High in the trees at the edge of a tiny island near Deception Pass would seem to be a reasonable place to spot a bald eagle, a raven or a kingfisher even a peregrine falcon just whiling away the afternoon.
By Mike McQuaide | February 27, 2003
COUPEVILLE, Whidbey Island Let's be clear: Mussels aren't everyone's favorite food.
Even among adventurous seafood-types who happily consume raw oysters or gelatinous rare salmon, the black-shelled bivalve tends to fall on the lower tiers of the shellfish chain, somewhere between barnacles and bottom-feeders.
"A lot of people had never tried them. They thought they were bait," said Ian Jefferds, owner and general manager of Penn Cove Shellfish, which farms mussels in Whidbey Island's Penn Cove.
By Sarah Anne Wright | February 27, 2003
Habitat: A 428-acre Snohomish County park with forest and beach areas on a branch of Puget Sound known as Port Susan.
Best birding season: Winter.
February 27, 2003
Bob and Marci Plank offer 1- to 5-hour bird-watching cruises from La Conner aboard the Viking Star. Here's what each tour entails and the cost:
1-hour South down Swinomish Channel to Goat Island in Skagit Bay and back. $10.
2-hour Above plus north to Hope Island and back. $22.50.
3-hour Above plus Deception Pass and back. $30.
4-hour North through Swinomish Channel to Padilla Bay and Saddlebag Island. $35.
5-hour Same as 3-hour plus Burrows Bay and Smith Island. $50.
February 27, 2003
