PNW Birding where to go · what you'll see · how far you'll walk 23 spots

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09 · West Seattle

Schmitz Preserve Park

Old-growth forest ravine

A pocket of genuine old-growth forest in the middle of West Seattle, dim and quiet under the big trees. Woodpeckers, creepers, and kinglets move through in mixed flocks, and the setting is unmatched: this is what the whole peninsula looked like before the city.

Effort Easy · 1 mi forest loop Soft dirt trails through a ravine; gentle grades, dim under the canopy.
When to go Mid-morning on bright days, when light reaches the understory. Slower birding than the shoreline, but a different cast entirely.
Access Free street parking near 5551 SW Admiral Way. Directions eBird hotspot

Birds by season

Curated highlights · the current season is marked

Spring

  • Pacific Wren
  • Wilson's Warbler
  • Brown Creeper
  • Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Song fills the ravine by April.

Summer

  • Swainson's Thrush
  • Black-throated Gray Warbler
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Western Tanager

Thrush song at dawn is the draw.

Fall

  • Varied Thrush
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • Red-breasted Sapsucker
  • Hermit Thrush

Mountain birds drop into the lowland forest.

Winter

  • Pacific Wren
  • Barred Owl
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • Spotted Towhee

Mixed flocks and a chance of owls.

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