Central Pond

Montlake Fill was used as a refuse dump by the City of Seattle between 1926 and 1965. In 1971 the area was covered with glacial till and landscaped - some of the pipes used to flare off gas accumulating under the surface can still be seen around the area. Areas along the western edge of Union Bay were converted to playing fields and parking lots for the University of Washington while the central and eastern edges remained undeveloped. Trees have started to slowly colonise the area however non-native Himalayan Blackberry made more rapid progress. Since 1999 the Center for Urban Horticulture is actively managing the area, removing all the blackberry and regularly mowing the site to reduce the effects of non-native, invasive species. Purple Loosestrife also rapidly colonised the ponds however after years of manual removal and the release of weevils and beetles to biologically control the plant, the shorelines around the ponds have been restored. The current management plan supports a multiple use policy with emphasis on preserving the area for wildlife. Despite being in the central of a large urban area, Montlake Fill is relatively quiet with only birders, a few joggers and people walking dogs visiting the site.

Best Times To Visit

Peak Spring and Autumn migration in May and July/August respectively are the best times to visit with between 5 to 15 birds present at any one time. There is considerable turnover with most birds stopping for only a few hours. In exceptional conditions, usually associated with bad weather, hundreds of birds can be seen passing through the area over the course of a day.

During The Day
Between dawn-8am - birds that have been migrating at night often stopover in early morning to rest. Similarly in evening between 5.30pm and 7pm appears to be the peak time for birds arriving in the evening. For digiscoping the best light is often between 7am and 9am when the sun is bright enough to provide plenty of light but the temperature is not high enough to produce a heat haze. On cooler or on 'bright' cloudy days there are opportunities for photography throughout the day.

What Species To Expect

Situated on the edge of Lake Washington and at the end of the Ravenna Creek valley it attracts any birds flying through the area. Waders that prefer freshwater habitats are more common, though Western Sandpiper is an obvious exception. Vagrants in recent years have included Ruff, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and American Avocet.

Specialities
While the site is a great place to photograph Least and Western Sandpipers up close, this is possible almost anywhere. What the site does offer is an opportunity to photograph two of the more unusual species that are found in the state:

Solitary Sandpiper: In mid to late Spring the SE pond is the best place to look for this elusive wader as it feeds in amongst the woody vegetation. The birds are very shy and use of a hide is mandatory. Also be prepared for a long wait, the birds only reveal themselves when the area is quiet however a little patience may be rewarded handsomely.

Wilson's Phalarope: this species is almost an annual visitor during mid May to early June. While Wilson's Phalaropes are common in the Potholes area of eastern Washington the birds that turn up at Montlake Fill are much easier to photograph. The birds are always very tame and the southern end of Shovelor Pond is narrow allowing a very close approach to the birds. The Gallery has examples of birds photographed from Eastern Washington and from Montlake Fill.

What's Good

• Right in the middle of Seattle, on the edge of the University of Washington campus, the site is hard to beat for convenience. Although it is in an urban setting it is surprisingly quiet. Most visitors stay on the path that runs around the edge of the area so the opportunities for photographing birds undisturbed are considerable, though not guaranteed.
• Almost anything can show up here. The location of the site means that it picks up birds migrating down along the edge of Lake Washington as well as birds flying along the edge of Puget Sound.

What's Not So Good

• The willow trees around the edge of the ponds and the trees along the eastern edge of the area cast a dark green reflection on the water reducing light levels considerably. This can give some nice effects if you can compensate for the contrast between the bird and the background.
• In July/August moulting ducks and geese leave a lot of white body feathers lying on the shoreline. It is easiest to remove them from the section of shoreline where you are shooting rather than trying to remove them from the digital images later.
• The central pond is relatively deep. Even with a slight breeze ripples soon form on the surface which complicates the light conditions and sometimes causes bands of light to reflect off the paler underparts of birds.
• As Montlake Fill is nestled between Lake Washington and Puget Sound often there are early morning clouds or fog which often rules out an early start.
• The soil around the area is predominately clay-based. When it dries out, as water levels recede during the summer, it reflects a lot of light and a heat haze quickly forms which blurs images.