Winter Bird Watching

The Skagit River is an incredible bird watching destination. While best known as the wintering ground of hundreds of bald eagles (sometimes more than 100 sightings in just one rafting trip!), the Skagit is a winter home for many other fascinating and beautiful bird species. While maybe not as well known as the national symbol, they are still beauties you might recognize!

Trumpeter Swan

A fully grown trumpeter swan can live up to 20 years old.

Trumpeter Swans are characterized by long white necks and black feet and beaks. They used to reside throughout all of North America, but now are rarely found outside of Canada. Washington is the exception in the winter however, and you can find many of them nestling near the rivers, where the water stays active and unfrozen all year long. Nests can be found as close to the water as the partnered swans could make it. They can often be found in pairs, but less commonly in large groups.

Snow Goose

The black outline of their lips is called their “grinning patch” or “smile”

Unlike the Trumpeter Swan, snow geese prefer the company of dozens of fellow snow geese during their travels. While they are difficult to see on the ground due to their unique markings, you will be able to see plenty just by looking up. Click the third link below to see their different color variations. Their breeding grounds are on Arctic tundra. Washington, however, is the exception, and you can find them here in the winter.

Tundra Swans

While Tundra Swans (A.K.A. whistling swan) look nearly identical to the Trumpeter Swan, there are some unique differences between the two. First of all, their populations have not been endangered in the U.S. due to their keen adaptability, so they are much more common than the trumpeter swan. Their young are tinged gray on their heads, wings, and neck. As they grow older, they become whiter, and their beaks have an orange base. 

    Check out skagiteales.com to book a trip down the Skagit River in the winter for a bird watching trip like you’ve never experienced. If the cold isn’t your thing, book a  trip with us here on our website for a warm, summer trip today!

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/id

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/trumpeter-swan

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snow_Goose/id

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/tundra-swan

Read More:

Bald Eagles, Salmon, and Winter Floods: The Annual Migration

Skagit River Bald Eagle Rafting

Washington's Wonderful Wildflowers

    Dear plant enthusiasts,

            This is for you.

    First of all, if this is totally your thing, download the app called Washington Wildflowers (available for iOS and Android). This app can help you identify almost every Washington wildflower you can think of, including the ones I’ll be mentioning today, which are all lining our river systems at Triad River Tours. The app was created (in association with High Country Apps) by Mark Turner and Ellen Kuhlmann, authors of Trees and Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest. This app is basically a travel field guide for all types of naturally growing plants in the Washington area. The best part? No Wi-Fi or internet access needed once it is downloaded, so you can always have access to your guide, no matter how remote your trip becomes. 

    Dense-Flowered Willowherb

These notched flowers range from deep purple to nearly white in color. They are easy to identify due to the veiny appearance in their petals and fuzzy leaves, which keeps insects off and prevents grazing animals from eating them. They are happiest in forested riverbanks and bloom June through August. These flowers are rarely found in home gardens, but they are fairly common out in the wild.

    Trillium

There are more than three dozen types of trilliums in North America alone. One of the most common types found near our rivers are the western white trillium. These white tri-petaled flowers bloom from the end of March to the beginning of April. Along with the easy access to nearby water, they enjoy our towering douglas fir and western redcedar trees that provide a blanket of shade.

    Broadleaf Lupine

While commonly misidentified as lilac, the purple bunches produce fruit, unlike their botanical doppelgangers. The legume is densely hairy, similar to the dense-flowered willowherb. Like the trillium, these flowers find comfort in the canopy of the douglas fir, following them wherever they go. It is very unique to the Pacific Northwest, due to the very specifically correct weather conditions.

    This just barely scratches the surface of Washington’s wildflowers. Click the first link below for an extensive list and more info on each one. When you’re done, grab your rose colored glasses and book a whitewater rafting trip with us today to see if you can spot some of the flowers you learned about!

Sources:

https://www.pnwflowers.com/

https://calscape.org/

https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/luplat/all.html

Read more:

Common Butterflies Near Triad River Tours

River Otters: The Friendly River Runners