Skagit Wildlife Area - Headquarters (Skagit) Unit - March 27, 2014

I was on the tail end of a nasty cold and cycling, skiing, or hiking didn't sound too good.  I opted for an easy drive up to the Skagit Valley for some easy walking and birding.  A stop at Pleasant Ridge Farm in Rexville and the Breadfarm in Edison would add a hunting and gathering element.  Plus the daffodils would be at peak but still too early for tulips.

The Skagit Wildlife Area - Headquarters (Skagit) Unit is one of 16 separate units in the Skagit region owned and managed for the benefit of wildlife by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW).  The Skagit Unit includes 190 acres of mostly estuary and tidal wetland.  This is also stop 64 on the Cascade Loop of the Great Washington State Birding Trail.

Great Washington State Birding Trail

I parked at the big parking lot at the eastern end.  I checked out the boat ramp where an old barge was tied.  I followed the only path here, which is the dike trail that is basically a gravel road on and next to a newly constructed dike.  The path forks at the tide gate on Wylie Slough so you have two options.  I took the left path, basically out and back, for a total of two miles for the day.  It was a beautiful day of clearing weather with big clouds and blue skies.  The trees had not yet leafed out but the salmonberry was in bloom as the harbinger of spring.  An eagle's nest was already active.

I ran into a gentleman on a bicycle along the way who explained some of the controversy surrounding a recent restoration project in this area.  He spoke with a Scottish brogue and had a beautiful and very friendly golden lab.  So bicycles and dogs are probably allowed here.

The recent controversy is the Wiley Slough Restoration Project implemented in 2009 to restore 157 acres back to tidal estuarine habitat primarily to help with Chinook salmon recovery.  The 157 acres had been formerly diked off from tidal and river influence and was readily accessible to walk-in hunters and wildlife watchers.  The recovery operation involved the removal of the old dikes and the moving of the Wylie Slough tide gate to open the area to tidal and riverine flooding.  New dikes were constructed further away from the river.  The restoration project reduced the area of access that hunters formerly had.  You can now see a lot of dead trees in the restoration area, trees that cannot tolerate wet feet or brackish water.

It was a great few hours here, added a new bird to my list (Greater yellowlegs), and I learned a little something.

Entrance to Skagit Wildlife Area

Old barge at the boat launch

Salmonberry

Dike trail

Cattails fading

Eagle's nest

Looking out to Skagit Bay

Satellite view and the route (adapted from http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/)

Bird list for the day:

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Gadwall

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Greater Yellowlegs

hummingbird sp.

Tree Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Skagit Valley & Padilla Bay Day Trip 10-20-12

Every fall, generally October, I make a day trip to the Skagit Valley with my Mom, who this year is 83 years young.  The main purpose of these trips is to buy flower bulbs directly from the grower.  But the Skagit Valley usually has additional plans for those inclined to wander and discover.  And so it was with this Skagit Valley day trip.  The one certainty is that these trips have bookends starting with a stop at The Donut House in Anacortes and ending at the Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon.  My donut of choice is the blueberry fritter, which at The Donut House is about the size of a standard frisbee.

The Skagit Valley Bulb Farm (aka Tulip Town) is where we always buy the bulbs.  These are fresh, fat bulbs, unlike any you find on the rack at Home Depot.  Here you can also pick as many fresh, ripe apples as you can carry out from the rows of espaliered apple trees.

After our big bulb purchase, we decided to wander north.  When you roll through the Skagit Valley it's best not to have a plan, just drive along the roads and sooner or later something will pull you in.  And so it was with the Padilla Bay - Breazeale Interpretive Center.  The center has a small museum jam-packed with information about the ecology of Padilla Bay and the Salish Sea.  You get the feeling that eel grass is pretty much the crux of the ecosystem here.  The museum has several beautiful and impressive aquariums, well stocked with the local sea life.  This is all part of the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and so there's research going on here and a laboratory (not open to the general public).

We decided to follow the loop trail that begins just outside of the center at the edge of the parking lot.  The trail is about a mile in length and gently ascends through the upland area behind the center.  It's aptly named the Upland Trail.  It's an easy wide trail perfect for young kids and octogenarian mothers.  There was nobody on this trail when we were there on a cool cloudy wanting-to-rain fall day. 

We also explored the short trail to the beach that dives through a tunnel under the road with a final plunge on a spiral staircase that gets you right down on the beach.  We were here at high tide so there wasn't much beach.  At low tide Padilla Bay is a huge tidal mud flat.

The final stop was the Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon for good grub chased down with a glass of their Highwater Porter. 

In the Skagit Valley, go with the flow.  You'll never know where you'll end up.

Next photos:

 

It all starts at the Donut House in Anacortes.

Skagit Valley Bulb Farm

Skagit Valley barn.

Skagit Valley autumn colors on a row of old buckeye trees.

Padilla Bay - Breazeale Interpretive Center.

Amazing sea creatures ... found locally.

Red sea urchin

The Upland Trail at Padilla Bay - Breazeale Interpretive Center.
(derived from http://www.gmap-pedometer.com)

On the Upland Trail, looking back to the Padilla Bay - Breazeale Interpretive Center.

On the Upland Trail, looking out over Padilla Bay, the March Point refineries, and Mount Erie.

On the Upland Trail.

Friends you'll see on the Upland Trail.

The woods along the Upland Trail

 Fall rose hips along the Upland Trail.

 Dangers along the Upland Trail.

Take a rest on the Upland Trail.

Lummi Island from the beach access.

Great way to end the day.