If you’re like me, you love to see bald eagles. They can be soaring in the sky or simply sitting in a tree. It’s just always a treat to see our national bird. And if you live in or visit Seattle in late fall and early winter, you can see your fill of Skagit Valley bald eagles.

Bald eagles begin to flock to Skagit Valley in late October. They come from all over to feed on salmon in the Skagit River, with the eight-mile stretch between Rockport and Marblemount the best place to see them. You can click here for suggested viewing sites around that area. If you’re lucky, you can see more than 100 bald eagles on your visit! The number of eagles varies with salmon runs, and winter aggregations have changed over time.

When Is the Best Time to See Skagit Valley Bald Eagles?

According to the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, the number of bald eagles increases throughout November. But the best time to see Skagit Valley bald eagles is typically in December, with numbers often peaking around Christmas. The bald eagle count then starts to thin through February as the salmon run comes to an end.

As for the other best time to see eagles (as in time of day), Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center says it’s early morning if you’d like to see them feeding. In the late morning and early afternoon on cloudy, rainy days, bald eagles can be seen roosting in trees along the river. On sunny days, bald eagles are usually found soaring over Skagit Valley.

Whether they’re feeding, roosting, or soaring, it’s always amazing to see the bald eagles. If you head toward Rockport during the winter eagle season, keep your eyes on the trees, riverbanks, and skies. You may be surprised by just how many bald eagles you spot.

And when winter starts giving way to spring, and the eagles begin to leave, head back to the Skagit Valley to see the fields of daffodils that provide one of the first big bursts of color of the season.