The Whidbey Audubon Society posts bird sightings on its website. They include the bird’s name, location and date with a photo of each bird. For example; Long-billed Dowitcher, Deer Lagoon, July 23. Virginia Rail, Deer Lagoon, July 23. American White Pelicans, Deer Lagoon, July 3. Each sighting has a detailed description of what was seen, who saw it and exactly where. Check it out. Okay, not all the sightings are at Deer Lagoon, but today I counted ten reports and five are from Deer Lagoon. I wondered, were there so many sightings at Deer Lagoon because it’s so rich in bird life? Or because it’s a favorite place for birders to walk? Probably both. Birders love to walk there along with the locals who come for a jog, bike ride, or nearby residents on their way to or from the beach. Kayaks are sometimes seen on the lagoon but for the birds, that’s too close for comfort. Better to put the kayak in at nearby Double Bluff instead. The entrance to the trail has recently been improved making it easier to carry in a spotting scope or tripod, and providing easier access for those in a wheelchair or mobility scooter. The trail between the end of Deer Lagoon Road and the dike is a wide, flat, gravel path through shady alders, snags and stately firs alongside a cattail marsh. I spent a lot of time there hearing birds and trying to spot them with binoculars. Then I moved on to the dike where I could easily see ducks and shorebirds out in the open. In the distance I saw the American White Pelicans that have been coming here on their summer vacations since 2016. There are hundreds of them and they’re huge. It was late afternoon when I was there and after stopping to study a few dozen, I began to see more coming in for the night. The sky filled with lines of gliding birds spiraling down to the waters below. Their big white bodies and black tipped wings were striking against the blue sky above or water below. White pelicans skim up fish and other organisms as they glide smoothly over lakes, rivers and wetlands. They’re heavy birds but they can glide in long lines for great distances. With a wingspan of eight to nine feet they’re larger than a bald eagle and slightly smaller than a California condor. When they flap their wings it’s slow and graceful. But it’s the bill that fascinates me. It’s like ‘bring your own bag’ when you go to the store. The pelican has one built in. They lower their bill and scoop up fish. Often they work as a group to herd fish toward shallow water for easy meals. Or they tip up like a dabbling duck. Sometimes they steal food from other pelicans or from cormorants. When I looked online for more information about American White Pelicans each site said they live in inland lakes and wetlands. The range maps didn’t show them in the Puget Sound area at all. So I called Sarah Schmidt, a local bird expert. She said there had been much speculation about why these birds are here. Perhaps they were displaced from the Mahler Wildlife Refuge in Oregon when a drought made their nesting island into a peninsula and their chicks vulnerable to predation. Or they might have come from Eastern Washington where flocks along the Columbia River got too big and split apart. They sent out scouts for years before they settled on Deer Lagoon. Some like Crockett Lake near the Coupeville ferry while others found Padilla Bay to their liking. So even if you’re not a birder, you can still enjoy watching these magnificent birds close to home. Maribeth PS Birds really appreciate some cool, clean water during this hot dry weather. A bird bath or pan of water that's out of reach of cats is a treat for them and for those watching. Directions: From Highway 525 in Freeland, go south 1 mile to Double Bluff Road and turn south. Go about a half mile and turn left on Millman Road. Go another half mile and turn right on Deer Lagoon Road. Park near the road end but be careful not to block someone's driveway.
Mobility: This trail is flat and wide with a gravel and dirt surface. Transit: There is no bus to Deer Lagoon Road, however it's just a flat mile and a half from Highway 525 where Island Transit Route 1 stops if you flag it down. The bus bike rack holds 2-3 bikes. Island Transit is fare free.
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
March 2024
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