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Field Trip 2 - Seattle Naturalists Intro Natural World Course

Field trip: Introduction to the Natural World Course

Field Trip 2 - Seattle Naturalists Intro Natural World Course - Magnuson Park

We will be looking and listening for both migratory and resident birds in breeding plumage as they seek potential mates and set up territories for nesting. Bring binoculars; field guides are optional. Bring your smartphone or tablet with the Merlin App and use it to practice identifying species.

Contacts

Seth Kelsey
Seth Kelsey
Primary Leader
  • Easy
  • Easy
  • Mileage: 1.0
  • Pace: slow with many stops

We'll meet at 9:00 am at the northeast corner of Parking lot E-5 which is located on NE 65th and east of Sports Field Dr NE. This lot is subject to prowls so secure your car.

There are a couple of tasks to complete prior to this field trip. 

1 Binoculars

-Please contact me if you need binoculars. I’ll do my best to find you a pair to borrow.

-Set your binoculars to your face and vision. These are simple adjustments that really help improve the viewing. There are a few YouTube videos that can help you set your binoculars. I like this one  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Su5b1cNpU&t=203s

2 Merlin App

-Download the FREE Merlin App to your phone or tablet. Be sure to add the  US: West Coast bird pack while you have a good connection to WiFi. These are large files that take a while to download.

Trip 

After introductions we will discuss using the bird apps, Merlin & eBird in the field. After our discussion expect to spend approximately 2-3 hours wandering the trails, looking for birds and listening to their calls and song. We will practice looking at key characteristics like shape, size, color patterns, sound and behaviors and use the Merlin app and or bird guidebook to identify species. 

We will walk together in a group at a slow pace and stop often to listen and search for birds.

Post Trip

You will receive a list of birds we identified. For those people that have an eBird account, you will also receive a link to upload the list to your account.

 

 

Route/Place

Magnuson Park

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Bring binoculars. Bring your smartphone or tablet with the Merlin App and have the Pacific Bird Pack loaded. 

If you don't have binoculars, email the trip leader to see if they might be able to bring an extra pair.

Trip Reports