Skagit Flats
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Padilla Bay Reserve Shore Trail
Returning south from the Interpretive Center (with the gate key and a bird list if you like to birdwatch) drive 3.3 miles south on Bayview-Edison Road. The southernmost parking area has a reserved parking spot and offers direct access to the trail. Features:
The Reserve is world-famous among birders. A significant stop on the Pacific Flyway, the Skagit River draws birds by the tens of thousands. Waterbirds, shorebirds, and birds of prey crowd the Skagit delta: look for snow geese and swans in farm fields from the Skagit Wildlife Area at Fir Island north to Samish flats near Edison. In farm fields adjoining the reserve you are apt to spot various raptors such as bald eagles and red-tailed and rough-legged hawks. It is possible to see five species of falcon in a single day in this area: the peregrine and prairie falcons, American kestrel, gyrfalcon, and merlin. . Every seven years or so, when their northern prey base grows scarce, snowy owls appear in large numbers around the reserve. The eelgrass-covered mud flats and seagrass meadows attract vast numbers of migratory waterfowl: ducks, swans, and geese. More than 130,000 Black brant land here in November. Migrating Waterfowl may include three species of North American loon - the yellow-billed, Arctic, and common - along with many varieties of diving and dabbling ducks, including the Eurasian and American wigeons, hooded and red-breasted mergansers, bufflehead, white-winged scoter, and ruddy duck, harlequin duck, canvasbacks, and many others. Snow geese in numbers of 10,000 or more stop over on Skagit Bay. Also passing through are the largest of all North American waterfowl, the trumpeter swan, along with its close relative, the tundra swan. Most every other species of bird associated with water is present at some point in the year. Wading birds and shorebirds are prolific in season including the red knot, American avocet, marbled godwit, long-billed and short-billed dowitchers, along with many species of sandpipers and plovers. The reserve has an interpretive center with exhibits and saltwater aquariums where visitors can ask for tips on birding locations. The Breazeale Interpretive Center is accessible, including its viewing deck. The center is open Wednesdays through Sundays year-round from 10 am to 5 pm; for more information call (360) 428-1558. Other Info: Bayview
State Park is located between the Shore Trail and the Padilla
Bay Reserve. The campground is open in winter and provides a large
picnic area with a shelter and beach access across the road from
the campground. The park has 46 tent spaces, 30 utility spaces,
one dump station, one restroom and two showers. Sites T1 to T9
provide the best opportunity to view Padilla Bay and are also
back-in utility sites that will accomodate larger RVs. See also
more Shore
Trail photos and Bird
list, swan
watching,
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Padilla Bay Reserve Upland Trail Directions: Features: For another view of the bay, hike 1/4 mile downhill from the interpretive center on a paved accessible path to a platform with a viewpoint of the beach (beach access is closed in winter). The path goes through meadow before going under the highway to the platform. The beach is inaccessible from here as a spiral staircase descends to the beach in summer. In winter, high tides nibble at the shore. Other Info:
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Skagit Wildlife Area
"Swans in Flight" Click on photo to see a larger version of this beautiful scene. View more of Rob's photography on Webshots
The new Hayton / Fir Island Farms Reserve has has paved parking
and ramp to top of dike with 800' wheelchair accessible gravel
path for wildlife viewing at the mouth of Brown Slough. The Hayton
grain fields are cut in November to provide food for the snow
geese and hunting is not allowed on the reserve, so this is an
excellent early viewing location. Wylie Slough Area- many species of sparrows, woodpeckers and other woodland birds, and Great-horned Owls, Northern Shrike, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Western Meadowlarks may be seen. In summer there are many nesting species including Marsh Wrens, Virginia Rails, Soras, Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teals, Wood Ducks, Tree Swallows, and Northern Flickers. Map Jensen Access- geese, shorebirds, seaducks, eagles, Snowy Owls. At dawn, Jensen Access and the new Hayton / Fir Island Farms Reserve are the most reliable places to view snow geese. Both have good parking. Map North Fork Access- Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers. Map
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The Johnson/DeBay Swan Reserve Directions:
After hunting season ends, WDFW knocks down the grain and there
is good viewing of hundreds of swans, with their 7- foot wing
spans, decending upon and feeding in the fields. You'll also see
a variety of wintering birds, including eagles, raptors, ducks,
and geese. Gates close on March 31. Other Info:
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Directions:
The
11,000 acre Reserve has an 0.8 mile trail that winds through the
abandoned pasture, woodlot and hayfields of the old Breazeale
dairy farm. The crushed limestone shore trail extends 2.25 miles
along the top of the dike that protects farmland from the flooding
tide. Along with the farm views you have eelgrass-covered tidal
flats, salt marshes, windswept trees, and seagrass meadows. This
makes prime habit for wildfowl and other animals.
On
the ridge top on a clear day you can see Mount Baker to the Northeast.
On the way back down the south loop of the trail you have great
views of Padilla Bay with the Olympic Mountains in the distance.
At this point the trail becomes inaccessible and you must return
and take the loop counter-clockwise.
The
snow geese arrive like a snow storm in late fall and stay through
April. Here birders also will find Trumpeter and Tundra swans
and more than 100,000 ducks at the peak of the winter season.
Raptors such as bald eagles, peregrine falcons and northern harriers,
red tailed hawks and short-eared owls also feed here. You may
also see deer and beaver and otters in the river and drainage
canals.
For
wheelchair users, the Hayton Access is the place to go.
Just a mile or so down the road and west of the headquarters,
this is a lovely, short trail along the tidal flats. There
were lots of Dunlin here and I saw a pair of Trumpeter Swans
in the field. There is a Skagit Wildlife Area sign at the
entrance of the road. As you head south on the road a pole
fence protects the fields to the left of you with signs
warning that there is no hunting in this area.
The
paved, large parking area has two designated stalls near
the trailhead. The paved section only goes up to the bottom
of the mud flats - the rest of the trail is gravel. There
is a locked gate area at the end of the trail. I'm not sure
if they open that up at any time or not. Photo shown here
is looking back down the trail.
