Beginning in late April, the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge experiences the spring migration as birds journey north. There is a massive influx of shorebirds through the state of Washington that continues through mid-May. Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed on the vast mudflats in Grays Harbor. After a brief stay, the birds move north along the coast of British Columbia all the way to the Copper River Delta in southeast Alaska. While visiting Grays Harbor in the Spring, you can expect to see large numbers of Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers, and Semipalmated Plover, as well as Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot and Least Sandpiper. Western Sandpipers and Dunlin compose 80 percent of the shorebirds present in the Spring. The best times to see shorebirds from the Sandpiper Trail are approximately three hours before and after high tide. The Shorebird Festival is typically held at the Refuge during the last weekend in April, but the exact timing each year depends on tides. More info: https://www.shorebirdfestival.com/ and TIDES (Grays Harbor) Aberdeen, Hoqium River entrance and Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)