‘Twas a nostalgic, lovely hike at Magnuson for two friends who spent a lot of time here in grad school. The trails are in great condition and the park is well-used by kids’ sports teams and folks heading to the off-leash dog park. There were crows galore and lots of different species of waterfowl in the wetlands. Plus, the fungi in the forest and wetland trails were out in full force!

A group of 12 Mountaineers Naturalists enjoyed 35 species of birds in the Wetlands and Promontory Point hillside between 8:30-11:20 on a beautiful, cool, crisp morning. When I arrived at 8:10 there was a strong breeze preventing many shorebirds or waterfowl (I did see a pied billed grebe) and across the bay a light foggy mist rose from the warmer-than-air water surface.

Our trip focused on the wetlands where we enjoyed cedar waxwings, a good look at a Cooper's Hawk, ten ring-necked ducks, and a variety of house finches and yellow-rumped warblers, among others.

Recent rains have made spots a tad slick, especially up on Promontory Point. Watch for blackberry brambles and stick to the main gravel paths and there shouldn't be any issue. Trees are turning golden yellow and there's a nip in the air. Love fall birding!

#HikeTheState

It was a and very sunny day for a walk around Magnuson and Shakespeare in the Park. Green Stage performs there every summer and the play we attended today was Much Ado About Nothing. While waiting for the play, we roamed around the gardens which are currently full of beautiful blooms including many kinds of dahlias, lily, and thistle.

The park porta potties need a cleaning. Thankfully, Green Stage had brought in some special for the event that were as nice as a porta potty can be.

I am hiking all this month to raise funds and awareness for WTA so that the trails can be enjoyed by future generations. If you would like to contribute, any amount helps.
give.wta.org/jenchilada2025

#hikeathon #makeyourmilescount #teamtacosformiles #hikeathon2025 #trailsnextdoor #urbantrails

My dog and I enjoyed 33 bird species and a gorgeous sunrise over Lake Washington from Magnuson Park's waterfront. We started at 6:40 and meandered north on a cold, crisp, clear morning toward the off-leash dog park, listening to the Canada geese, American wigeons, western grebes, and mallards. Several people let their dogs run off-leash, but I obediently kept Ajax on a leash until we reached the off-leash dog park where he could enjoy some freedom. 

A man with a big birding lens said he'd seen an otter, but we weren't so fortunate. Most of the trails are in great shape; we did find one with standing water and what looked like an oil spill (multi-colored rainbow hue, not sure what that was all about).  We also saw a bunch of people in wetsuits about to go swimming. Brrr.

Our best birds: a Belted kingfisher, a ruby-crowned kinglet, a few buffleheads, two ring-necked ducks, and a pair of common mergansers.