Migrations

In order to survive, birds and animals need to locate food to fuel them throughout the year.

As seasons change, many birds and animals migrate to locate a new food source or to find an area with food and sufficient shelter to raise their young. Often these migrations occur in large numbers and offer a prime time to see wildlife in their natural setting.

Deer, bighorn sheep, and elk live in our high country during the summer when browse is plentiful.

With the onset of winter, they are driven to lowlands by the snow covering browse and the difficulty of navigating deeper snow. Cougars and bobcats stalk the migration to prey on animals as they weaken. Feeding at managed sites is important and necessary for the survival of hundreds of animals as snow covers their traditional feeding areas. Routinely we will visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Oak Creek winter feeding stations approximately 2 miles west of Naches where SR 12 & SR 410 intersect to observe hundreds of elk racing down from the hills for a lunchtime feeding. After watching these magnificent beasts, we drive approximately 2 miles to a site where winter feed is provided for bighorn sheep. We have found that the best viewing of feeding is normally in January and February at 1:30 PM. Call WDFW at 509-653-2390 for additional information and directions.

Salmon observe several migrations during their life cycle.

I am fortunate to work with salmon at the Issaquah Hatchery. During their return journey, I watch them fight to retain enough strength to lay and fertilize their eggs before ultimate death. I highly recommend an October visit to the Issaquah Hatchery when Chinook Salmon return. Later in the year, I am given fertilized eggs and allow to raise young salmon at several streams emptying into Lake Washington and send them on the first part of their journey as they leave their fresh water home. They travel to salt water where they continue their struggles in their migration from California to Alaska before returning to their home stream to help start a new generation of salmon for us to enjoy.

Bird migrations routinely cover thousands of miles to arrive in a relatively sheltered area with short intense food cycles when the birds rear their young. Locally we have good viewing in the farm fields of Skagit Valley west of Mount Vernon as waterfowl of good numbers and variety migrate to the area in October, or on their route back to Canada in March. Thousands of Snow Geese raising off a local farm field is an awe-inspiring sight.

Fortunate travelers annually congregate in San Juan Capistrano California each year about March 19 to watch predictable returns of their famous swallows. Others travel to Carmel California to watch the famous Monarch Butterfly migration as they seek a stopover there. When the butterfly reaches their intended tree, they cluster together so tightly for warmth that the host tree or plant looks as though it has been decorated. What fascinates me is that because of the distances traveled from some of the northern states together with the typical Monarch butterfly life span, it is usually the third or fourth generation of the butterfly that actually gets to complete the migration.

Pick your favorite species of migrating animal and then use the internet to observe their migration paths and dates.

With some planning, this could turn into a great vacation and a fun migration on your own.