Spring in the Washington Cascades - June 2026
Dates: June 1-6, 2026
Leaders: Kevin Burke & Brad McKinney
E-bird
Total Species: 111 birds
Click Here to view list.
Overall Summary
The Washington Cascades in June are a special place to spend time. We had the pleasure of basing our trip out of Leavenworth, Washington, for this tour. The scenery alone is worth a visit, but the birding is spectacular too. Every place has a magical feeling, and a new surprise target bird seemed to appear practically every time we got out of the vans. This tour starts and ends in Seattle, but we quickly leave the city behind for the vastness of the mountains. This year, Brad McKinney was co-leader. His enthusiasm, patience, and birding skill made a great tour even better.
The tour started off with some brief, albeit productive, birding around the Seattle area. There are some birds here that we just couldn’t see in the mountains. One of the first birds observed was an American Barn Owl. Black Phoebe, California Scrub-Jay, and Red-breasted Sapsucker were highlights of the morning. The afternoon brought us up into the mountains to start our birding. A nice stop at Swauk Meadows gave us close looks at Western and Mountain Bluebirds and our first Cassin’s Finches. We finished the day in Leavenworth, checking into the hotel and having a great dinner.
The next several days were spent checking out the numerous great birding locations around the Leavenworth area. Our first spot was one of my personal favorite birding locations anywhere in the U.S.: the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. We walked the various trails and had some great looks at Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Warbling Vireo, and Anna’s Hummingbird. We took a quick drive up Icicle Creek Road and encountered Harlequin Duck and American Dipper, two big targets of the trip. At dinner, we were lucky enough to find a White-headed Woodpecker nest right outside the restaurant doors!
Swakane Canyon was our next morning’s outing. This beautiful canyon starts low in the desert scrublands next to the Columbia River and rises several thousand feet into a mixed spruce forest. We were lucky right off the bat and found Lazuli Bunting, Canyon Wren, Bullock’s Oriole, and Chukar. The rain the night before had softened the already bumpy roads so much that we were unable to pass one section. We headed back down the canyon and had lunch on the banks of the mighty Columbia River. After lunch, we took the back way to the top of the canyon and had great looks at MacGillivray’s Warbler, Calliope Hummingbird, and Mountain Chickadee. Dinner was a little drive out of town, but we did encounter a family of Barrow’s Goldeneyes in the golf course pond at the restaurant.
The next day took us to the Wenatchee National Forest. We had great encounters with Townsend’s Warbler, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, and Olive-sided Flycatcher before lunch. Williamson’s Sapsucker stole the show in the afternoon. We found a pair at a nest hole. Brief views of a Townsend’s Solitaire and good looks at Western Tanager rounded out the day.
We had to say goodbye to Leavenworth; this trip is short but sweet. We did have one more fun excursion on the way back to Seattle. A drive down toward Ellensburg and beyond changes the scenery dramatically. Douglas firs give way to streamside cottonwoods, and a dry sagebrush landscape predominates. Here we found Sage Thrasher and Brewer’s Sparrows. A quick jaunt to Yakima Canyon revealed a pair of high-flying Golden Eagles. The last stop was on the west side of Snoqualmie Pass. As the rain began to fall, we saw Black-throated Gray Warbler and Pacific Wren—a wet but fitting way to end the tour.
I really enjoyed the people, scenery, and wildlife on this tour. The food gets a strong honorable mention. This is always a relaxed tour that is packed full of great experiences. I would highly recommend it as a fun, easy getaway to the Washington Cascades.
Day-by-Day Summary
June 1 - Get to know you dinner in Seattle.
June 2 - Seattle to Leavenworth with stops at Seward Park, Lake Sammamish State Park, and Swauk Prairie. Birding highlights were California Scrub-Jay, American Barn Owl, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Western and Mountain Bluebirds.
June 3 - Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, Camas Meadows, Icicle Creek Road. Birding highlights were Black-headed Grosbeak, American Dipper, Harlequin Duck, White-headed Woodpecker.
June 4 - Swakane Canyon. Highlights were Chukar, Lewis's Woodpecker, Lazuli Bunting, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Chickadee
June 5 - Wenatchee National Forest, Liberty Area, Sleeping Lady Resort. Birding highlights were Williamson's Sapsucker, Townsend's Warbler, Hammond's Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo.
June 6 - Leavenworth to Seattle with stops in Yakima Canyon and Snoqualmie Pass. Birding highlights were Sage Thrasher, Golden Eagle, Bullock's Oriole, Pacific Wren, Black-throated Gray Warbler
Wildlife Seen:
MAMMALS:
Bighorn Sheep
Elk
Mule Deer
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Least Chipmunk
Townsend's Chipmunk