Fir Island

This time of year, one of my favorite things to do is grab a cup of coffee and go looking for birds locally. Skagit County is a terrific place for birds: snow geese, swans, eagles, and other birds winter here. 

The flocks of snow geese on Fir Island are spectacular. Thousands of snow geese--they are loud, and will fill a field. Trumpeters swans, who pair up for life, also hole up here. We hear them honking as they fly over the house. Raptors--hawks, eagles, falcons--hunt the sloughs and wetlands. They can be seen sitting on telephone poles, doing the sentinel thing on stand alone trees in people's yards. 

These pics are off my phone, and merely illustrative of the sights to been seen. One of these days I'll go out with a nice camera and do the bird portrait thing. I did land a nice spotting scope/tripod setup, which I gave a run for the first time today. Works real good. Maybe I'll figure out a way to mount a phone and take shots through it. The internet says it can be done.

Trumpeter Swans

Snow Geese in Flight

Snow Geese in Flight

Looking out towards Camano Island

Snow Geese

Swans Again

Momma Eagle, Daddy Eagle, and Guest/Baby, By Nest

Through a Glass Darkly

The New Setup

A Few Bird Pictures from Skagit

Pair of Eagles with nest on Fir Island

Eagle nest in the distance, across Wiley Slough, Skagit estuary

Eagle pair from a different angle, Fir Island

 Peregrine falcon, at dusk, Wiley Sough

Trees in water, Skagit estuary

Mount Baker, viewed from the southwest

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago on a Sunday when friends Seth and Naomi came by, and we wandered around the valley a bit during the afternoon. In addition to these, we saw many, many snow geese, trumpeter swans, and an owl in flight. A very nice afternoon, and always good to spend time with friends.

Skagit in December

One of my favorite things is to go for a drive around the Skagit in the winter, looking for birds. Someday perhaps I'll take the photography aspect of things more seriously.

I haven't done a really long run in a while, but on just about every weekend in the last month or so I've spent a bit of time hiking Skagit dike areas, Fragrance Lake, Fir Island, or some other local place.

The migratory birds in the Skagit are fantastic this time of year. Swans, snow geese, eagles, and all sorts of smaller birds. The days are short, which can be a downer, but also seems to bring the horizon nearer towards the end of the day. There's something edgy about the air on a clear afternoon day in December. Now, if it is raining, that's usually not as interesting, unless the rain is doing something different.

I'm hoping to do a few shorter races in January.  I'm also working on lining up a few winter hikes.

Here are a few photos from around the Skagit this year.

Heavy rainfall in November and December have resulted in near flooding of the Skagit.  This picture is from Freeway Drive near downtown Mount Vernon.  In the summer, there is a sandbar across the way here, where many sit in lawn chairs, fishing for salmon or just relaxing.

This is the Padilla Bay trail, which covers about 2.2 miles along the estuary. Herons are routine sightings, along with many other smaller flocks of birds. The trail is flat--a great place just to walk and reflect. Anacortes and the San Juan islands are viewed from here. I've long enjoyed going here. Friend Rich and I hiked this trail a few weeks ago.

These two above are from the Padilla Bay trail as well.

This I think is from the Fir Island viewing area, which is accessed at the Conway I-5 exit. Right now the government is doing some "improvements" here, which will improve habitat and provide more viewing opportunities. I saw my first snowy owl in the Skagit at this spot.

Looking out towards LaConner.

Heron

Two swans. I understand they mate for life, which is something like 25 years, migrating to Canada and the Arctic, and then back to the Skagit in the winter.

Eagles, swans, and a hawk, above.

Fragrance Lake, yesterday, as is the top photos with the ornaments.  Technically this is Whatcom County, but the drive up Chuckanut is Skagit, and part of the fun of it all.

Happy holidays to all my friends. Peace on Earth, peace be with you.

Winter Birds In Skagit

Last year I looked hard and long for a snowy owl in the Skagit, finally spotting one after several weekends of driving around after runs in the Chuckanuts. This year...well, on Saturday I felt like getting out of the house, and I literally spotted one at the first place I went, after a ten minute drive.  I wish I brought a better camera, but the white dot above on the driftwood is a snowy owl. This is at the Hayton Reserve, out on Fir Island, off the Conway exit.

Afterwards, I drove to a number of spots on Fir Island, checking out driftwood marshes.  It's really a beautiful spot, but the wind was blowing hard, so I didn't stick around. Thousands of snow geese flying in flocks, fleeing hunters. Trumpeter swans, flying across the fields, in pairs and larger groups. Hawks and eagles all over too.

I got some workouts in this weekend, but nothing spectacular. Christmas is upon me, and my plate seems full. Happy holidays, friends.