I think I see a photo safari coming in the near future!

Birding around Beaver's Pond, Ludlow Bay and our Lagoon

Ducks
While many are here throughout the year, winter is the best time to see most of these birds in Ludlow Bay.

American Widgeon
common on lagoon in winter, 18" to 23".
In flight recognized by white patch on forwing. White top of head, green behind eye, the remainder of body buff

Rednecked Merganser
20" to 26". A diving fishduck, similar to Hooded Merganser. This one is a common in winter around the bay. Red bill, green head, black back on male. Female is gray with buffy head.

Barrow's Goldeneye
Dramatic black and white coloration on male. White patch in front of yellow eye on a dark head. Larger than bufflehead at 21"

Bufflehead
Usually in lagoon in small groups during winter. Small, on 13" to 15". White patch on head, smaller in female, is distinctive.

Western Grebe
25". The only large black and white diver with a long yellow bill and swanlike neck.

Common Loon
Listen for the loon's famous cry in spring. 28" to 36", large and low-swimming. Summer birds are black and white, winter birds are gray and white.

Pacific Loon
25" with smaller body and more slender bill than common loon. Usually here only in winter, summers in far north.

Pelagic Cormorant and Double crested Cormorant
Large all-black birds with long necks. Feed by day out near Colvos Rocks, returns to roost in the trees of the back-bay.

Pied-billed Grebe
13" with a "chicken-like bill, and almost no visible tail. In summer it heads for freshwater to breed and nest.

Horned Grebe
12" - 15", with a thin straight bill. In winter they are dark above and white below. In summer they turn red and black and migrate to Canada and Alaska to nest.

Red-necked Grebe
18" and haevier-appearing than most gebes. In winter they are gray with a white crescent on the chin. They nest in Canada and Alaska.

Evening Grosbeak

5" -  8", Black with a beautiful yellow to orange coloring on their breast always seen late spring and into the summer.

Pigeon Giullemot
12" - 14". A resident of the bay with nesting sites in ground holes on the two little island in the inner harbor. Guillemots are all black except for white wing patches and red feet.

Surf Scotor
Here all year. 19" and all black except two white patches on top of head. Distinctive orange and red on bill. Dives for shellfish.

Osprey
Usually seen soaring over the bay. White wings have dark wrist patches. Deives, whereas eagles only Êskirt the surfact to pick up fish.

Bald Eagles
There are residents in Ludlow Bay. Seen anytime of the year flying out to Colvos Rocks to hunt fish, or returning to a nest or roost tree in the back bay. White head and tail, dark body and wings. A very large bird.

Great Blue Heron
A large blue, gray and white bird seen on the docks or shoreline. Long thin neck, long legs and a loud croaking voice. A favorite bird in the marina where it fishes from the docks.

Belted Kingfisher
Often seen diving for fish. Hovers over water, then plunges to cath small herring. Heavy beak, large head, blue and white body. Nests in holes along banks.

Barn Swallow and Violet-green Swallow
Swallows nest under eaves and docks, and eat quantities of insects by flying in graceful loops. Especially common around the marina area.

Purple Martin
A large and vocal swallow. Nest boxes in the marine provide a home for these birds. Eats mosquitoes and other insects. In early to mid summer, watch the young attempt first flights around the marina.

Glaucous-winged Gull
Locally, our most common gull. Almost all white, with pale gray back and wings. Large red spots on lower bill. Gulls that are brownish and undistinguished are usually juveniles.

Common Raven
22" to 27". Large black bird, bigger than a crow. Look for wedge-shaped tail, croaking or "tok" sounds, shaggy throat and hawk-like flight.

Visiting Summer Birds
They spend their winters to the south. Some travel all thet way to South or Central America, yet return each summer to our area to nest.

Rufous Hummingbird
Less than 4" long, this is our common summer hummingbird.

Oregon Junco
6" Junscos are small ground feeders and nesters. White out tail feathers show in flight. Juncos frequent local bird feeders for seeds.

American Robin
8" Common on summer lawns across America, we have great flocks of robins here in wintertime because ot the moderate climate. Look for the robin's "read breast"

Steller's Jay
13" the "Blue Jay" of the West. Black topknot, brilliant deep blue sides and raucous habits. Bold and unafraid, this bird is at home in forests and suburbs alike.

Song Sparrow
6" A common small brown bird with a dark breast spot that sings from a conspicuous perch, where it chatters and warbles. Likes thickets and hedgerow.

Chestnut backed Chicadee
You'll hear these little black, reddish-brown and white forest birds before you see them Hangs upside down in trees. 5" long.

Red-breasted Nuthatch
4 1/2". Tiny, spirals down tree trunks looking for insects.

Hairy Woodpecker
9 1/2". Black and white with a red patch on the back of the male's head. Drills holes in trees searching for insects. The speed of hammering can indicate the woodpecker species. We also have Downy and Pileated woodpeckers

Red-shafted race of Northern Flicker
12" to 14 : Brownish and black woodpecker that is most often seen eating ants on the ground. The flicker's undulating flight and white rump are conspicuous.

Resident Birds
These birds spend both summers and winters in our area.

Winter Wren
Loud bubbling, almost continuous sound, and mouse-like. Found in forest thickets and brambles, this 4" brown bird will fearlessly defend its territory.

California Quail
Quail are in Washington because of deforestation that has provided easy habitat in new fields and meadows. 9" to 12", black head plume like and explanation mark.

A Living Waters Retreat