https://ebird.org/wi/hotspot/L166794
Habitat: Open Water, Beaches and Mudflats, Urban/Residential/Industrial.
Best Birds: The old coal dock near the marina provides a wide view of vast Lake Superior waters, especially featuring scoters, grebes, gulls, loons, and other deep-water species. This may be the most reliable site in the state for finding Pacific Loon, often around late October. Red-throated Loon may also be found among large numbers of Common Loon. Red-necked Grebe is regular here in spring and fall, often with decent to good numbers of Horned Grebe. Gull activity is high, especially in fall when Little Gull, Franklin’s Gull, Sabine’s Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake may be seen among flocks of Bonaparte’s Gull foraging offshore. Parasitic Jaeger has also been recorded and all three jaeger species are possible here. A scope is highly recommended as the best birds are often distant.
The dock itself sometimes hosts flocks of Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, or Snow Bunting in fall, and Caspian Tern, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, and other shorebirds in spring. Walk the marina and adjacent brushy areas for sparrows, finches, and other migrants.
Directions: 11 miles north of Ashland. From downtown Washburn, take Central Avenue south from Highway 13 for nearly 0.5 miles to the marina and old coal dock (46.66834, -90.88436).
Site Address & Additional Information:
Central Avenue, Washburn, WI
Ryan Brady
