On February 28, I set out for a road trip to Skagit Valley.

Destination: Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival, Stanwood, WA. I wanted to see the amazing snow goose migration, where an estimated 60,000-100,000 Snow Geese migrate south for the winter. 

Before I describe this trip, I want to go back in time a few years.

The last time I saw the snow geese was about this time of year in 2009. I drove up to Fox Island Nature Center with a friend. We planned our trip to arrive early morning sunrise. That is when the birds are waking up and flying in from their water nests in the surrounding inland marshes.