We are standing on a boardwalk overlooking a fallow field at the Johnson/DeBay Swan Reserve west of Mount Vernon in the Skagit Valley. Wildlife planners have set this lovely place aside for people to view some of the 1,500 tundra and trumpeter swans that overwinter in the area. They have placed interpretive signs and warnings not to get too close.
What they can't provide are the birds. No self-respecting swan is going to go where people expect him to be.
So my husband and I spent a bright winter day going on a wild swan and goose chase, hoping to see the large, black-billed trumpeters and the smaller, dazzlingly white snow geese. Both species spend the winter months in the mild Skagit River delta, having flown hundreds of miles from Siberia or Alaska. Many of them can be observed in the open fields, but it's a treasure hunt to find them.
Children, who have a natural fascination with spotting animals, will enjoy the chase.
We continued west and north, peering at white dots far across the fields. We thought we saw a group of birds, parked and walked over to the spot, only to find a pile of white plastic bags. I'd heard that the swans and geese like to pick through the riches of the estuary waters, so we continued west to the Padilla Bay Reserve and the Breazeale Interpretive Center. The geese used to come there, said the guide in the small, kid-friendly interpretive center, but they've gone on to different pastures.
Nevertheless, we took the trail down to the lovely little gravel beach, where some boys were climbing on the driftwood. We saw varieties of shorebirds and eagles circling overhead in the deep blue sky.
Back on the road, we made our way south toward La Conner, and finally saw a large flock of the magnificent swans in a pasture off the La Conner-Whitney Road. Many of them were walking two-by-two, as the big birds mate for life.
Still on the track of snow geese, we saw our first large flock blanketing a field just north of La Conner. We really hit the jackpot when we circled back south and east, on the Fir Island Road near Conway. Thousands of geese formed a band of white, like a snow drift, over several fields. A few of the birds, with their black-tipped wings, hovered in the air above their feeding companions.
We got within a few feet of the unperturbed geese when we pulled off to the side of the road near a tall, weathered abandoned farmhouse. Suddenly a photographer with a long telephoto lens inadvertently startled the flock, and hundreds of them scissored in the air over our heads, their wings making a metallic-sounding whir, as they moved to a further field.
It was a magnificent sight, well worth the trip.
Wenda Reed is a Bothell writer and nature-lover.
IF YOU GO
WHERE: To find birds in the fields, drive north on Interstate 5, take exit 221 (Conway), drive west on the Fir Island Road to La Conner, then north on the La Conner Whitney Road and the Bay View-Edison Road. Alternatively, drive further north on I-5 to exit 226 (Mount Vernon); drive west on McLean Road or to exit 227 (Mount Vernon); drive west on College Way/LaVenture Road.
WHEN: Snow geese and trumpeter swans overwinter in the Skagit Valley from late October through March; see the largest numbers in January and February.
NATURE PRESERVES TO EXPLORE
Padilla Bay Reserve: Best bet for families. From I-5 northbound, take exit 230 (State Route 20) westbound toward Anacortes; in six miles, turn right on Bayview-Edison Road, pass Bayview State Park (cute cabins to rent) and continue a quarter mile north. The reserve has beach access, a .8-mile upland loop trail, a 2.25-mile shore trail and the Breazeale Interpretive Center with exhibits, taxidermy birds, children's exploration room and salt-water aquarium. Reserve open daily all year; interpretive center open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Monday, Tuesday and state holidays. No admission charge. 360-428-1558; www.padillabay.gov.
Hayton-Fir Island Farm Snow Goose Reserve: Take exit 221 (Conway) off I-5; head west toward Fir Island. After crossing over freeway, follow Fir Island Road 3.2 miles; entrance to reserve is on the left. Drive about a half mile to the parking area. The reserve has a short nature trail on top of a dike; restroom facilities are available in winter. Open daily, dawn to dusk. $12 annual vehicle use permit required – purchase it online at www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, by phone at 1-877-246-9453, or from a local fishing and hunting license dealer.
Johnson/DeBay Swan Reserve: From I-5 northbound, take exit 227 (Mount Vernon/College Way). Drive west on College Way, which becomes LaVenture Road and then Francis Road, and follow signs. The reserve encompasses a forest area, a backwater slough and corn and cereal grain fields for swans and ducks; there are no restrooms. Open dawn to dusk. $12 vehicle use permit required. 1-877-246-9453; http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/
