Jan, 11, 2008
WILDLIFE
Four mature eagles, and one juvenile bald eagle, center, observe
activity in the Nooksack River from a vantage point high in the trees.
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
You’ve still got time to admire the
muscular grace of bald eagles, which gather in big numbers this time of the year
to feast on spawned-out salmon on the Nooksack and Skagit rivers.
In fact, the best time to se them lasts into late January
and you might be able to glimpse plenty of the birds from the North Cascades
Highway, also known as Highway 20.
If you go, you might see Bellingham resident Bob Schneider
perched there with binoculars and spotting scopes and plenty of information
about the majestic birds.
Schneider, a retired firefighter, is in his second year as
a volunteer in North Cascades Institute’s Eagle Watchers program. The program,
in partnership with Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, trains volunteers to
educate the hordes of visitors who come to the Skagit each year to look at the
eagles, which have flocked there from Alaska and British Columbia to eat their
fill during the winter salmon run.
“I’m an outdoor lover. I enjoy the interaction with the
public immensely. I love being able to talk to children and excite them about
nature,” the 61-year-old Schneider says.
Through Feb. 3, Eagle Watchers will set up at three
outdoor locations along the North Cascades Highway.
“They’re the best viewing places,” says Lee Whitford, a
naturalist with North Cascades Institute.
Schneider says it’s worth it to get out into the gray and
the cold for a chance to see “amazing gorgeous creatures.”
If you go, Whitford hopes you’ll learn about more than
eagles.
“I hope they take away how everything is connected here —
the salmon, the eagles, the watershed,” she says.
Plus, the viewing opportunities that have been set up will
enable enthusiasts to admire the eagles respectfully and from a distance, so the
birds are not disturbed, according to Whitford.
You’ll find the Eagle Watchers volunteers at these
locations along North Cascades Highway from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and
Sundays through Feb. 3:
Howard Miller Steelhead Park, at milepost 98 in Rockport.
A big turnoff at milepost 100.
Marblemount Fish Hatchery on Hatchery Road.
Driving directions from Bellingham: Go south on Interstate
5 and take exit 230 at Burlington. Follow signs for Highway 20 east. Continue
through the town of Concrete to Rockport, about 38 miles from I-5. Then follow
signs to Howard Miller Steelhead Park — take a right on Highway 530 and a right
into the park (before the bridge).
To get to the fish hatchery, continue past the 530 turnoff
and past milepost 100 and go another six miles to Marblemount, where you’ll
drive straight (east) on Cascade River Road instead of continuing east on the
highway. Cross the bridge and take the first right onto Rockport-Cascade Road.
Turn right on Hatchery Road. The Marblemount Fish Hatchery is on the left.
Eagle Watchers also will be at Miller Steelhead Park and
milepost 100 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday.
Viewing costs: Free.
Details: Go to
www.ncascades.org and then scroll down to
“Eagle Watchers take flight” and click on the link to find information about
this site as well as two others for eagle watching. Or call (360) 856- 5700,
ext. 209. There are plenty of other options in Whatcom and Skagit counties for
watching and learning about bald eagles. They include:
Jan. 17, 10 a.m.-noon — “Eagle Watching on the Nooksack”
is a Thursday trip to watch eagles eating spawned-out salmon carcasses on the
north fork of the Nooksack River. It’s through Whatcom County Parks and
Recreation Department is led by naturalist David Bean. Participants meet at
Deming Homestead Eagle Park on Truck Road, off the Mount Baker Highway.
Cost: $2 per person. Children under 14 must be
accompanied by an adult. Register at the beginning of the event.
Details: 733-2900.
Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. — “Floating the
Nooksack: Bald Eagle Adventure” will take eagle enthusiasts down the main fork
of the Nooksack River on a 10-mile guided rafting trip that starts at the
Highway 9 bridge. The event is organized through Whatcom Community College’s
Community Education program and led by guides working for Pacific Northwest
Float Trips.
Cost: $65 per person.
Details and to register: 647-3277 or
www.whatcomcommunityed.com. Jan. 27, 8:30 a.m.
— “Bald Eagles of the Nooksack,” is a halfday trip organized through North
Cascades Audubon Society and led by Dave Schmalz. Participants will learn about
the birds’ behavior as well as their natural history during this free event. The
outing is limited to 10.
Details and to register: 671-1537.
Skagit River Interpretive Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday-Sunday (and holiday Mondays) through Feb. 18, in Rockport. Members lead
walks to eagle-watching sites in Howard Miller Steelhead Park at 1:30 p.m. on
Saturdays and Sundays. Guest speakers also will talk about the Skagit River,
eagles or salmon at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cost: Free, but donations are appreciated.
Details:
www.skagiteagle.org,
(360) 853-7626 and
srbeatic@fidalgo.net 10 a.m.-4:40 p.m. on Jan.
26 and 10 a.m.-2:45 p.m. on Jan. 27 — Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival is a
weekend of talks, walks and other events celebrating the birds. It includes a
bus tour on Highway 20 along the Skagit River to Rockport and Marblemount. The
tour starts at 11 a.m. on Jan. 26 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 27.
It’s a good idea to reserve your seat on the bus tour. The
cost is $15 for adults and $13 for students and seniors.
The main staging area for the entire festival will be
Concrete School District complex at South Superior Avenue and Airport Way. Most
of the other events are free.
Details:
www.skagiteagle.org.
Reach Kie Relyea at:
kie.relyea@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2234.
Read her outdoors blog, Get Out, at The
Bellinghamherald.com/blogs.
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