Prairie Appreciation Day Bird Walk

Saturday May 14^th   7:30 to 10:00 am

We will meet at the parking area (see directions below) at 7:30 AM.  The walk runs to around 10 AM.  The bird walk is a 2-3 mile walk through prairie and oak riparian woodland on gravel roads and dirt trails. You don’t need to sign up in advance, though we will ask you to sign in when you get there.

This is an opportunity to see prairie birds at a preserve which is normally closed to the public.  The prairie habitat affords raptors, meadowlarks, savannah sparrows, bluebirds and other migrant birds.  The oak woodland should have flycatchers, house wrens and other colorful birds such as black headed grosbeaks, and western tanagers.  We should also see a number of other resident birds.  Mid May is the height of blooming for prairie plants with camas turning the prairie blue.

Prairie Appreciation Day is celebrated by the Friends of Puget Prairies at the Glacial Heritage Preserve, a South Sound prairie managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

COVID Guidelines:

1. Participants agree to follow current Washington Phase Covid-19 guidance. They must stay home if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, or new loss of taste or smell.
2. We are unable to accommodate unvaccinated participants.
3. Use of a facemask is an individual decision
4. Participants must agree to these guidelines concerning COVID-19.

Directions From I-5

• Take exit 95 (Littlerock/Maytown) and head West on Maytown road toward the town of Littlerock.
• Follow Maytown Rd until you reach the stop sign at Littlerock Elementary. Continue straight onto 128th street and continue straight until ‘T’ at Mima/Waddel Creek rd.
• At ‘T’ take a left and follow Mima creek road for 2.7 miles.
• You will see a tractor precaution sign followed shortly by a gravel road and brown sign marking Glacial Heritage preserve on the left.
• Take a left onto the unmarked gravel road.

Follow road around corner and through white gate and to the parking lot on the right.

photo credit: Male Western Bluebird. Okanagan, B.C., December 3014. Wikipedia. Blalande. Own work.