Birds of the Makah

     Birds are important to the Makah culture literally and figuratively.  As said in the last blog post the Raven was an important Makah Mythological figure.  But Birds have a different importance to the culture.
      Olympic Bird Fest is a two-day birding experience at one of the most remote and wild birding areas of Washington State. You take a tribal van to bird filled hot spots. Also walk around cape flattery, and a boat trip to see mammals and pelagic sea birds that you don’t really see from land.  Cape Flattery provides habitat for hundreds of species of birds. Murrelets and Murres are prized sightings. You can see mostly Shore birds, ducks and gulls. In the fall and spring you see  Canadian geese, trumpeter swans, falcons, hawks and Sandhill cranes. Between January and April, hundreds of bald eagles 'winter over' from British Columbia on the coastline between Clallam Bay and Neah Bay. On a typical day, 50 or more eagles can be seen perched in the trees, especially at low tide. 
      Some birds that were only spotted once in 2014 in Clallam County are Bullock's Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Harris's Sparrow, Townsend's Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat.  Some of the most popular birds of the year would be the American Wigeon, counted 2000 times this year, the Northern Pintail counted 1000 times this year,  the Brant seen 875 times this year.  Below are some photos of birds found on or around the reservation.  

Bullock's Oriole

Rusty blackbird

Harris's Sparrow

Townsend's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat