Skagit Flats Raptor Tour
Skagit Flats Raptor Tour
In Washington State and British Columbia
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It was in the month of February 1814, that I obtained the first sight of this noble bird, and never shall I forget the delight which it gave me. Not even Herschel, when he discovered the planet which bears his name, could have experienced more rapturous feelings.”
John James Audubon
A Wintering Raptor Wonderland
The Skagit Flats of northwestern Washington—about 60 miles north of Seattle—is one of the best places in North America to watch raptors, as there are many there and they are rather tame, allowing close approach. The Flats are also renowned for the numbers of Bald Eagles, and is one of the few places in North America where five species of falcons can be seen on the same day. Raptors here are unusually tame, affording great photo ops, and we will take advantage of this. We will also visit similar areas including the Lummi Flats to the north, and cross the border into Canada to visit Boundary Bay and the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary—so make sure to bring your passport with you.
Bald Eagle Country
Bald Eagles will be numerous and ubiquitous! It is not unusual to see them in the low hundreds in a single day. We will get many close looks at Bald Eagles of all ages, and by the end of the week, all should be able to age them accurately using proven aging criteria. Your Bald Eagle photo portfolio will certainly receive a significant boost as well.
Five Falcons
In addition to American Kestrels and Merlins, the Skagit Flats is great Peregrine Falcon country. Moreover, both Prairie Falcon and Gyrfalcon are realistically to be expected here too. Sometimes all these species can be seen in a single day; a feat locally known as A 5 Falcon Day!
© S. Cottrell
A Relaxing Winter Break
Tour will be conducted at a leisurely pace, with plenty of time to watch individual raptors and take photographs. Every morning we will go out there to obtain quality, prolonged views of raptors, some up close, hopefully take some remarkable photographs of them, and to enjoy watching behavior, including feeding and piracy and inter- and intra-specific interactions. Please note that this is not a bird-listing tour, but we are likely to encounter other non-raptorial birds of interest including Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Snow Geese, and Black Brant.
© S. Cottrell
Beautiful Bald Eagle banner photo above courtesy of Jerry Liguori. Thanks Jerry!
Travel widely and help support local Raptor Conservation!
Local conservation groups are doing a great job in many places we go to. That’s great news for raptors! But some of these initiatives struggle to get their crucial conservation work going. At Raptours we believe that helping support local conservation efforts in the destinations we visit is of paramount importance.
Raptours will make a financial contribution to Raptor Studies Northwest for every participant in this tour.
We will also donate to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for every HMS member that gets onboard!
Day By Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in the afternoon at Bellingham International Airport (IATA code: BLI). Transfer to the Best Western Plus Skagit Valley (BWPSV) and check-in. 6.00, social gathering and icebreaker. 6.30, dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Overnight at the BWSV, in Mt. Vernon.
Days 2-5
Breakfast at the hotel. Then go out looking for Gyrfalcons, Merlins, American Kestrels, Prairie Falcons and Peregrine Falcons. We should be able to see two different races of Peregrines, namely Falco peregrinus pealei and F. p. anatum. Bald Eagles will be numerous and rather approachable; we should see well all age classes. We should also see many Rough-legged Hawks (both light and dark morphs), western Red-tailed Hawks, Harlan’s Hawks, and Northern Harriers.
We will travel to adjacent areas to see raptors, particularly wintering Bald Eagles. We will go over the age criteria before leaving the hotel and should see and get close-up views of eagles of all five age classes. We will be looking for dark-morph Red-tailed Hawks and should see Cooper's Hawks as well.
Weather in the NW Pacific can be unpredictable and turn sour. If this happen we might have time to relax at our hotel in Mt. Vernon until the weather improves.
Day 6
Breakfast and checkout. Then travel north to a similar area, the Lummi Flats, for a brief visit, and then continue into Canada to Boundary Bay and the George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary, all good places for concentrations of raptors. Here we hope to also see Snowy Owl or Short-eared Owl, and other raptors including many Bald Eagles, and take another chance on Gyrfalcon. Overnight at the Best Western Peace Arch in Surrey, BC.
Day 7
Check out of our hotel after breakfast and go back across the border to the US where we will visit alternative places to look for raptors we have not seen so far or revisit productive areas. Dinner and overnight at the Best Western Plus Skagit Valley, in Mt. Vernon.
