the Yakima Valley through a birding adventure or two. Keep your eyes peeled, and have fun!
