Wildlife & Birding in the Skagit Valley
The Skagit River Valley is a rich ecosystem connecting the subalpine terrain of the North Cascades with coastal bluffs and deep marine waters. Though much habitat has been altered through a highly developed and productive system of farmlands and urban spaces, there remain large protected areas to support native wildlife. The Skagit Wildlife Area contains eight such spaces-- The Johnson/DeBay's Slough Unit, The Fir Island Farm Reserve, The Island Unit (available by boat only), The Leque Island Unit, The Samish Unit, The Skagit Bay Estuary Unit, The Skagit Headquarters Unit and The Telegraph Slough Unit--and is world renowned for its birding.
Wildlife Viewing
3,000 species of invertebrates including Geoduck Clams, Oysters, Octopus, Sea Urchins, Dungeness Crab and Sea Stars. Puget Sound Marine mammals include orca, gray and humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters and harbor seals. Your best bet for seeing all of these is to book a trip with Island Adventures or Anacortes Kayak Tours.
Shrew (Vagrant and Water) American Pika, Nuttal's Cottontail, Snowshoe Hare, White-Tailed Jackrabbits, Muskrat, Beaver, Marmot (Hoary and Yellow-bellied), Squirrel (Columbian Ground, Cascade Golden-Mantled Ground, Western Gray, Red, Douglas, Northern Flying), Chipmunk (Townsend's and Yellow Pine), Mice (North American Deer, Northwestern Deer, Great Basin Pocket, Pacific and Western Jumping), Bushy-Tailed Woodrat, Northern Bog Lemming, Vole (Water, Montane, Long-Tailed, Southern Red-Backed and Western Heather), Porcupine, Northern Pocket Gopher, Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Canada Lynx, Coyote, Red Fox, Gray Wolf, Black Bear, Raccoon, Weasel (Short-Tailed and Long-Tailed), Mink, American Marten, Northern River Otter, Wolverine, American Badger, Skunk (Western-Spotted and Striped), Deer (Mule, White-Tailed and Black-Tailed), Rocky Mountain Elk, Mountain Goats, Moose
