Samish River Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area, better known as “East 90” to birders, is the premier place in the region to watch short-eared owls during the winter.
The owls, along with a variety of other raptors, are drawn to the area outside of the quaint town of Edison because it sits at the nexus of the fertile fields of the Skagit Delta and critical estuaries. On sunny days, visitors can watch these medium-sized owls with their round, tawny faces and large, bright yellow eyes hunt voles and other critters.
[ Read more: Skagit Valley winter birding guide: What to see and where to go ]
Unfortunately, the charismatic species is “thought to be experiencing a range-wide, long-term decline in North America,” according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Standing on the wide, gravel shoulders of Bayview Edison Road watching several owls at once, the threat to the species can be hard to imagine. Yet, the WDFW has designated them as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need.”
Notice signs remind visitors that the wetland area is only open to hunters. However, it’s not uncommon to see the shoulder packed with the cars of birders and photographers in the wildlife viewing zone.
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Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
