What more could a birdwatcher want in December than sunshine, the Samish flats (including saltwater and freshwater), binoculars and friends?
This spot — as well as Skagit flats and Fir Island — is prime turf for winter birders because the mostly flat land, marshy areas and open water allows maximum visibility and plenty of room for large flocks of snow geese and small but no less impressive flocks of trumpeter swans feeding in farmers’ fields.
The Samish flats are roughly bordered by I-5, Samish Bay, Padilla Bay and Bayview Ridge. For directions, go to www.birdweb.org.
Recently birders have sighted dozens of bald eagles, and reports of one outing included at least 20 red-tail hawks, at least a half dozen rough-legged hawks, more than a dozen falcons, plus a merlin and peregrines, kestrels and a prairie falcon.
The Samish flats are one of the few areas in North America where birders have a chance to see up to five species of falcon in one day.
But there are, literally, thousands of ducks here. The downside for the ducks is that birds of prey swoop in and have duck for dinner.
Not too late. If you missed the annual Christmas Bird Count yesterday in the Edmonds and south area, there’s another chance to volunteer for the good of birds, the environment and science.
The Everett-Marysville bird count will be Dec. 30. You don’t need to be an expert; you don’t have to go outside, either. Birdwatchers can camp out by a window and count feeder birds. For more information on how to go out in the field (inexperienced birders are matched with experienced ones) or watch for birds closer to home, email Scott Atkinson at scottratkinson@hotmail.com.
Interpreting bald eagles. The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center near Rockport is open every Saturday and Sunday in December and January from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and open weekdays Dec. 26-30. Guided hikes and informative presentations will help visitors enjoy the beauty of these majestic birds.
While some bald eagles live in the area year-round, the majority of those found along the upper Skagit River during winter months come from Alaska, where carcasses of spawned chum salmon provide a feast for the birds.
Moose. Yes, there are moose in the northeast corner of our state. Department of Fish and Wildlife and partners just finished testing a drone flying over 35 radio-collared cow moose to document the presence of moose calves in northeast Washington. It could give wildlife scientists a safer, more-efficient and less-expensive method to learn about populations, movement, reproduction and survival.
The test period was chosen to avoid weekends and most major hunting seasons. The drone was a little larger than 1 square foot and looked like a four-legged helicopter with rotor blades on the four corners.
The researchers seemed to have gone out of their way to obtain permission, limit the flying height, avoid structures and have a ground crew within 700 feet of a moose.
The hope is that the drones are less stressful to the moose than traditional ground monitoring or helicopters, and that a successful test can lead to using drones for other wildlife researchers.
Last-minute gifts. The North Cascades Institute has several winter classes that would make good gifts, including birding the greater Skagit Delta, night photography at Diablo overlooks, the art of drawing maps, winter tracking and winter watercolors. Call 360-854-2599 or email info@ncascades.org.
Another outdoorsy option is a membership in the Washington Trails Association. For information, go to wta.org.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or songandword@rockisland.com.
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