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An island sanctuary

Bicyclists, birders can enjoy the perfect spring outing

Sharon Wootton and Maggie Savage | For The Olympian • Published February 27, 2009

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Weather forecast for March and April: Moments of sunshine and mild temperatures accompanied by bursts of human optimism and spring fever.

Be prepared to toss binoculars in the vehicle and hang the bikes on the rack for quality time down south. During spring, biking and birding are the main draws of Sauvie Island, 10 miles northwest of Portland where the Willamette River meets the Columbia.

Don Kruger of Kruger’s Farm Market knows why Sauvie Island is a magnet for bikers and birders.

“What’s not to like? You cross the bridge and life changes (from urban areas). It’s protected and it’s not going to change,” he said.

Bicyclists can park in the lot at the island end of the bridge off U.S. Highway 30. Check out the large map of the nearly flat island to get your bearings.

The most popular ride is an easy 12-mile loop through farmlands around the southern end along Sauvie Island, Reeder and Gillihan roads. On a clear day (remember the optimism?) look for Rainier, St. Helens, Hood and Adams, as well as raptors.

Home to a few more than 1,000 residents, the island is split between mostly farms and the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area on the north end.

The 12,000-acre refuge is managed by the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department and was purchased for waterfowl habitat. The island also is on the official Oregon Important Bird Area list.

“It’s a phenomenal wintering area and migratory stopover,” refuge manager Mark Nebeker said. In 1805, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have agreed but for different reasons.

“They wouldn’t spend the night. ... It was too noisy with ducks and geese and swans,” Nebeker said.

“Waterfowl start moving in and shorebirds start moving through. The winter concentration of birds is about 200,000.”

This year, the birds are a little slower in leaving. Expect to see large numbers through March.

Sauvie Island is the only site in western Oregon that attracts sandhill cranes in large numbers: about 4,000 in the fall and spring migrations include about 2,000 wintering cranes.

Raptors — including bald eagles, red-tail hawks, northern harriers, peregrine falcons, kestrels and merlins — also are plentiful.

Several bald eagle nests are on the refuge and several more are on private lands — one about 120 feet up in an oak tree overlooking the Oak Island loop trail in Sauvie Island’s interior.

Oak Island hasn’t been an island since a levee and road were built to it. The beautiful oak grove in the middle is the only large concentration of white oaks on the refuge and many are very large and old.

Boats and ships navigating the Columbia have looked to Sauvie Island since two red lanterns were placed at Warrior Rock in 1877. Later a small lighthouse was built. A 3-mile trail from the end of Reeder Road leads to the lighthouse.

Scappoose Bay is a tidal estuary and a side channel of the Multnomah Channel that is adjacent to the west side of the north end of Sauvie Island.

It’s a popular bay for kayakers. There are no kayak rentals on Sauvie, but Scappoose Bay Kayaking near Warren offers options for trips across Multnomah Channel to the refuge’s wetlands.

And if your optimism is unrewarded and the weekend is wet and chilly, there always is May.

Outdoors travel writers Sharon Wootton and Maggie Savage are authors of “You Know You’re in Washington When ...” They can be reached at 360-468-3964.