Eagles are landing in record numbers

SKAGIT RIVER — The storms that have blasted Puget Sound country may have brought a majestic benefit: record numbers of eagles wintering along the Skagit River.

The eagles flock here every winter, to feast on chum salmon runs. But never like this.

"At first I thought it was a mistake," said Jim Alt, a bald-eagle expert for the Nature Conservancy, who tallied 580 birds in an 11.5-mile stretch of the river on Jan. 3. That's up from the previous peak of 477 eagles in the same area during the winter of 1991-92.

While biologists scratch their heads — the cause of the eagle boom is unclear, though it could be a combination of weather and abundant food — the glory of the presence of so many eagles is beyond debate.

Count is on

On a chilly morning last week, Alt and Bob Carey, the Skagit River program director for the conservancy, bushwhacked through blackberries to the river's edge. Their voices dropped to a bedroom hush. The count was on.

"Over on that gravel bar — there's eight," Carey whispered, as Alt scribbled the tally.

The soft chirp of eagles, a surprise in such a big bird, was answered by the rippling gronk of a raven. The Skagit sluiced green and fresh around the gravel bar studded with eagles shredding spawned-out salmon.

Even blindfolded it would be superb to stand here, amid the sounds of the eagles, the river and the ravens conversing. Add the slow slice of wing beats and flashing heads and tails of so many eagles — a dozen just in one view through the binoculars — and it's hard to imagine a place of greater enjoyment a mere two hours' drive from downtown Seattle.

But then, the Skagit is a river of superlatives.

Premier eagle real estate

The largest river emptying into Puget Sound, the Skagit is also one of the healthiest. It's home to steelhead and five species of salmon, including the biggest pink salmon runs in the Lower 48. Its chum and chinook runs are often the most abundant in Puget Sound.

This year, an abundance of salmon carcasses, stable river levels and the December windstorm that scrambled birds all over Western Washington may have contributed to the record number of eagles seen on the Skagit.

Birds that don't normally make their way here have been recently sighted — from king eiders in Blaine to pine grossbeaks in the Skagit flats — either because of the wind or the way the wind affected the food that birds follow.

The Skagit is also premier eagle real estate, including five contiguous river miles of protected habitat between the mouths of the Sauk and Cascade rivers.

The Nature Conservancy of Washington got the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area started in 1975 and has been working with a host of partners to grow it from 600 acres to more than 8,000 today.

The protected lands along the river, with their alders, big leaf maples and cedars, welcome eagles in need of a perch. The river is allowed to shift across much of its valley floor, forming bars that serve up salmon carcasses on a platter for the great raptors. Mature forests cloak the uplands, providing quiet, secluded roosts at day's end.

Eagles are site faithful and mate for life, building huge nests they use year after year to raise their young. The winter populations begin arriving on the Skagit, mostly from Alaska and British Columbia, around November and are usually gone by February.

That means the eagles have already begun to leave. But they are far from long gone.

Eagles can live 30 years in the wild, and their numbers are rebounding after a near brush with extinction in the 1970s. A ban on the pesticide DDT, which thinned eagle shells, and listing under the Endangered Species Act, which protects both the eagles and their nests, helped the eagles recover. They have been doing so well, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service may take them off the endangered-species list soon.

"They made the comeback after being nearly wiped out," said Jennifer Roberts, from Oak Harbor, her eyes skyward as eagles glided overhead. "I love seeing them in vast numbers. It's so reassuring."

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com

IF YOU GO

How to see the bald eagles at their winter hangout

Where

Start at the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, a block south of the Rockport Fire Hall on Highway 20. The center offers guest speakers, guided walks and group education programs. Guided two-mile walks leave the center at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Special programs are available for seniors, schools and community groups on Fridays by reservation. Eagle watching is handicapped accessible — birds can be seen without even getting out of the car.

Traveler's tips

Don't forget binoculars, a camera, and warm, waterproof clothing. Consider wearing an orange safety vest, as some viewpoints are alongside a busy highway.

More information

The interpretive center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 18. Talks are offered at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with slide presentations on eagles, salmon, and the history and habitat of the Upper Skagit Watershed. Phone 360-853-7626. Online: http://skagiteagle.org