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05 · West Seattle

Jack Block Park

Harbor shoreline, observation tower

A Port of Seattle park with a 45-foot observation tower over Elliott Bay: gulls, herons, and Ospreys against the container cranes, with the downtown skyline across the water. The industrial backdrop is half the charm, and the tower gives a vantage no other West Seattle spot has.

Effort Easy · 0.7 mi + tower Paved paths and a 45-foot observation tower; fully level otherwise.
When to go Afternoons. The tower faces north toward downtown, so mornings are backlit. Note the pier section has had access closures since 2020.
Access Free lot at 2130 Harbor Ave SW. Port of Seattle park. Directions eBird hotspot

Birds by season

Curated highlights · the current season is marked

Spring

  • Caspian Tern
  • Brant
  • Osprey
  • Savannah Sparrow

Terns return to the harbor; Ospreys to the cranes.

Summer

  • Osprey
  • Heermann's Gull
  • Pigeon Guillemot
  • Purple Martin

Ospreys fish the bay all day.

Fall

  • Common Murre
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Horned Grebe
  • Peregrine Falcon

Murres and grebes filter into the harbor.

Winter

  • Barrow's Goldeneye
  • Bufflehead
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Western Grebe

Rafts of divers off the tower.

Reported here in the last 30 days

● Live from eBird

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Sources

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Live sighting data from eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology · Location research: Washington Trails Association, Eastside Audubon, Birds Connect Seattle, Washington Ornithological Society, Birdful · Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors