Skagit Valley 1/27/07
The Skagit Valley witnesses each winter an influx of birds from the northern reaches of the globe. First come the bald eagles searching for an abundant food supply of spawning salmon in the rivers and streams. They rest in the trees, on the lightposts, and in the crags of the cliff walls. Following the eagles are the Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans, who come to feed in the grassy fields, fattening up for the long journey back to their nesting grounds. With flocks of bird watchers bringing up the rear, lining roads with their cameras and scopes. Every year I swear that I have enough pictures of Snow Geese and yet every year I head back up to the Skagit in hopes of witnessing a blast off, or getting that perfect shot of Trumpeter Swans and maybe even see a Bald Eagle close enough for a picture to keep.
This year Michael & I took our friend Michelle up to see the Snow Geese, a sight she had never seen before. You have to realize, the Snow Geese in the Skagit is a sight to see. Thousands of geese cover the fields, seeded for the birds, to create a moving carpet of white. The noise they create while grazing, honking, squawking, and just plain munching is an ever-present white noise too loud to tune out. Then there is lift off. When the geese feel threatened, they will blast off all at once rising like a linen sheet blowing in the breeze. There have been times when the wind current from their wings has buffeted me as if I were standing in Wyoming on a particularly windy day. And the commotion from that will leave your ears ringing well after you start heading home.
We arrived early – I was hoping for a fly-over as the geese journeyed from resting in the bay to the fields. Maybe it was the fog that wouldn’t rise of our timing, but the geese just wouldn’t come in off the water while we waited. Instead, we went to find the Trumpeter Swans, to no luck, they were hiding. We later found them hiding in plain sight in fields just off the highway as we sped past. So, back we went to the fields for the geese.
First, we traveled up one road when I saw a flock ahead. Good Luck! They were right beside the road! Michelle & Michael walked up the road a bit while I stayed near the head of the flock photographing geese as they landed near what they perceived to be the point of interest and possibly the better tasting grass. Our luck continued as a blast off occurred near where Michael & Michelle had wandered. We then drove down another road to another flock again right next to the road. How lucky could we be?
Around near lunch wee went back into Mount Vernon. And quite satisfied with our day head back home with a few pictures to keep.
The Skagit Valley witnesses each winter an influx of birds from the northern reaches of the globe. First come the bald eagles searching for an abundant food supply of spawning salmon in the rivers and streams. They rest in the trees, on the lightposts, and in the crags of the cliff walls. Following the eagles are the Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans, who come to feed in the grassy fields, fattening up for the long journey back to their nesting grounds. With flocks of bird watchers bringing up the rear, lining roads with their cameras and scopes. Every year I swear that I have enough pictures of Snow Geese and yet every year I head back up to the Skagit in hopes of witnessing a blast off, or getting that perfect shot of Trumpeter Swans and maybe even see a Bald Eagle close enough for a picture to keep.
This year Michael & I took our friend Michelle up to see the Snow Geese, a sight she had never seen before. You have to realize, the Snow Geese in the Skagit is a sight to see. Thousands of geese cover the fields, seeded for the birds, to create a moving carpet of white. The noise they create while grazing, honking, squawking, and just plain munching is an ever-present white noise too loud to tune out. Then there is lift off. When the geese feel threatened, they will blast off all at once rising like a linen sheet blowing in the breeze. There have been times when the wind current from their wings has buffeted me as if I were standing in Wyoming on a particularly windy day. And the commotion from that will leave your ears ringing well after you start heading home.
We arrived early – I was hoping for a fly-over as the geese journeyed from resting in the bay to the fields. Maybe it was the fog that wouldn’t rise of our timing, but the geese just wouldn’t come in off the water while we waited. Instead, we went to find the Trumpeter Swans, to no luck, they were hiding. We later found them hiding in plain sight in fields just off the highway as we sped past. So, back we went to the fields for the geese.
First, we traveled up one road when I saw a flock ahead. Good Luck! They were right beside the road! Michelle & Michael walked up the road a bit while I stayed near the head of the flock photographing geese as they landed near what they perceived to be the point of interest and possibly the better tasting grass. Our luck continued as a blast off occurred near where Michael & Michelle had wandered. We then drove down another road to another flock again right next to the road. How lucky could we be?
Around near lunch wee went back into Mount Vernon. And quite satisfied with our day head back home with a few pictures to keep.
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