Join BirdPhilly for a walk at two of Philadelphia’s least birded spots, Wister Woods Park and Wakefield Park. Both located in the Logan neighborhood, Wister Woods Park and Wakefield Park are under appreciated gems, both with rich history and good birding.

Starting with Wister Woods Park, the park is named after Frances Anne Wister, whose family lived in the area for decades before and who donated the land which the park now occupies to the Fairmount Park Commission (now Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR)) in 1949. Frances Anne Wister was quite a remarkable woman, serving as the longtime Vice-President of the Women’s Civic Club of Philadelphia, which worked to improve municipal government, education, social service, and art in the city from its founding in 1894 to its disbandment in 1959. She also founded the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks in 1931, which has helped save historic buildings from demolition, including the Powel House (the former home of Mayor Samuel Powel, the last mayor of Philadelphia under British rule) and Grumblethorpe (the Wister family’s home for nearly 160 years). Wakefield Park is named after a mansion built in 1798 for merchant Thomas Fisher and his wife Sarah Logan Fisher that once stood at the northeast corner of Ogontz and Lindley Avenues and served as the Fisher family home until 1918, when ownership was transferred to the city. The house was lost to flames in 1985 and the land where the house once stood has since become a neighborhood park.

The woods and open areas at both parks are great for viewing migratory birds, like warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and raptor flyovers.

Let’s meet at the picnic area of Wister Woods Park along Belfield Avenue (40.0326919, -75.1554785). Cars can park along the sidewalk on the east side of Belfield Avenue by the picnic area (40.0324470, -75.1556361), or park along N 20th Street (40.0374155, -75.1548441) and then cross the crosswalk at N 20th Street (or Olney Avenue depending on how far you’re parked up the street) and walk down the sidewalk to Belfield Avenue and then turn left and continue walking down the sidewalk until you reach the picnic area that’ll be on the left. We’ll then hike the trail loop through the woods, come back to the picnic area, then walk the sidewalk along Lindley Avenue to Wakefield Park and explore it, and finally walk back on the same sidewalk again to the picnic area at Wister Woods.

Sturdy footwear is recommended since the ground, particularly the upper section of the trail loop in Wister Woods, is somewhat uneven.

Binoculars will be provided.

The event is free and open to everyone.

For questions, please reach out to birdphillywalks@gmail.com.