Eagle Spotting on the Skagit River

This was a Sierra Club activity, which I attended on the 2nd with my Mom and Justus.  Adventure Dog had to stay home for this one.  Four carloads of people headed up the Skagit on a beautiful sunny morning.  Interpretive rangers had set up information points at 3 different sites between Rockport and Marblemount, with spotting scopes lined up on nearby eagles.  Their count was 375 eagles that day, spotted between Marblemount and Sedro-Woolley.  We saw more like 20 or so along the highway, but even if we had seen one, it was so beautiful traveling up the Skagit on such a nice day.

 

The hatchery in Marblemount had free tours and we went on that while we were there.  They had put some tiny fry, including some with egg sacs still attached, in little containers for people to view.  It's amazing that such tiny things can grow into such large delicious fish.

There was a small walk behind the hatchery as well, and we enjoyed looking at the cool ice formations along the creek there, which flowed into the Cascade River.

All of us were very entertained by the antics of an American Dipper, or water ouzel, hunting for water bugs and fish eggs in the stream.  I had seen them bobbing on rocks before, but never diving into the water.  I tried to catch the little bird underwater, but it was very fast and the best shot I got was this one of it starting to dive in again.

There were a few salmon in the stream there too, heading for the fish ladder or possibly had spawned before they got to the hatchery.  They were so incredibly beat up and barely holding their own against the slight current in that freezing water.

 

At our last stop, while trying to photograph the eagles which seemed to perch and fly along the opposite side of the Skagit, this varied thrush landed overhead and presented a better target for my camera.

And yes... despite their coyness, I did manage to capture a couple decent eagle pictures. 

It was a wonderful day.