Saturday Morning at Blaine Marine Park

I left Snoqualmie at 6:30 a.m. The forecast had promised “scattered showers,” which of course meant “rain whenever it feels like it,” but that’s part of the deal for a November solo birding run. The two-hour drive north was a mix of anticipation, gray skies, and the faint hope that today—today—I’d catch a glimpse of the Snow Bunting reported at Blaine Marine Park earlier in the week.

Blaine Marine Park: A Brief History Before the Binoculars

Blaine Marine Park sits right on Drayton Harbor, one of the northernmost coastal parks in Washington. Long before birders with long lenses showed up, the spot was part of a fishing hub used by Coast Salish peoples. In the early 20th century the area became tied to Blaine’s maritime economy—canneries, docks, rail lines—and eventually morphed into a shoreline park as the town leaned into recreation and cross-border tourism.

Just a short stroll away sits Peace Arch Park, where the famous 67-foot Peace Arch marks the line between the U.S. and Canada. It’s one of the only places where you can literally stand in both countries at the same time without needing a passport—just don’t wander too far before your second coffee.

The Search for the Snow Bunting

The rain eased as I pulled into the gravel lot, and for a moment I let myself imagine the clean white and buff plumage of a Snow Bunting perched on a drift log, framed by the soft gray of the harbor. The Snow Bunting didn’t get the memo. Or maybe it had already decided to move onto another location, a Snow Bunting was reported at Lummi Flats yesterday.

Still, Blaine Marine Park didn’t leave me empty-handed. Along the rocky shoreline—waves nudging higher with each minute—I spotted Black Oystercatchers piping their sharp whistles, Black Turnstones working over the wrack line like tiny, feathered CrossFit trainers, and best of all, a Hudsonian Whimbrel, its long curved bill slicing through the morning drizzle. Not a commonly seen bird in Washington, and absolutely worth the early wakeup.

When I first arrived at the park, I was welcomed by 2 more experieced birders with better optics scanning the mudflats for the Whimbrel and the possibility of a Long-billed Curlew. Later, I ran into the same birders still looking for the uncommon birds. Sometimes it is better to be luck than good (of course it is much better to be lucky and good). I directed them toward where I had seen the bird 15 minutes prior, but the tide was coming in. I wished them luck and went on to see whatelse I might find.

From Drayton Harbor to College Lunch Hour

After a few final scans of the harbor (still no Snow Bunting, still hoping), I headed south to Bellingham to pick up my son for lunch. He’s a student at Western Washington University, which means I get the added bonus of regular excuses to explore Bellingham’s food scene.

We landed at a Mexican restaurant—warm, loud, and smelling exactly like what a cold birder needs after a wet morning on the coast. A good plate of Mexican food and a warm cup of black coffee hits you in all the right ways: warmth, spice, salt, and enough calories to make you briefly consider hibernation.

We talked school, life, upcoming breaks—those quick, companionable conversations that make the drive worth it a hundred times over.

The Ride Home and the Year List Glow

By the time I rolled back into Snoqualmie, I had:

• A full belly

• A camera with a few keepers

• A memory card of rain sounds

• And a dozen new birds added to my year list

Not bad for a day that started with chasing a bird that never showed.

And who knows—maybe that Snow Bunting is still hanging around Blaine Marine Park, waiting for my next early-morning attempt. Birders are nothing if not optimistic.