Bald Eagles are one of Washington State's wildlife stars. Best watching is on float trips through the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area in December and January. Sizable winter eagle populations can be observed along the Columbia River north of Wenatchee (and its tributary, the Methow River), and on the Olympic Peninsula’s north coast around Neah Bay and Sekiu.
Right along busy I-5 in western Washington, you can see bald eagles, peregrine falcons and redtailed hawks. Look for the Bald Eagle's distinctive white heads (snow cones) and tails along the rivers crossed by the freeway -- including the Snohomish River near Everett, the Stillaguamish River about 15 miles north of Everett, the Skagit River near Mount Vernon and the Nooksack River, north of Bellingham.
Peregrine Falcons nest in high perches on major skyscrapers in downtown Seattle, much to the delight of office workers.
Snow geese and trumpeter swans — migratory waterfowl from the Arctic — winter in Washington estuaries such as the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Nooksack.