Birds' return requires people to 'Be Bird Wise'

Snow geese have returned to Skagit Valley, the flocks growing daily. Many welcome this seasonal pattern, but the spectacle of the thousands of wintering birds generate conflict, too. Several local organizations have partnered to promote responsible bird observation through a public education campaign called Be Bird Wise.

The simple message of Be Bird Wise: "Respect Land, Landowners and Wildlife." Easy enough to say, but it battles against the many bad tourist practices common across the deltas while the wintering birds linger here.

The tens of thousands of birds that overwinter here attract wi...