Birding Vacation – Orcas Island

Birding Vacation group enjoying a meal on Mount Constitution

by Roniq Bartanen, trip leader and community member

In October, we hosted a small group out on Orcas Island for our Fall Birding Vacation. One of our amazing trip leaders Roniq Bartanen was kind enough to share her experience over the long weekend. 

An early start for our meetup at Green Lake Park and Ride and a drive to Anacortes in the newly wrapped and birdy BCS Van. What a looker she is now.

Arriving at Anacortes Ferry Terminal at 9:00 a.m. with plenty of time to bird the surrounding wetlands and Puget Sound before our ferry arrives. Fox Sparrow calling, some folks spotted Purple Finch, Belted Kingfisher, Double-crested Cormorants, Bald Eagle, Red-winged Blackbirds, and that young Cooper’s Hawk, scaring them all.

Beautiful rainbow sky ride to Orcas Island and a chance to relax from the windblown ferry alongside Long-tailed Ducks, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and Pelagic Cormorants.

Birding at the Anacortes ferry terminal

On to the fabulous Outlook Inn at Eastsound. Since our rooms needed more preparing, we made our way to Stonebridge-Terrill Preserve. This area protects 59 acres of meadow, wetlands, and forest and was formerly used for agriculture (much like a lot of the island). Multiple Varied Thrush were the highlight, Western Meadowlark, and an Oblong Running Spider with a web. Red Alders and mixed conifers here.

North Beach was so good, we just had to go twice! Sightings of our only Heermann’s Gull, Harlequin Ducks, Red-necked Grebes, Common and Pacific Loons were a highlight. Upon our return the next morning after breakfast, we were greeted with a River Otter sighting as well as numerous Eurasian collared Doves, a Bald Eagle, those up-close beach-loving Killdeer, and a chance to practice our Gull identification. Surf Scoters, Harlequin Ducks again, Pigeon Guillemots, and some woodland birds like Sparrows (song and white-crowned) as well as House Finches and Northern Flickers were also here.

Enjoying a meal together

Our delicious meals were a definite highlight as well. Both Breakfasts and lunches, courtesy of New Leaf Café, were exceptional. Blackfish Café with that yummy apple, golden beet salad- aren’t we all still dreaming of that? Our final dinner at Doe Bay Café was a wonderful finishing touch to the trip, as was that night’s star-filled skygazing opportunity.

Common Ravens seem to be a theme at nearly all of our weekend birding destinations. Lunch atop Mount Constitution and seeing the Ravens play on the wind together was such a special moment. That eye-level Bald Eagle was quite something as well! Plus, those views, wow! A visit to the gift shop and a hot tip from their award-winning volunteer Chris led us on an impromptu walk to discover the “Wall of Mosses”. According to UW scientists, one of these species of moss predates the Ice Age.

Even though we had to cut it short to head to Turtleback Mountain, Obstruction Pass State Park gave us a chance to hear some woodland birds like Pacific Wrens, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Brown Creepers, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Plus views from the cliff, down to the waters below.

Looking closer at a moss wall

Our last big adventure before leaving the island was the beautiful hiking and birding area known as Turtleback Mountain. Long looks at that stunning American Kestrel, those Red Crossbills sounding off, and yet another Red-tailed Hawk flying high, kept us looking up. Some chose to continue along the winding trail leading up, while others of us planted ourselves on rocks, enjoying views from high above. Ah, the sights and sounds of the surrounding beauty!

We all worked hard and enjoyed that well-earned lunch afterwards.

Last but not least, we also found some of our finest examples of lichens like Matchstick and Pixie Cup, as well as jelly fungi and our one and only slime mold; we enjoyed some delicious local pastries courtesy of Kat and learned about the history of Orcas Island during our visit to the island’s local museum.

Thank you to Roniq, Ed Dominguez, and Sarah Hankins for all of their hard work in making this vacation a special fall treat in the San Juans. And thank you to our lovely guests who brought curiosity and community to create an unforgettable trip. Interested in joining our next Birding Vacation? Keep an eye out in our upcoming monthly newsletter for the Spring 2027 plans.

Ed Dominguez on the ferry ride home