Exploring The West 90
In early February, I finally got to explore " The West 90 ." I had heard about it a few times, but as a birding neophyte, I didn't know where it was. The official name of the site is the Samish Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area and it is managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. I still don't know why it's called "The West 90." I would appreciate hearing from anyone who does know. Historically, this was the Samish River floodplain. When Europeans arrived, the river was diked and the land drained for agriculture. Now, about 400 acres along the Padilla Bay shoreline have been set aside for wildlife. When I arrived, I found a big, flat open field. It was hard to imagine it was a spot where I would see much wildlife. In the end, I would not be disappointed. The setting was magnificent. Mount Baker stood watch stoically over the fields. Despite the sunshine, the morning temperature was cold, near fr...