It’s easy to spend a few hours birding in this large park. The north pond sometimes hosts Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, and Eurasian Wigeons alongside many Mallards and American Wigeons. The seasonal wetland at the south end attracts ducks, swallows, and occasional shorebirds. The open fields provide habitat for migrating American Pipits, while patches of brambles and willows shelter Golden-crowned Sparrows and Willow Flycatchers.

With its mix of saltwater, estuary, forest habitats, and open sky, this park is a great spot to find a wide variety of birds. Early morning walks are especially rewarding, as the area is often quiet and peaceful. Scan the beaches for Spotted Sandpipers, check the mill pond for Hooded Mergansers, and explore the ornamental trees for Red-breasted Sapsuckers. In the fall, the surrounding madrones are full of ripe berries, attracting robins, Varied Thrushes, Cedar Waxwings, and various other birds.

Although admission is required and much of the grounds are manicured, this location still offers excellent birding opportunities. The pond on the south side is particularly birdy and is a great spot to find Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, Cedar Waxwings, Western Wood-Pewees, and various woodpeckers. Here are the hours and admission.

Fay Bainbridge Park is a fantastic spot for seawatching. Scan the saltwater for gulls, loons, grebes, and alcids. A variety of raptors may perch atop the old conifers, and songbirds typical of open habitats can sometimes be found amongst the driftwood. On some spring mornings during migration, numerous northbound songbirds fly overhead, often pausing before crossing Port Madison.

This park features a variety of habitats, including saltwater, offshore rocks, a cobble beach, large conifers, and overgrown thickets. Scan the saltwater for gulls, alcids, cormorants, and ducks. Three species of scoters can be found here. With a scope, you can look for Black Turnstones on Orchard Rocks. Harlequin Ducks are often seen in the shallow water near the cobble beach, and Belted Kingfishers nest in the wave-cut bluffs. Scan the tops of the conifers for raptors, and search the thickets for Hermit Thrushes, Fox Sparrows, and Cedar Waxwings.

Gazzam Lake, one of the few accessible freshwater sites on the island with open water views, is an excellent spot for observing Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks, and Wood Ducks. Swallows are often abundant, and the surrounding forest provides habitat for a variety of songbirds and woodpeckers.

With hundreds of acres of conifer forest, the Grand Forest provides suitable breeding habitat for Pacific Wrens, Townsend's Warblers, and a few Varied Thrushes. Pileated Woodpeckers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Hutton’s Vireos are common year-round. The large open meadow is a good place to look for sparrows and soaring raptors.

Hawley Cove offers a mix of habitats, including a forest with large Grand Firs, a marsh, a small creek, and a gravelly beach. Red-winged Blackbirds, Virginia Rails, and Marsh Wrens inhabit the marsh. Gulls and shorebirds bathe and roost at the mouth of the creek, while goldeneyes, Surf Scoters, and Horned Grebes can be found just offshore. Looking back from the beach, scan the tops of the tall conifers for Merlins and other raptors.

The 255-acre campus of this environmental education nonprofit is a birding hotspot. Species that require large tracts of mature forest, such as Pileated Woodpeckers and Pacific Wrens, are year-round residents. The large pond attracts Wood Ducks, a variety of swallows, and nesting Pied-billed Grebes. The marsh hosts Common Yellowthroats and Red-winged Blackbirds. Walking the trails in the spring offers opportunities to hear Western Flycatchers, Western Tanagers, and Black-throated Gray Warblers. Here is a calendar of community events.

With its pond, orchards, weedy fields, and woodland edges, Johnson Farm provides habitat for many species. Look for Wood Ducks on the pond and Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the fruit trees. The overgrown fields attract numerous sparrows and finches. Uncommon species, such as Chipping Sparrows and House Wrens, sometimes nest here.

The dense understory of the forest at Manzanita Park creates ideal habitat for a variety of songbirds. On an early morning walk in spring, the sounds of Wilson's Warblers, Western Flycatchers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Swainson's Thrushes fill the air. In winter, listen for the calls of Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

The expansive marsh is the park's highlight, attracting Virginia Rails, Marsh Wrens, Common Yellowthroats, and various ducks. Swallows frequently fill the sky, while woodpeckers and raptors perch in the nearby trees. Along the path parallel to Highway 305, watch for Black-throated Gray Warblers in the alders and Bushtits in the oceanspray.

Depending on the tide, this location features expansive mudflats with a creek running through it, or a vast area of shallow saltwater. When the tide is out, it’s a great place to find roosting gulls, foraging shorebirds, and hunting raptors. As the tide comes in, one can get close views of a variety of ducks, Horned Grebes, Ospreys, and Caspian Terns.

The quiet pond here is a magnet for Wood Ducks and Ring-necked Ducks. During fall and winter, the surrounding woods often host Northern Saw-whet Owls, and a variety of woodpeckers can frequently be found working the trees.

This is a great spot for birding with a scope, though Harlequin Ducks are often found close to the rocky shoreline. Scan the water for Western Grebes, Pigeon Guillemots, and scoters. You might spot distant Black Turnstones and Black Oystercatchers roosting on Blakely Rocks.

Sakai Park offers a nice mix of overgrown grassy areas, deciduous forest, and a pond, providing habitat for a variety of birds. In spring, Rufous Hummingbirds are often found in the salmonberry thickets, and Warbling Vireos can be heard singing from the alders. Listen for Ruby-crowned Kinglets calling from the shrubs. Be sure to check the weedy fields for finches and sparrows, and the pond for diving Buffleheads.

This is a small park, but it features a few hundred feet of shoreline and a bird-rich estuary. It’s one of the best spots to find shorebirds like Western and Least Sandpipers, and a great place to watch Ospreys and Caspian Terns diving for fish. The estuary attracts a variety of ducks, while Common Yellowthroats can be seen along its edges. In the riparian forest, look for Yellow Warblers, Pine Siskins, and Purple Finches.

In the heart of Winslow, Waterfront Park provides surprisingly good birding opportunities. Across the harbor, you can spot a Bald Eagle nest, while Pigeon Guillemots nest under the ferry pier. Spring and summer bring Caspian Terns and Purple Martins, both frequent visitors. You’ll often find a Belted Kingfisher patrolling the shoreline and a Great Blue Heron hunting in the shallows.

A morning bird walk along Weaver Road, from Rotary Park to Strawberry Plant Park, offers a variety of habitats to explore. Start at Rotary Park, where ornamental plantings attract sparrows, finches, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. During migration, watch the ballfields for American Pipits. As you approach the farm fields, look for raptors overhead and sparrows in the thickets. At Strawberry Plant Park on Eagle Harbor, scan the water for Green-winged Teal and other ducks.