Juanita Bay Park - an urban wildlife habitat!

Juanita Bay Park is a great place to see wildlife right in the middle of town. In this one park it is possible, on a good day, to see birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish! Located just east of Seattle on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, the park is part of the Kirkland parks system.

A wonderful place to do some bird watching!

As a teacher, I would take my third graders to Juanita Bay Park every spring to see how many different birds we could identify. Park rangers, along with a few volunteers from the Eastside Audubon Society, would come along with us. They would guide my students through the park identifying bird songs and pointing out birds and other wildlife that we might not have seen on our own. Here are just a few of the birds that we have spotted:

• Black-headed grosbeak
• Pileated woodpecker
• California quail
• Cedar waxwing
• Stellar's jay
• Black-capped chickadee
• Marsh wren

Because the park is located on the waterfront of Lake Washington, we always see many waterfowl as well:

• Double crested cormorants
• Great blue heron
• Ducks

A wide variety of ducks either spend the winter at Juanita Bay Park or stop off here on their way farther south. In the spring you can see lots of baby ducklings following their mothers around. A real surprise one winter were the trumpeter swans which are rarely seen here. I counted 17! Quite a treat, since I had just read "The Trumpet of the Swan" to my class that year!

Other Wildlife

There are open grassy areas, paved walkways, boardwalks, and interpretive signs that tell what to look for or a little of the history of the park. It used to be a golf course. My dog, Sadie, loves to walk here. If I'm serious about getting close enough to photograph the birds, however, I leave her at home!

Several boardwalks take you across wetlands and out over the water's edge. This is where we saw lots of frogs, fish, and many western painted turtles all lined up in rows on logs.

Beaver pond and dam - This is a currently in-use beaver dwelling! Occasionally when I have visited, the dam had been breached and the water level was down. Then the next time I went, the beavers had repaired it and the pond was full again. Watch for chewed up tree trunks near the water, a sure sign that the beavers have been at work.

Other interesting things about Juanita Bay Park

The Eastside Audubon Society conducts regularly scheduled guided bird walks in the park. No pre-registration is necessary, just show up with your bird watching binoculars and meet in the parking lot. Information on dates and times is available at their website at www.elwas.org.

Juanita Bay Park's paved walkways and boardwalks are plenty wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs. Restrooms, benches, and a few picnic tables are available but you can't barbecue here. After our wildlife and bird watching, I would take my class right around the corner to Juanita Beach Park. Lots of picnic tables, a covered pavilion, playground equipment, a sandy beach, and a quarter-mile-long walking pier extending into Juanita Bay make for a great cookout.

For more information:
Juanita Bay Park
425-587-3300
2201 Market Street
Kirkland, WA