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“There!” exclaimed a man to my right, adjusting the dial on his binoculars. A dozen of us were arrayed along the riverbank, scanning the leafless branches of the trees on either side for eagles on the Skagit River.
It was January, the end of the annual bald eagle migration, and here along the Skagit River was one of the best places to see bald eagles in Washington state.
Ever since we first saw thousands of snow geese in a misty Skagit Valley field, we’d been intrigued by the dramatic wildlife migrations that characterize this fascinating part of northwestern Washington. So this year, we set out to experience this other popular Skagit Valley birding tradition: looking for eagles on the Skagit River.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of Skagit River eagle-watching, and everything you need to know to look for the Skagit River eagles yourself.
Wait, a Bald Eagle Migration?
I don’t typically think of eagles as migratory birds. Bird migrations recall memories of Canada geese flying south in V formations, or an otherworldly swarm of snow geese taking flight together over a field. But eagles I think of as lonely and majestic creatures, solo animals.
They may not move in a giant flock, but it turns out bald eagles do migrate, flying south in the winter from Alaska and northern Canada. They’re bound for the Pacific Northwest, where a few rivers with late salmon runs provide a rare early winter food source.
The Skagit River is one such place. While most salmon spawn in the fall, a late run of chum salmon on the Skagit River provides food for the eagles late in the season when other food sources are scarce.
How to Watch the Skagit River Eagles
For the casual observer, joining a Skagit River eagle-watching group can be a great way to maximize your chances of seeing the Skagit River eagles. The most budget-friendly option is the guided nature walks offered by the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center on winter weekends. These nature walks last a couple hours and are free (though donations are encouraged). To see what these guided walks are like, check out the video below of our experience.
These guided winter walks through Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport, Washington offer insights on the region’s ecology. They circle through a forested area and wetlands before reaching the river’s edge, where the chances of seeing bald eagles are greatest.
We joined one of these Skagit River eagle walks on a Sunday morning in January. Just a heads-up that getting there from the Seattle area can take a solid two hours. Our intended departure time seemed totally reasonable the night before, but the morning of our eagle walk found us easily using up all the padding I’d planned into the schedule and arriving at the bald eagle interpretive center 5-10 minutes late.
Luckily, the group was just setting out from the parking lot when we arrived, so we managed to merge in and set off toward the forest.
Our guide led us into a mossy forest along a wide trail that had once been a railroad right-of-way. He pointed out mosses and lichens, described the regional geology, and explained the interaction of the salmon and eagles on the Skagit River.
The trail meandered through the forest before opening onto the banks of the Skagit River itself. Here we paused, everyone scanning for signs of eagles.
We saw just one bald eagle that day, but on the walk back to the bald eagle interpretive center, we caught sight of a pygmy owl perched in a branch right above the trail! To see more eagles, consider joining an eagle-watching boat tour, and/or timing your visit for the very height of eagle-watching season. More on both of those below!
Skagit River Eagle-Watching Boat Tours
For more time and distance along the river, an alternative is to join an eagle-watching boat tour. A boat tour in the winter may sound unappealing, but some of the boats are heated! You’re likely to see more eagles and from closer vantage points, since the boats travel down the river itself, covering much more eagle habitat than you can in a walk. The catch: At almost $100/person, these tours are pricey.
What to Pack on Your Eagle-Watching Adventure
Unless you’re lucky enough to spot eagles up close, you may need binoculars or a scope to see them in detail. If you need to pick up a set of binoculars, these binoculars are a good option.
Since Skagit River eagle-watching is a winter thing, it’s likely to be cold and rainy. We happened upon a dry day, but if you’re not so lucky, make sure to pack a rain jacket. We’ve been happy with the MARMOT Precip Waterproof Rain Jacket (women’s sizing or men’s sizing here). There are lots of great rain jacket options, but we’ve found that many rain jackets contain chemicals of concern called perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in their waterproof coatings, so we’ve been happy to find this option that’s PFC-free (but still works at repelling water!).
When to Look for the Skagit River Eagles
Timing is key when it comes to watching the Skagit River eagles. Since the bald eagle interpretive center offers nature walks from December through early February, this year I assumed any time in that range would be a “go.” But if you’d like to maximize your eagle-viewing potential, that’s definitely not the case. Optimal timing and the number of eagles vary from year to year depending on the strength of the salmon run, but there seems to be consensus that late December is the time to go.
We rolled in at the end of January (January 22), so the eagle season was winding to a close. Looking at crowd-reported sightings on the popular bird-watching website eBird, I can see a sighting of 53 eagles recorded a month before, on December 22. Yikes! Timing is of the essence here.
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us to watch the bald eagles in Washington state! If you enjoy looking for eagles, you may also enjoy other easy wildlife-watching opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Click the link to check out our blog posts on watching the snow goose migration, exploring a cave filled with hundreds of sea lions, visiting a roadside stop where Roosevelt elk nearly always congregate, and more!
For more adventure ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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