The Family Birdwalk program is an exciting opportunity for families who participate in any of the Magnuson Family Campouts. The campouts take place on selected Friday nights during the summer, when the Magnuson Swimming Beach becomes a tent "village", full of fun such as as singing around the campfire complete with s'mores, nighttime bat walks, breakfast in the park, and the opportunity to go on an early morning bird-watching expedition.The Family Birdwalks are free, and designed to educate and excite the whole family about fun and successful ways to watch birds in action while exploring the park. The walks wind through the trails in the wooded area just south of Kite Hill, the grasslands near the Tennis Courts, and a gradual climb up the west side of Kite Hill. The 45-minute walks are moderate in distance and topography, to enable even those with small children to enjoy participating, and to allow time for all to stop, look, and listen in some of the most bird-friendly spots.
The program took a giant step forward this summer with two events that each drew a large group of families. We hope you'll be along for the next one in 2010!
On Saturday July 11th, a group of 21 adults and children saw and heard a variety of bird species, including:
- Bewick's Wren
- Red-Winged Blackbird
- White-Crowned Sparrow
- American Crow
- Rufous Hummingbird
- Downey Woodpecker
- Barn Swallow
- Spotted Towhee
On Saturday August 8th, a group of 17 adults and children saw and heard:
- Northern Red-Shafted Flicker
- Red-Tailed Hawk
- American Goldfinch
- House Finch
- American Robin
- European Starling
- American Crow
- Tree Swallow
- Anna's Hummingbird
The Family Birdwalk program also gives families the opportunity for a free preview use of the Magnuson Family Explorer Backpacks, which are filled with a variety of bird-watching supplies such as:
- adult-size and child-size binoculars
- bird ID guides, fandecks, and laminated cards
- detailed maps to several bird-watching trails within the park, with lists of the birds most commonly seen there
- a bird activity book for kids with coloring pages, crossword puzzle, fill-in-the blank pages, scavenger hunts, and more
- a bird card game for rainy day fun
