February 2011

Skagit Audubon Field Trips

By Libby Mills

The Discover Pass
Field trip attendees and all other Washington recreationists need to inform themselves about the new Discover Pass, issued by the state for parking on State Lands including State Parks, Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife lands like the Skagit Wildlife Area and the West 90, as well as Dept. of Natural Resources lands. Find info. at http://discoverpass.wa.gov/
The passes are issued specifically to a single car and can be purchased for a single day ($10) or as an annual pass ($30 -$35) good for 365 days from day of issue

About the field trips
Beginning birders and their friends are always welcome on Skagit Audubon field trips. Membership in Skagit Audubon is encouraged but not required for participation. Please be prepared for the weather with suitable clothing, and bring field guides, binoculars, and spotting scopes. Carpool whenever possible and contribute to the driver’s expense. Watch the email reminders for the late changes and/or additions to the field trip schedule. To be added to the email distribution list contact Libby Mills: libbymills@gmail.com. If you plan to join a field trip some place other than the described starting point, call the trip leader the day before to ensure a successful rendezvous. Trip plans may change!

Saturday, February 4
Port Susan Bay
Bald Eagles, Shorebirds, Waterfowl
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
for Arlington Eagle Festival
The 1st Saturday of February is the annual Arlington Bald Eagle Festival with birding at Port Susan Bay, a salt marsh estuary and pond just south of the Skagit Delta. Ron and Sheila Pera will lead birders out on The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) property to look for all kinds of birds from 9:00-10. From 10 to 12 those who wish to stay longer and share their scopes will become the helpers for the eagle festival to teach folks some of the birds they are watching! This is a good place to see Trumpeter Swans in the estuary and Snow Geese working the fields and bay. We’ll meet at the TNC property at the end of the Boe road. Go south of Stanwood on Marine Drive and turn west on Boe road, driving to the road end. Bring snacks and hot drinks. Please contact leaders Ron and Sheila Pera if you have questions. skagitmembers@gmail.com

Saturday & Sunday, February 11 & 12
1st Annual Edison Bird Festival
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Skagit Delta town of Edison is staging its First Annual Bird Festival with the motto “art, conservation, fascination” and a line-up unique to the town. Read details at www.edisonbirdfestival.com. There are many activities, and in fact it’s a two-day fest. Skagit Audubon birders will be helpful by staging on Sunday at the “West 90” for one to two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A small bus will be bringing the public from Edison hourly on Sunday. Bring your scope and/or binoculars to answer questions about birding around the area and to help others see the birds. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and introduce newcomers to Skagit Audubon. Please contact Libby Mills to sign up for the hour or two you’d be willing to meet the public at the West 90. It will be refreshing to have some new volunteers! libbymills@gmail.com

Saturday, February 18 
Johnson DeBay Swan Reserve
and other sites near Clear Lake & Burlington
3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife’s Johnson DeBay Swan Reserve is the only refuge in the U.S. specifically set aside for swans. In winter, our home area hosts Tundra Swans and the largest concentration of Trumpeter Swans in the world. To see hundreds of this largest of North America’s waterfowl in one place is a remarkable opportunity. On this field trip we’ll visit the reserve and some other sites near Clear Lake and Burlington, particularly looking for waterfowl and raptors. We’ll be at the swan reserve before dusk in hopes of seeing the great white birds flying in for the night. Dress for the weather, including possible wind. Bring binoculars and, if you have one, a spotting scope. Drivers need a Washington State Discover Pass (http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/) or other applicable pass required for parking at the reserve. Meet at the parking lot in front of PETCO in Mount Vernon just off College Way near I-5. We’ll form carpools there.  (For information on swans in Washington, go to www.trumpeterswansociety.org/wswg/washington.htm) Leader: Tim Manns: 360-336-8753 or bctm@fidalgo.net

Saturday, February 25
Sandy Point, Lake Terrell, Birch Bay State Park, Semiahmoo and Blaine
8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
If Snowy Owls are still around, we will begin at Sandy Point, then stop at Lake Terrell, Birch Bay State Park, Semiahmoo, and finish at Blaine. Our focus will be on water birds, targeting all three scoters, three loon species, grebes, and Long-tailed Ducks, plus shorebirds, e.g., Sanderlings, Black Turnstones, and Dunlin. Bring binoculars, scopes, lunch, and wind and rain gear.
If coming from south of Bellingham, meet at 8:30 a.m. to arrange carpools at the Chuckanut Park-and-Ride lot. We’ll join the leaders, Joan Bird and Andrea Warner, at 9:15 a.m. at the Arco Gas Station on Slater Road. Take I-5 Exit 260, turn right from the off ramp and you’ll see the Arco station on your right. NOTE - Cars cannot be left at the Arco Station. Drivers will need a Discover Pass for parking at Lake Terrell and Birch Bay State Park. Leaders: Joan Bird (cell: 360-201-8418) or jbird202@hotmail. Andrea Warner, ajwarner@msn.com.