Day 8
Catch flights home.
Target Species
common name
- Golden Eagle
- Northern Harrier
- Cooper's Hawk
- Bald Eagle
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Harlan's Hawk
- Rough-legged Hawk
- American Kestrel
- Merlin
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
- Prairie Falcon
Latin Name
- Aquila chrysaetos
- Circus hudsonius
- Astur cooperii
- Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Buteo jamaicensis
- Buteo harlani
- Buteo lagopus
- Falco sparverius
- Falco columbarius
- Falco rusticolus
- Falco peregrinus
- Falco mexicanus
Suggested Field Guides
Clark, W.S. and B.K. Wheeler. 2001. Field guide to Hawks of North America (2nd Edition). Peterson series no. 35. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Wheeler, B.K. and W.S. Clark. 1995. A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. Academic Press, London.
Supplementary Reading
Wahl, T.R., and D.R. Paulson. 1991. Guide to Bird-finding in Washington.
Lewis, M.G., and F.A. Sharpe. 1987. Birding in the San Juan Islands.
NEED TO KNOW
TOUR DATES
18–25 February 2023
BOOKING CLOSES ON
1 January 2023
SPACES AVAILABLE
8
GROUP SIZE LIMITS
SMALL GROUP: 2-8 Participants
TOUR PRICE
Tour price is US$3,000 and includes hotels (double occupancy), breakfast, ground transportation, entry fees, and guide fees.
Flights to and from Bellingham, entrance visas (if applicable to you), extra nights, meals other than breakfast, drinks, items of personal nature, tips, and insurance of any kind are not included. Estimate US$40-50 per person per day for meals and drinks.
A non-refundable Registration Fee of US$250 will be requested at the time of booking. This fee counts against the total tour price.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Single supplement is US$450
Roommates will be assigned to those participants willing to share a room. If a roommate is not available, you will be required to pay the single supplement.
BOOKING & PAYMENT
Use the ‘Book This Tour’ button above to fill out the online booking form at your earliest convenience. Participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. This online form is contractual.
Once your application information is reviewed, and your application approved, the non-refundable Reservation Fee will be requested (credit cards via PayPal only).
Once we have reached the minimum number of participants (2) the remaining balance, plus any applicable Single Supplement fees will be requested. Wire transfer is the preferred method of payment. Credit card payments are also accepted but a $100 handling fee applies.
TRIP CANCELLATIONS
All cancellation requests must be made in writing to Raptours, L.L.C.
Cancellations requested before 1 January 2023 will be subject to a full refund minus the non-refundable $250 Reservation Fee.
No refunds will be made for cancelations requested on 1 January 2023 or after.
Raptours, L.L.C. reserves the right to cancel the tour at any time with full refund (including the Reservation Fee) to participants.
Travel cancellation insurance is recommended.
DIFFICULTY
Easy. No strenuous walks or hikes involved.
COMFORT
Good to Very Good | Guide-to-participant ratio 1:8 or better
We will stay in comfortable hotels (three stars). Free wi-fi, either in rooms or public areas, will be available. We will travel in a comfortable van to and from the birding areas.
WEATHER & CLOTHING
Temperatures will range from an average high of 51 °F (10 °C), to lows around 37 °F (3 °C). Chance of precipitation will be about 45-50% on any given day. Expect a 5-7 mph wind speed on average.
Pack warm clothes and be ready to wear layers, at least one of which should be waterproof. Gloves may be necessary.
tour leader
Sue is also the head of Raptor Studies Northwest, an NGO dedicated to education and the conservation of raptors in the Pacific Northwest.
Tour Showcase
© B. Clark
© S. Seipke
© S. Seipke
© S. Cottrell
© S. Seipke
© B. Clark
Terms
Raptours, L.L.C. reserves the right to alter this itinerary as necessary, or to cancel the tour prior to departure, with full refund to participants.
Raptours, L.L.C. or its agents may decline to accept or retain any person as a member of this tour at any time.
No smoking will be permitted while with the group, either when indoors or in the field.
Travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.
All passengers will be required to sign a hard copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form upon meeting with the tour leader at the begining of the tour.
No participants will be allowed in the group without a signed copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form.
Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Form
(including Terms)
