Seattle Birding & Wildlife
Image via Flickr user Ingrid Taylar
The first stop for Seattle birding is, of course, Seattle Audubon. For more info throughout the state, see the Washington State Audubon site, with its links to various area chapters.
Check out the this listing of birding destinations and the Washington Audubon’s Great Washington State Birding Trail interactive map.
A personal favorite local spot for birding is the Union Bay Natural Area. Connie Sidles, a local birder, visits the fill almost everyday, updates the bird board there, and has written a book about the Fill, called In My Nature. Here’s an interview with her from KUOW. You can also read her blog, which usually features an essay on a bird she’s recently seen at the Fill.
A somewhat less sophisticated record of birding at the Fill is my Gallery of Terrible Bird Photos. The “terrible” in that title is modifying the “photos.” It is not a gallery of really mean birds, just very very poor photographs. This will be abundantly clear if you visit it.
So why should you? If you just getting started with birding, you will probably spend a lot of time trying to catch quick glimpses of birds moving quickly through trees and underbrush, or taking off and disappearing into the distant sky. What better way to practice that to scroll through some fuzzy photos taken by a camera with a lens that is not up to the task of wildlife photography?
Ramblin’ Rose Birding Adventures is run by Penny Rose, a ranger at Discovery Park. While I have not taken a trip through Ramblin’ Rose, Penny has led three birding classes that I’ve taken at Discovery Park, and I think she is great. She’s got a real passion and enthusiasm for birding and is an excellent teacher.
The Parks and Recreation departments of Seattle and the surrounding areas offer many low tide wildlife walks, birding classes, and other wildlife related events. They will be regularly added to the calendar.
There are some birding supplies in the sidebar, but if you might prefer to head out to support a local small business, check out The Wild Bird in Poulsbo, which offers lots of supplies, from feeders to scopes, for the bird-lovers out there.