Shadywood City Park

Habitat and Birds

The attraction of this small city park is a large grove of tall, ancient oaks. Brown Creeper and White-breasted Nuthatch are among the year-round residents while several Western Wood-Pewees show up early June and stay for the summer. Bushtit and Cooper’s Hawk have nested in the park in 2009. From mid May to mid June, when the oaks leaf out, this park hosts a plethora of migrant songbirds. Wilson’s, Townsend’s and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak seem to be particularly numerous, but small numbers of Warbling Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush and Pacific-slope Flycatcher are also present. Even Cassin’s Vireo and Hermit Warbler are occasionally seen. The best birding is had on the western edge of the park where there is a house (park host?) with a large, multi-layered yard and several feeders. Beware of warbler neck as most bird activity is high up in the crowns of the oaks.