Five Places for Best Seattle Birdwatching

For those interested in Seattle birdwatching, the Pacific Northwest is a bird-watcher's dream, its landscape providing species whose habitats range from shoreline to mountains and plains. Here are five of the best places to do some Seattle birdwatching.

Bellevue Botanical Gardens: With their wide range of native plants, including ferns, rhododendrons, and dwarf conifers, the Garden offers birds a wide range of flowers. Try the fuchsia garden when it's in full bloom for glimpses of hummingbirds, including Anna's, black-chinned, Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds.

Bridle Trails State Park: Bridle Trails State Park offers the wooded area many shyer birds require as habitat, particularly those who prefer to nest deeper in the forest, such as American Dippers or Black Swifts. Combine birdwatching with a horseback ride and to double the outdoorsy pleasure while glimpsing the elusive blue flicker of an Indigo Bunting.

Golden Gardens Park: For shoreline bird spotting, try Golden Gardens, which runs along Puget Sound. Ducks and geese find the park a favored spot for resting while making their migratory treks. Birds may include American Coot or Black Oystercatchers and Scoter, or the American Bald Eagles nesting on the cliffs. As a bonus, California sea lions may be visible, gathered on the rock jetty near the marina. North along the beach or east into the wetlands area will yield plenty of bird-spotting opportunities. Heading down into Ballard along the locks may yield a glimpse of a Belted Kingfisher.

Marymoor Park: Look for Washington's state bird, the American goldfinch, clinging to thistles along the Sammamish River Trail, which finds its start here. Or try the nature trail, which runs through the dog area to the southern slough. Marymoor's open fields makes it a good place to spot species more common to eastern Washington, such as American Kestrel, Mourning Doves, Mountain Bluebirds, and Kingbirds. Along the lakeside, look for grebes, loons and Great Blue Herons.

Skagit River: For eagle watching, try a boat trip along the Skagit river December through February, in order to observe the hundreds of Bald Eagles along the water's edge feeding on beached salmon. One good stationary vantage point is the Skagit-spanning bridge in Rockport. Heading east from there on Highway 20, there are plenty of pullouts spaced along the highway, providing places to observe eagles in the trees or along the shore.

HelloSeattle Tip: The Seattle area abounds in places for birdwatching. Check the Audubon Society's site for additional suggestions.

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