Tulip Ride

[Bill_Anderson]

Washington's Lower Skagit Valley is home to many tulip fields and the annual Tulip Festival.
http://www.tulips.com/bloommap.cfm?body=bloommap07.cfm

In the many years I have lived up here, I have never visited the tulip fields when they are in bloom due to the crowds and congested roads. Now that I am retired, I decided to remedy that situation by taking a midweek ride up north to see the tulips.

The weather report called for overcast with chance of showers. This is as good a forecast as you can expect up here for any month with an "r" in its name, so off I went. On the way up I took yet another swing around Fir Island to see if any eagles, snow geese, or trumpeter swans were left. As I crossed the bridge from Conway onto the island, I saw a huge flock of birds (hundreds if not a thousand) take off from the north. I am not sure what they were, as I saw no snow geese today, but there were lots of sea gulls foraging in newly plowed fields. I saw only one eagle on Fir Island, but it was in a good spot for me to stop and take its picture.

I continued on towards LaConner and found one field which was in bloom. I took several photos and a lady from Kirkland was nice enough to take my photo.

[Bill_Anderson]

I ate lunch at LaConner and headed back home. I took Marine Drive out of Stanwood and then turned onto Norman Road, which follows the Stillaguamish River. It was here where I found all the eagles.

As I was riding along the river I saw an eagle perched on something in the river. By the time I turned around and parked my bike, it had flown off, but soon returned and perched on the opposite bank. I watched for several minutes as the eagle perched on the bank or on something in the water, flew over the water, flew back to its nest, and soared over nearby fields.

After watching the eagle for a few minutes and getting some shots, I continued east on Norman Road. Near its junction with Pioneer Hwy., I rode past several trees between the road and the river where 10-12 eagles were perched. One tree had four eagles perched on its branches. The trees were so close to the road and so low that the eagles only a few yards away from me. One eagle was close enough for me to see the black pupils of its yellow eyes. Unfortunately there is no shoulder on the road at this location and no where for me to stop to take photos.

I continued on home to Edmonds, but stopped briefly at my favorite train watching spot on Sunset Ave. above Puget Sound before calling it a day. It was not long before a northbound freight train rolled through town.

As I set up for the going away shot, I noticed a large bird flying above the train. it was one of our resident eagles which hang out in a stand of Douglas fir trees at the end of Sunset Ave. I got a lucky shot of it gliding over the Sound above the tracks, then I rode home. You can see the eagle in the upper left part of the last photo

[ibppjr]

Very nice Bill. You're on a roll these days with great rides. I was once a "southside" dweller, so it was a ride through the daffodils around Graham and Puyallup for me.

The eagle shots are great, especially the one with your fastest color ST in the foreground.