Birdwatching at Seattle's Montake Fill

Today I took an outing by myself to an area in Seattle just east of the University of Washington athletic complex, near Union Bay, a small waterway leading from Lake Union into Lake Washington known as the Montlake Cut. The Montlake Cut leads kayakers and canoers into the Union Bay. And as they enthusiastically paddle their way around lily pads, they find a newly preserved wildlife habitat that can be seen up close.

This area, once used as a landfill, has been reclaimed and is now a natural wildlife and bird habitat known as the "Montlake Fill."

The Birding Place:



According to the Seattle Audubon, "The Union Bay Natural Area, or 'Montlake Fill,' is one of the premier birding sites in Seattle, because it is an island of wild in a sea of urbanity."


The "fill" is a former landfill located in the heart of northeast Seattle on the banks of Lake Washington. It was built on a peat marsh created when Lake Washington was lowered in the early 1900s. When the landfill closed in 1966, the city capped the garbage with clay, covered by a thin layer of soil. Over the years, the land has settled into gentle hills and valleys landscaped into grasslands, with riparian vegetation and marshes. Various temporary and permanent ponds have formed, surrounded by poplars, willows, cattails, and invasive plants. The University of Washington, which owns and manages the property, is currently trying to seed the site with native vegetation, but much remains to be done.

The Birds


Union Bay Natural Area is noted for its microhabitats, which attract a huge diversity of resident and migratory birds. Some 200 species have been seen here over the years, including such delights as American Bittern, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Green Heron, American Pipit, and Rufous and Anna's Hummingbird. The ponds attract migrating shorebirds such as Wilson's Phalarope, Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, and Solitary Sandpiper, along with the more common Leasts, Westerns, and dowitchers. Rarities can turn up at any time and include Black-headed Gull, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black Tern, Barn Owl, Sage Thrasher, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Lapland Longspur. Waterfowl such as Cackling Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, and wigeons (both species) are common. The best feature about this area is that the birds quickly become accustomed to people and allow birders to approach closely.

Directions and Suggestions

From I-5, exit at #169 (NE 45th Street) and head east on NE 45th through the University District to 15th Ave where you turn right, travel approximately 1/4 mile to University Ave and turn left then about 200 feet veer to the left at the University of Washington Medical Center Extra Parking sign - (Not down a viaduct ramp to a stoplight as the Seattle Audubon website indicates due to road closure & detour of viaduct on 45th). Turn left onto Montlake and drive northeast staying to the right around the north side of the UW athletic complex parking lot to just past the Burgermaster restaurant you'll see on the left. At that  next light (Mary Gates Memorial Drive) turn right and head south, passing the first turnoff on the right (Golf Driving Range) and enter the next turnoff, which is a small narrow entrance into a parking lot for the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). Parking is free here just obey the "no parking" signs. Walking the loop trail on the west side of this parking lot (Wahkiakum Trail) is comfortably flat and I suggest staying on the trail to protect the habitat. I suggest you take the first trail that veers to the left which heads directly to Turtle Logs through the Riparian habitat and passed the swamp toward the swampy area.

You can also explore the grounds south and east of CUH, and the fields and ponds north of Wahkiakum Trail. Good year round; early mornings are best. No amenities available at the Union Bay Natural Area, but if the CUH is open, restrooms and vending machines are available. Avoid University of Washington football Saturdays, as parking is difficult.  (I went in the afternoon after lunch and found plenty of birds and good lighting for photographing species.

My advice is to keep in mind that while weekends are terrific for birding you'll have to leave earlier to make up time for construction, detours and extra traffice due to the Montlake Bridge opening periodically for boats to pass.

I found the best birding along the slough or the southeast riparian habitat, and at the "Turtle log" pond. However I spotted many warblers and sparrows I did not identify in the northwest section of the paths that cross sect with another pond area. It's not a problem to wander as all paths intersect. It is a problem to trample on wild flowers and grassland habitat just planted. My belief is if it is there to preserve wildlife then leave it as you found it. No smoking, no trash, and no trampling native plants!

Beside birds I spotted several odes including damselflies hovering in the damp grasslands mainly in the low-lying areas near ponds.


This is my bird species list from Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010:

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mallard x Swedish Duck hybrid
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Osprey
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Willow Flycatcher
American Crow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Purple Finch