Wild Fidalgo

It is not surprising to find birds like this Pileated Woodpecker visiting a BirdCam station.  Look closely, however, and you will discover he has an unlikely dinner date.  A Red Slug ( Arion rufus ) has joined in the feasting.  These slugs are immigrants from Europe and have become somewhat invasive in our gardens.  They are also a threat to our native Banana Slugs ( Ariolimax columbianus ) through competition and predation.  To reach the suet cage, this fellow had to climb six feet up the rough bark of the Douglas Fir.  With such persistence, they should probably not be underestimated. There is never a dull moment at the BirdCam.

After 24 years gazing at Kiket Island across the bay, I finally got to explore it today.  I met this fellow right at the entrance.  I believe it is an Orange-belted Bumble Bee worker ( Bombus ternarius ) taking care of a Himalayan Blackberry flower ( Rubus discolor ).  Bumble bees are important pollinators and are not aggressive unless their nests are disturbed.  Consider them friends and allies in the garden.  There will be more about this Kiket Island visit at Fidalgo Island Crossings .

Another garden visitor has made his BirdCam debut.  The Douglas Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus douglasii ) is a Pacific Northwest original.  Their range is coastal British Columbia, western Washington and Oregon and northern California.  They are small squirrels, midway in size between Chipmunks and Gray Squirrels.  Interestingly, their genus name combines Tamias (chipmunks) and Sciurus (squirrels), together meaning "hoarder squirrel" in Greek. A beautiful sable brown coat is set off by an orange underside.  In summer, they acquire a black band on their sides which can be seen in both photos here.  They live in coniferous forests and are rather noisy little guys.  You will often hear them from the trees but not see them.  A persistent, high pitched barking, " chew-chew-chew-chew"  is used to defend territories and warn of predators.  If they are around when I am in the yard, I get a stern talking to. As a comparison, this ...

The Pileated Woodpecker ( Dryocopus pileatus ) was the bird that inspired me to acquire a Birdcam.  The first time I spotted one at the feeders, I knew I had to find a way get a photo.  They are wary and fast and difficult to catch with a camera.  When I discovered the Wingscapes Birdcam I had a hunch it might be the solution.  It took eight and a half months to get this clear shot, which really isn't bad.  Can you sense the grin on my face coming through the screen? The Pileated is North America's largest woodpecker and one of our most beautiful birds.  Only the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was larger, but this bird is now believed to be extinct.  Seeing them soar through the trees in glider fashion is a magnificent sight.  It becomes easy to imagine how these birds could be related to dinosaurs like pterodactyls.  They run up and down the sides of trees like acrobats.  The vertical world of the forest is truly their habitat, and they o...

My neighbor has a knack for catching great bird photos.  This young, female Rufous Hummingbird ( Salasphorus rufus ) visits a Torch Lily.  We have two Trochilidae  common on South Fidalgo; the other is Anna's Hummingbird.  I had Rufies visiting the yard this past January, by the book, a bit out of season. The Eurasian Collared Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto ) is an immigrant, originally introduced into the Bahamas in the 1970's.  By the 1980's, they reached Florida and apparently have now made it all the way to South Fidalgo Island. Photos:  Dan Codd

If blue is your favorite color, you will enjoy the Steller's Jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri ).  For an elegant touch, add a black hood and cape.  This is another iconic bird of the Pacific Northwest.  Find them in forest edge habitats from southern Alaska into central California and in the Rocky Mountains.  This is a large and active bird and it has been difficult to get a crisp shot at the BirdCams .  Attracting them to feeders is easy.  Put out a few whole, raw peanuts and they'll be on them within a minute.  It's like they have peanut radar. This is one of my very first photos caught with the BirdCam.  The blue marks on the forehead are a characteristic of the local birds.  They sometimes exhibit the behavior of a classic bully, noisy, aggressive and cowardly.  I can tell they are around from anywhere in the house.  They arrive at the feeders with a loud, shrill  cheeeck-cheeeck-cheeeck-cheeeck to chase the other birds away...

Northern Flicker ( Colaptes auratus ) Of all the birds that visit my yard, the Northern Flicker is one of the most charming.  Dignified and gentle, these handsome birds are always welcome guests.  Taxonomists will notice that both birds pictured here are hybrids or intergrades between the Yellow-shafted race of the East and the Red-shafted birds of the West.  How many identifying characteristics of the two varieties can you spot in these birds?  Can you tell which is the male and which is the female?  You are welcome to post your replies in the comments. While I do see both purely Red and Yellow-shafted birds in the yard, hybrids of the two are the most common.  The normal range of Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers includes western Canada.  It stands to reason that our proximity here in northwestern Washington State makes it a location where both varieties will be seen. Some interesting behaviors add to the charm of these birds.  At th...