We’re talking to various user groups for their experience and best practices in response to the visiting birds. This month we’re talking to local birder, Kim Roth Nelson. You might see her in the community as her birder self or in her role as Development and Executive Coordinator for the North Cascades Institute. In whatever capacity she’s in on a given day, Kim readily connects people to nature, through her job, volunteering with Skagit Audubon (with a focus on education), and sharing views from the scope she takes with her in the field when birding. Kim readilyshares her love for birds and birding as a way of life.

Skagit is great! I was blown away when I moved here from California six years ago. I moved here when winter started and the flocks of geese and swans and raptors were like a welcoming committee.

I’m still not used to the abundance of flocks that you encounter here. Just a couple of days ago in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, I saw a large flock of Red crossbills flying overhead and vocalizing. In that same outing, I also saw a mixed-species flock including chickadees, wrens, nuthatches, woodcreepers, a Downy Woodpecker, and Kinglets whispering at each other from the upper canopy.

I’ve lived in places like Northern Florida and Southern California, places that don’t have super distinct seasons like we have here. That seasonality is assurance of the return of birds.

Not just birds in general, but specific birds! I see one particular dark morph Red-tailed hawk every year hanging out on a fence during my commute along I-5. I know the birds are back to their winter grounds when I see that hawk.

I’ve birded for 20 years. I go through phases where I am really serious, and I do keep a life list, but I’m not listing every time I go out birding. I would not say I am a competitive birder.

When I go birding in Skagit I typically like to visit the Samish flats and the Fir Island Farms reserve. It’s dramatic whenever a large flock of shorebirds gets harassed by a falcon. It doesn't matter if the tide is up or down, I always see something cool. I’ll also pull other people over to show them birds through my scope so they can get a better look at them.

When I run into birders from out of town, it seems to me they behave pretty responsibly towards wildlife and property owners. I appreciate it when birders carpool. because it frees up parking, people can pull over more safely, it eases traffic, and it creates less carbon emissions. You’ll also miss stuff if you’re all in separate cars. At North Cascades Institute, we encourage carpooling and even have a van to transport participants during our winter birding trips in the Skagit Valley.

I try to make it to the more crowded birding areas on weekdays when possible. I never go to East 90 (on the Samish flats) on weekends when there are tons of people there to see the Short-eared owls. Likewise, I avoid the Skagit flats on weekends during tulip season. During those busy weekends is unfortunately when I have seen the worst behavior by people venturing and parking where they perhaps shouldn't.

My most memorable moments birding in Skagit have been both as a group and during my solitary birding time. I took a raptor class with Bud Anderson (a Skagit raptor authority) raptor class when I first moved here. I learned so much from him and loved going on a group field trip after the last day of class. We saw over 25 Bald Eagles in one tree, Peregrine Falcons, Rough-legged Hawks, dark morph Harlan’s Hawks, and even saw a local falconer release his light-morph Harlan’s Hawk back to the wild. Such a treat!

Soon after taking Bud’s class, I saw my first Gyrfalcon during a solo birding trip in the Skagit Flats. It flew low with these powerful wingbeats over a field before landing on the ground near some ravens. I got great looks at it through my scope and noted its large size, broad wings, diffuse facial pattern, and I also noticed that its plumage was the same color as “Skagit mud” as Bud would say.

That same day, I also saw a Merlin, two Kestrels, and 3 Peregrine Falcons. I tried my best for a Prairie Falcon, but came up just short of a- 5 falcon day. My dream is to one day experience a 6 Falcon Day with a vagrant Eurasian Falcon!

I love watching the short-eared owls and northern harriers hunting at dusk in the flats. Every time one of them catches a vole, there’s almost always a chase, and sometimes a bald eagle will fly in out of nowhere and force the other bird to drop their prey.

Some of my favorite solitary birding moments have involved long, sustained mutual observations with a bird. A few years ago when I was birding alone on Rawlins Road and observed an American Bittern. We watched each other from a comfortable distance for a long time, both of us trying not to move. The bird eventually felt safe enough to start moving about. Its slow movements were hypnotizing and I couldn’t believe my luck to have such great looks at such a secretive bird.

Golden-crowned Kinglet by Roniq Bartanen

I appreciate that farmers leave waste crops that birds forage, and all the birds that assemble because of those leftovers: swans, geese, blackbirds, wigeons, mallards, pipits, sparrows, and more! Plus, many raptors are drawn to the fields to hunt the rodents and birds that are attracted to those leftover crops.

I’ve observed some changes already in the Skagit bird populations even though I have been here only six years. There are fewer rough-legged hawks coming through. There are more dead geese because of avian flu. And I’ve witnessed multiple Pine Siskin population crashes due to the spread of salmonella (most likely from people not cleaning their bird feeders and bird baths). I know I will see more declines in bird populations in the near future due to climate change and habitat loss. I really want to do what I can to protect these birds.

I see changes in the birder scene, too. I’ve birded my whole adult life, but during the Covid era, I noticed a lot more people became interested in backyard birding. I noticed younger birders coming out to birding spots. My friends and family started asking me a lot more questions about birds than in the past. I’ve also noticed a lot more bird photographers than ever before.

I love that people are coming to the region to see the incredible birds that Skagit Valley has to offer. I also appreciate that out-of-town birders and photographers support our local businesses. With this increased interest, though, it's important that people continue to be Bird Wise while they are out here watching birds in order to prevent negative impacts to bird populations and farming communities over time.

By: Bryony Angell

Bird Wise Observations: Birder Kim Roth Nelson

Be Bird Wise is Back!