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

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14 · Seattle

Seward Park

Old-growth forest, lakeshore

A peninsula of genuine old growth inside city limits — big Douglas-firs, pileateds hammering somewhere above you, and eagles nesting where the trail meets the water. Do the forest first, then walk the shoreline for grebes.

Effort Easy · 2.4 mi perimeter Paved perimeter loop, level; forest trails climb modestly.
When to go Dawn for the forest birds; the loop is busy with joggers by nine.
Access Free lots. Restrooms and a café at the entrance. Directions eBird hotspot

Birds by season

Curated highlights · the current season is marked

Spring

  • Pacific-slope Flycatcher
  • Black-throated Gray Warbler
  • Swainson’s Thrush
  • Warbling Vireo

Flycatchers and vireos fill the old growth.

Summer

  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Band-tailed Pigeon
  • Osprey
  • Brown Creeper

Pileateds work the big snags; osprey overhead.

Fall

  • Varied Thrush
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • Hutton’s Vireo
  • Red-breasted Sapsucker

Thrushes and kinglets drop into the understory.

Winter

  • Barred Owl
  • Horned Grebe
  • Bald Eagle
  • Bufflehead

Owls call before dawn; grebes offshore.

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