Self-guided Birding Field Trip – by Heather Gibson
Mixed in amongst warehouses and waterfront docks, it is possible to find natural areas that support wildlife in Fife. Here are a couple of locations that can be worth a trip. (From “Parks of the Port of Tacoma”)
Hylebos Creek
Historically one of the most productive salmon streams in the Puget Sound region, Hylebos Creek once was home to strong chinook, chum, coho and steelhead runs. Beginning in south King County, the creek now stretches along highways before emptying into the Hylebos Waterway in Commencement Bay. In 1993, the Port created a 100-foot buffer with native vegetation and woody debris to give juvenile salmon a place to feed and hide. Access is easy at Hylebos Wildlife Trail.
Map:
https://goo.gl/maps/veP3o8UwDvKerXvh8
Ebird
https://ebird.org/barchart?r=L1170687&yr=all&m=
Place of Circling Waters
Once a gravel mine and dump for building materials, this 30-acre restored habitat site at the mouth of Hylebos Creek now features valuable intertidal marsh, stream channels and forested open space. The site is connected to several other restored areas along the creek. It is part of a larger effort to rejuvenate salmon runs on the tidally-influenced stream.