Skip to content

Seaside Stories

Where to Go Birding in Seaside

September 4, 2017 | by Shellie Bailey-Shah

The Seaside Estuary makes an ideal spot to go bird watching along the Oregon Coast.

Seaside may be a small town, but it’s a big destination for birds, and as a result, birdwatchers hitting nearby spots on the Oregon Coast Birding Trail. More than 300 species of birds either live here year-round or visit in the spring or autumn on their travels along the Pacific Flyway migratory route. With such varied ecosystems — the ocean, an estuary, fresh and saltwater ponds, wetlands, grassy dunes and forest — your birding experience is sure to be rich and diverse.

Click here for birding tips, including GPS coordinates to each of the spots below.

Best for Families

Mill Ponds consists of two ponds — one freshwater and one tidal-influenced — that attract birds throughout the year. In the spring, look for brightly colored, neo-tropical migrants, such as Wilson’s warblers, orange-crowned warblers and warbling vireos, which feed on insects and nectar plants; in the winter, you’ll find ospreys and sparrows in addition to migrant harlequin and wood ducks. The short trail is flat and family-friendly. To get to Mill Ponds, take Highway 101 to Avenue S and then to Alder Mill Road, where you can park at the end of the street.

Best for Paddlers

Kayaking is one of the best ways to observe migratory shorebirds in the Necanicum Estuary, where the Necanicum River meets the Pacific Ocean. During April and September, look for Western sandpipers, whimbrels, semipalmated plovers, dunlins and long-billed curlews. Other frequent visitors include great blue herons, greater yellowlegs, and various ducks. For more on kayaking in Seaside, click here.

You can also access the estuary on foot from North Gateway Park. Parking is available just north of Java Reef Coffee (2674 Highway 101).

Best for Beach Lovers

On the southern end of Seaside along the beach next to the rocky headland, you’ll discover Seaside Cove. While you enjoy the waves lapping the shore, look for common murres, pigeon guillemots and pelagic cormorants. Parking is available along Sunset Boulevard.

Best for Hikers

A hike on the Tillamook Head Trail combines birding with the best views of storied Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. You’ll spot Wilson’s and Hermit warblers, Spotted towhees and maybe even Northern Saw-whet owls. Start at the parking area for Elmer Feldheimer Forest Preserve at the end of Sunset Boulevard. For more on this hike and views of “Terribly Tilly,” click here.

Before you set out, review Seaside’s birding etiquette.

Above photo by Veronica Russell for the Seaside Visitors Bureau

and so much more!

Find a Beach Path Less Traveled By

A Sunday stroll along the beach at 12th Avenue in Seaside, Oregon

Learn More
Summer in Seaside can offer as much variety as our local candy stores.
How to Have an Epic North Coast Summer

A summer spent in Seaside is like a good clam chowder — fresh, flavorful and filling.

Learn More
Postcards from the Past

Ancient postcards from Seaside's distant past

Learn More
C&R Mercantile’s Rachelle Minoza Brings The Chic

When Rachelle “Shelly” Minoza moved to Oregon with her young family in 1992, she took a job at Meier & Frank to be able to wor...

Learn More
Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament
World’s Largest Beach Volleyball Tournament

Come August, the “digs” along Seaside’s beach have nothing to do with razor clams. For the 36th year, Seaside will host the ...

Learn More
Feed Your Mind, Body and Soul in Seaside

Seaside is more than its well-earned reputation for fun and shopping along famed Broadway Street. It’s also home to pampering sp...

Learn More
Read These Oregon Coast Page-Turners

A good book and the beach — there may be no better combination. Opened in 2005, Beach Books is a local institution where you ca...

Learn More
Broadway Retro

A look at downtown Seaside during the 1960s

Learn More
My First Trip to Seaside

Recalling a memorable first trip to Seaside, Oregon

Learn More
Five Great Burgers in Seaside

Sam’s Seaside Cafe A well-executed burger shaped and grilled to perfection, layered with the proper ratios of ingredients, i...

Learn More
Seaside Nightlife

Above photo: A group enjoys some live music in a photo by Don Frank. Some visitors come to Seaside for the beach, some for the att...

Learn More
See What’s New in Seaside This Summer

Find more fun spots that have opened since 2021 here. When’s the last time you visited Seaside? Maybe it was last season, or las...

Learn More
Wildlife Along the Coast

Driving highway 101 can yield miles of scenic wonders

Learn More
Portland to Seaside by Bus

Visiting Seaside without a Car

Learn More
Pedal Boating through Seaside

Paddle boating Seaside is another unique way to see Seaside while getting a little exercise in the process.

Learn More
The Sweet Side of Seaside

Above photo: A tray of sweets on display at A Sweet Affaire, held every February. In February, we invite you to bask in the sweet ...

Learn More
Seaside Guide to Beachcombing

With one of the longest, sandiest, and most spacious beaches on the Oregon Coast, Seaside is the perfect spot to go looking for tr...

Learn More
Shopper’s Delight: Selnes Grocery

The hustle and bustle of Holiday shopping in Seaside circa 1926 was not nearly the same as it today.

Learn More