The Russians are indeed coming! They are winged, white, and ready to spend their winter along the shores of the Salish Sea in northwest Washington. As the rain and chill of the season settles in, it also heralds the time for the annual migration of Snow Geese from Russia’s Wrangel Island to one of their favorite winter hangouts—our own Skagit Valley.

To help us better appreciate these birds, a bit of background on the summer breeding grounds of Washington’s winter “Russian Refugees” is in order.

wrangel island

Wrangel Island is located in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Siberia. Until the late 1800s, its remote location, coupled with its fog and ice-shrouded landforms, cloaked the island in mystery. For years, many speculated as to its very existence. John Muir, who was among the early travelers to this land in 1881, described it as a “grand wilderness in its untouched freshness,” a “severely solitary land” in the “topmost, frost-killed end of creation.”

Once discovered, American, Canadian, and Russian governments vied for ownership of the island. In a 1926 effort to promote sovereignty, the Russian government (then the Soviet Union) went so far as to force the relocation of indigenous people from the nearby Chuckchi Peninsula to a settlement on Wrangel Island.

Fifty years later, in 1976, the Soviet government closed the settlement and declared the entire island a nature preserve, later adding 24 nautical miles of surrounding Arctic Sea. Ironically, those same Chuckchi families who were forcefully moved to Wrangel Island in the 1920’s were ordered to abandon their village on the island and return to their indigenous land. 

Fast forward to today: Currently, there are four year-round island residents—rangers who inhabit some of the buildings that remain from the previous Soviet settlement.  During the summer, the population swells by about 12, as the Russian government allows teams of scientists to study the animal and plant life. High temperatures during this time average a “balmy” 42 degrees. Winter temperatures seldom get above zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Photo by Lee Tenneboe

the price of success

Wrangel Island snow geese are truly one of the incredible success stories of avian recovery.  As late as the mid-1970s, Wrangel Island’s snow goose population was reduced to about 50,000 birds. Today, there are an estimated 300,000 geese that annually return to Wrangel Island.

In fact, they might be a little bit too successful. Washington’s wintering snow geese naturally feed on salt marsh plants of the Skagit River delta, particularly three-square bulrush.  As the snow goose population continues to increase, native delta tidelands can no longer support the sheer quantity of birds. Hence, the geese have turned to local farm fields to supplement their winter diet.

Compounding  the problems of an increasing population and limited food supply, snow geese have a tendency to rip their food out of the ground, root and all.  This demolishes their habitat relatively quickly.  As a result, some wildlife managers consider their current numbers unsustainable. The quantity and feeding habits of these birds are particularly damaging to the fragile tundra of Wrangel Island. Here in the Salish region, snow geese can decimate a farmer’s winter cover crop in short order.

Photos by Catherine Whalen

seeking solutions

The conundrum facing wildlife managers today is how to juggle the competing interests of predators, farmers, and the need to provide a safe haven and healthy diet for the tens of thousands of geese that arrive annually.  One of these efforts is the Skagit Wildlife Area managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The Wildlife Area is located on Fir Island, which is framed by the north and south forks of the Skagit River between Conway and La Connor.

The Wiley Slough unit of the Wildlife Area provides 190 acres of tidal marsh habitat which is frequented by waterfowl, as well as their natural predators. This area is open to hunting and is popular with hunters during the winter months.

An additional 225 acres of the Wildlife Area is set aside as the Fir Island Farm Reserve.  This no-hunting unit of the reserve was created in 1995 and utilizes a unique approach to supporting snow goose populations.

Under a lease agreement, a local farmer agrees to plant an over-winter crop of wheat after selling their own cash crop.  The wheat is specifically grown for snow goose forage.  This farmer also plants an additional 295 acres of wheat on an adjoining property.  This allows the farmer to harvest a cash crop during the farming season, as well as providing intentional feeding grounds for the snow geese population.

Apparently, word is out among the snow geese cognoscenti about the mild winters and good eats to be found in the Skagit Valley.  In the 1960s, it was estimated that 80-90% of Wrangel Island snow geese made a stop-over in the region, but then continued further south to California’s Central Valley. Only 10-20% remained in the Skagit.

Photos by Catherine Whalen

opportunities for exploration

Despite the sometimes daunting management challenges, viewing these birds on the loamy farmland of “The Skagit” still stirs wonder in me.  As they tend to congregate in groups, it is easy to spot a mass of white among the green or fallow fields. Often times, a sudden scare will lift a huge cloud of white from the farm fields into the sky.  The relatively lightly-traveled roadways of the valley provide an easy view of these inter-continental visitors.   

If you tour the Skagit with your car windows down or as part of a cycle tour, your first encounter will more than likely be auditory versus visual, as snow geese are among the noisiest of all waterfowl.  Their nasal honks create a cacophony that can be heard at a great distance and they will erupt in chorus anytime day or night.

Photo by Lee Tenneboe

Paul Pegany is a retired elementary educator who has over 30 years of experience in helping students better understand the world around them through science and literature. He splits his time between the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and the forests and seas of the Pacific Northwest. His goal is to help people of all ages better appreciate the beauty of the world, as well as understand the stewardship role that humans play as part of the greater ecosystem. Along with his wife, Sharon, he works to build his own knowledge through coursework and experiences in whichever biome he finds himself.

 We also don't advertise Salish Magazine, so please spread the word of this online resource to your friends and colleagues.

Thanks so much for your interest and your support. 

John Muir quote: The Luck of the Karluk: Shipwrecked in the Arctic, L.D. Cross.  On a three-year mission to chart unexplored landmasses in the Western Arctic, the ship was caught in ice and sank, leaving a group of castaways to make their way to solid ground on desolate Wrangel Island.

Bird Web by Seattle Audubon Society

Birds of Winter: A Skagit Valley Experience

Snow Goose by National Geographic

Snow Goose by Wikipedia

Snow Goose Festival Camano Island

Russian Refuge: Wrangel Island by National Geographic

Washington’s Winter Birds by The Nature Conservancy

Wrangel Island by Wikipedia