Duck Season, Birder Season: A Day at Wylie Slough

I should have checked a calendar. Not the tide table, not eBird, but the Washington hunting calendar. Because when I arrived at Skagit Wildlife Refuge—Wylie Slough—at dawn binoculars slung proudly around my neck, I was blissfully unaware it was the opening day of waterfowl season until I saw the full parking lot and heard the symphony of boom…boom…boom echoing across the marsh.

Gunfire, Geese, and Goose Decoys

Every few minutes, shots cracked across the fields. Each time, I jumped about two inches off the ground. Still, there were birds. Actual ones. Northern Harrier cruising low over the reeds. Greater Yellowlegs calling that piercing “tew tew tew!” across the mudflat. Long-billed Dowitchers sewing the shallows with those ridiculous beaks. Snow Geese and Cackling Geese flying in formation above.

Then came the field of Snow Geese—an impressive spectacle, I thought. Until one blinked suspiciously little. Plastic. The hunters had planted a full platoon of decoys, and I had walked right into the oldest gag in the marsh. Note to self: real geese occasionally move and usually fly away when hunters approach. The pickup truck parked in the field also should have been a give away.

The Redemption Bird

And then—just when I was ready to chalk the day up to “loud, jumpy, and slightly embarrassing”—the Merlin app said it heard a Black Phoebe. This was the main bird I had come to find. That’s a bird I don’t stumble upon every day in Washington. Sleek, black-and-white, darting out to snag invisible insects. I didn't see it at first, but then thought about the behaviors of flycatchers. It was then I was able to spot it darting out from a branch. Bingo!

The Takeaway

So yes, I went birding on the opening day of waterfowl season. Yes, I flinched with every shotgun blast. Yes, I mistook fake geese for real ones. But I also walked away with a Northern Harrier, flocks of Cackling Geese, elegant shorebirds, and a Black Phoebe sighting worth the ringing in my ears.

Would I recommend birding Wylie Slough on hunting opener? Only if you enjoy adrenaline with your binoculars. But as far as stories go, it beats another quiet morning of chickadees at the feeder.

One hunter approached me and asked skeptically, "Is opening day a good day to go bird watching?" I shrugged at the time, but the answer was clearly Yes! It was a great day.

If You Go:

• Wear something bright unless you want to be mistaken for a goose.

• Expect company: both feathered and camouflaged.

• Keep an eye out for decoys—they don’t count on your eBird list, no matter how many you think you’ve found.

• And if a hunter asks if it’s a good day for birding, just smile, shrug, and keep your phoebe sighting close to your chest.