Downtown Olympia Birding Tours

Take an “Urban Birding” walking tour around downtown Olympia! The Puget Sound Estuarium leads these beginning birding walks the 4th Sunday of the month. You’ll get tips and tricks for spotting birds, get an introduction to using binoculars, learn about the local and migratory birds, and get info on current restoration projects. The walk will be two hours and cover approximately two miles. The Estuarium’s Urban Birding walking tours will take place February 23, March 23, April 27, and September 28, October 26, and November 23, 2025.

During spring we will walk the Olympia Port Peninsula, starting at the LOTT wetlands to hear the songs of Red-winged blackbirds and watch Mallards take a sunny afternoon nap. Don’t forget your binoculars as we head along East Bay to spot Purple Martins flying in and out of nest boxes foraging for their chicks. Then, stroll over to catch a glimpse of the Ospreys using the nesting platforms at Swantown Marina. Finally, we will round out the tour looking for shorebirds near Percival Landing and talk about the impacts humans have on local urban bird habitat.

During fall, we will walk to Heritage Park and the 5th Avenue Dam, stopping along the way to observe how birds have adapted to live in urban areas. Stroll along Capital Lake to listen for the unique calls of Killdeer and watch the feeding behaviors of dabbling Mallards versus diving Buffleheads. Keep an eye in the sky at the 5th Avenue Dam for soaring Osprey, or under the 4th Avenue Bridge for roosting Pigeons. Have your binoculars ready for the boardwalk as we look for Belted Kingfisher and Great Blue Herons hunting along West Bay. Before heading back, we will stop at Percival landing to talk about how Olympia’s estuaries have changed and the effect it has had on bird populations.

Photo Credit: Dennis Plan