Green Lake, Seattle: King County 

Biol. 452 Home Page
Field Trips
Field Trip Photos & Species List for Spring 2008

DIRECTIONS

Coming from the University of Washington, go north on I-5. Take the 65th street - Ravenna boulevard exit & go west (left). Follow Ravenna bouldevard until you reach Greenlake Way. Go right (north) on Greenlake Way & follow it onto W. Greenlake Drive along the perimeter of the lake to the west side. Alternatively, exit I-5 at the 80th-85th street exit & go west on 85th Ave until Aurora Ave. Go south on Aurora until you reach Greenlake Drive North. Follow this angling street until you reach Greenlake. Turm left & follow W Greenlake Drive as noted. Park on the west side of the lake & walk to the adjacent Bathhouse Theater.

DESCRIPTION

Greenlake formed 10,000-15,000 years ago during the glacial retreat that carved out the entire Puget trough & also formed Lake Washington. The lake is estimated to have been 35-45 feet deep initialy. As forests returned around the lake, the lake bottom gradually filled with sediment formed from dead vegetation, perhaps losing half its depth by the time Seattle was established. At the turn of the century the lake was surrounded by old growth conifers, with alder & willow along the shore. The lake was developed as a park, between 1911-1915. To build the park, was a challenge, because roads & homes had already closely encroached on the lake's perimeter. So, to create "park space", the lake's water level was lowered 7 feet & its outlet to Ravenna Creek was cut off. In 1936 Duck island was created as a bird refuge of native willows & cottonwood. The island is used by waterfowl & roosting hawks & eagles. A 3 mile trail encircles the lake, which has an average depth now of only 13 feet. Greenlake has great bird watching year round with lots of waterfowl in the winter and migratory birds in spring & fall. Over 160 species of birds have been recorded here. Resident ducks, grebes & coots can be observed nesting in the summer. Bald Eagles & Osprey frequent the lake.

Our field trips begin in the early evening so we don't see many birds, but we stay until after dark & watch bats foraging for small insects between the trees or over the lake.

To read more about bats go to Bats Northwest at: http://www.batsnorthwest.org/mylu_meet.html

GREENLAKE FIELD TRIP SPECIES LISTS (2000-2007)

GREENLAKE SPECIES

(I) is introduced

July 10

2007

JULY 10

2000

JULY 24

2004

JULY 26

2005

JULY 27

2006

AUG. 1

2001

AUG. 7

2002

AUG. 9

2003

AUG. 10

2007

AUG. 10

2000

Class Actinopterygii
   
Minnow, Family Cyprinidae  
X
X
dead
X
X
X
X
Catfish (I), Family Ictaluridae  
X
  
Trout, Family Salmonidae
X
                  
Sculpin, Family Cottidae  
X
X
  
X
Sunfish, Family Centrarchidae
?
                  
Class Lissamphibia    
Pacific Treee (Chorus) Frog - Family Hylidae
(released)
                  
Bullfrog (I) - Family Ranidae
tadpole?
X
X
heard
  
Order Testudines                    
Red-earred Slider
X
                  
Painted Turtle
X
                  
Class Mammalia    
Little Brown Bats
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Big Brown Bats
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Townsend's Mole
mounds
 .
mounds
mounds
mounds
 . .
mounds
mounds
 .
European Rabbit (I)   .
X
X
X
 . . .   .
Eastern Gray Squirrel (I)
X
 .
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
vole (no id)   .
.
.
. .
X
  .
Rattus rattus (I)   .
.
X
X
.
X
  ..
Class Aves    
Pied-billed Grebe
X nest, chicks
X
X nest, chicks
X nest
X + chicks
X nest, chicks
X chicks
X chicks
X (chicks, eggs)
X nest
Double-crested Cormorant   .
.
.
X
. .   .
Green Heron  
X
.
.
X
 . . .   .
Great Blue Heron   .
X
X
.
.
X
 
X
Canada Geese
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Domestic Geese
X
X
.
.
X
X
X
.
X
X
Mallard
X
X
X + ducklings
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Gadwall  
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
 
X
American Coot
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Glaucous-winged Gull
X
X
X
X
X
 . .
X
 
X
Ring-billed Gull   .
.
X
  
X
X
X
 
X
Glaucous-Western Hyb.?      
X
            
Caspian Tern?   .
.
.
   . . .  
X
Spotted Sandpiper  
X
X
Osprey   .
.
.
   . . .
X
X with fish
Red-tailed Hawk  
X
  
Hummingbird (no id)   .
X
.
   . . .   .
Northern Flicker
X
 .
heard
.
   .
X
X
heard
 .
Downy Woodpecker   .
.
.
  
X
. .   .
Bushtit
X
X
X
X
  
X
X
X
X
X
Red-breasted Nuthtatch
X nest, chicks
              
heard
  
Black-capped Chickadee
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Violet-green Swallow
X
X
.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Barn Swallow
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cliff Swallow  
.
.
X
.
.
.
  
.
Bewick's Wren   .
.
.
. .
X
X
 .
American Crow
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Red-winged Blackbird  
X
X
X
X
X
.
X
 
X
Brewers Blackbird   .
.
..
. .
X
  .
Brown-headed Cowbird   .
.
.
X
X
.   .
Spotted Towhee   .
.
.
.
?
.   .
Cedar Waxwing  
X
  
American Robin
X
 .
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
 .
Warbler (no species id)   .
.
.
.
X
.   .
Song Sparrow  
X
.
.
. .
X
  .
House Finch  
X
X
.
X
 .
X
.   .