Shorebirds were not the only birds I saw on the west side. There were Snow Geese, many 1000’s of Snow Geese but mostly in the distance. Except for one that was very close. I wondered if it was sick or injured. Avian flu is still a concern.
Also pictured, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Harrier, Belted Kingfisher, and Great Blue Heron.
I went a ways south a couple weeks ago in search of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. It was time for the cranes to arrive in central Washington and I knew the geese had wintered there so I figured it would be a good time to see these charismatic birds. The dogs and I stayed at Potholes State Park in our new little travel trailer. (I forgot to make a photo of it. Next time.) This area is known for the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project and the geologic story of the Ice Age Floods.
I first saw some Snow Geese when I crossed O’Sullivan dam, the structure that holds the Potholes Reservoir in place. They formed a dense white mat in the distance. I was able to photograph them from a hill above the dam. Later, I saw skeins of them flying overhead going north and south but mostly north. The next day, we made our way to Royal Lake and I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Snow Geese and more were arriving from the south! I had heard there were about 50,000 of them but seeing this spectacle, I’d say there were far more. It seemed impossible to count them. In addition to the Snow Geese, there many 1000’s of Northern Pintails and other waterfowl on the water.
Sky and I went to an agility event in Skagit County recently and we found ourselves with some extra daylight Sunday afternoon and Monday morning so we went bird watching. I have always wanted to see the huge flocks of Snow Geese that winter in the area and I was not disappointed! The images I made are lovely but they don’t fully convey the spectacle of 1000’s of white birds constantly shifting around the landscape. They feed in the rich agriculture fields (formerly the Skagit River estuary, now diked and drained) during the winter. Flocks lift off and fly around, seemingly at random, forming bigger and smaller flocks during the day. I highly recommend a trip to see these birds on their wintering ground. I was lucky to have nice weather. That’s not always the case. In addition to the geese, you can see a variety of raptors (I saw a Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier hunting at dusk), Trumpeter Swans and a wide array of water birds.
We continued to travel south, staying at another RV park without goatheads this time, north of Socorro. I wanted to see wintering Sandhill Cranes and other birds at Bosque del Apache, a National Wildlife Refuge in the Rio Grande valley. After setting up camp, we headed for the refuge and spent the afternoon in the visitors’ center and driving one of the auto tours. The dogs spent the whole time in the car so as not to disturb the wildlife. The weather was cold and windy, not the best for bird watching and photography but I made the best of it.
My Everyday Photos 