Wild Fidalgo

As usual, if I go hiking to find something specific, I usually find something else instead.  This morning, I headed to Ginnett Hill in Deception Pass State Park.  My quest was to check out midsummer wildflowers.   Last year, they were prolific , but it looks like now is too early.  There were basically none to speak of.  Instead, I had some interesting wildlife encounters. I spotted several Banana Slugs (Ariolimax columbianus) on the trail.  The two sleeping on the cut end of a fallen tree were the most interesting.  My theory that Fidalgo Island slugs have no spots is now officially refuted.  Ginnett Hill is in the Fidalgo section of the park. Shortly after beginning the hike, I encountered this Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) .  It was notable that he wasn't barking at me.  Persistent chattering and scolding is their usual demeanor when humans enter their territory.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel which ha...

Some people buy plastic deer statues to put in their gardens.  I have the real thing. About six months ago, I set up the BirdCam as a "trail cam" in the west side yard.  My goal was to try and catch the deer passing by on their way to the beach.  The trail that ran down this side of the yard when I bought the property turned out to be a deer trail .  Despite building and landscaping, they continue to follow the same path after 28 years. Until now, the BirdCam caught several shots of me walking around the yard, but no usable photos of the deer.  I did catch some night shots but they were just vague outlines with glowing eyes. Finally, patience paid off.  The BirdCam captured two decent photos yesterday morning.  This is the one I liked the best.  I wish I knew what had caught her attention.  She appears very interested in something over to the left. These are Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) a subspec...

There's a new BirdCam from Wingscapes called the BirdCam Pro .  It offers several improvements over the BirdCam 2 which it replaces.  Here are some first looks as a brand new one comes out of the packaging. The BirdCam Pro consumer packaging provides a glimpse of the device through a window in the box.  Like the BirdCam 2, it is a motion-activated, point-and-shoot camera with an 8 megapixel sensor.  It can also be set for time-lapse photos.  Mount it pointed at a bird feeder or other target where birds or critters visit to capture their JPEG photos or short AVI videos. The back of the box shows setup examples and features.  The box reveals that the camera has no internal memory like the BirdCam 2, but will accept up to 32 GB SD cards.  The '2' would only accept a 4 GB card.  The box also reveals that this camera is WiFi SD card compatible and will record sound as well as stills and video. The device, manuals and accessories are ...

The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) was the bird that led me to bird watching.  I had recently moved into this house, and as I recall, it was late August.  The house was new and there was no yard yet.  I spotted a bright red bird with dark brown wings.  It was perched on an Alder snag and preening.  I had no idea what it was.  In the late afternoon sun, the red color was brilliant, almost glowing.  I tried to memorize everything I was seeing.  The important thing I could not see from a distance was that unique bill. I bought my first bird book, a Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds, because of this sighting.  Using the book, I tentatively ID'd it as a Scarlet Tanager, but I had doubts.  It did indicate they were "accidental" in the Pacific Northwest.  The picture of a Red Crossbill in that book looked pink to me, and my bird was brick red, more like the Tanager. Now, move ahead in time about 12 years.  Add a b...

Golden-crowned Sparrow at Wiley Slough I was on Fir Island last week hiking along the Spur Dike Trail at Wiley Slough .  This is always a good place for bird watching, but it was unusually quiet on this morning.  Sub-freezing temperatures may have been responsible for that. Along the edge of the dike, I did encounter a small group of Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) foraging on the frost-covered ground.  There were five altogether, busily scratching in the grass.  Such a group of Golden-crowneds is called a "reign."  I guess this helps them maintain a regal bearing.  They appeared to be eating seeds and other bits of vegetation.  They also eat shoots, berries, flowers, buds and insects, according to iBird Pro .  In my yard, they are attracted to feeders containing suet or safflower seed. BirdCam Photo, South Fidalgo Island I also caught a Golden-crowned Sparrow at  BirdCam One in my yard last week.  They...

Like the swallows to Capistrano and the buzzards to Hinckley , the Dark-eyed Juncos return to South Fidalgo Island every fall.  I caught this lone female bird at BirdCam-One this past week.  While it is not my best BirdCam photo, the occasion of the first Junco's appearance is too important to pass up.  Another chime of the cosmic clock has sounded. Over October, they will become one of our most abundant wintering birds.  In March, they will begin their migration to breeding grounds at higher elevations.  By the end of April, they will all be gone again.  Meanwhile, this charming little sparrow will provide us a bit of warmth through the winter. Dark-eyed Junco  (Oregon Junco)  Junco hyemalis

In nature, it is not always "Peace in the Valley."  It's hard to know why these Song Sparrows (M elospiza melodia ) appear to be quarreling.  They are known to be territorial during the breeding season, but that's over now.  I believe they are first season juveniles, but that's a guess.  I am used to seeing more gray striping around the eyes.  Over the last two months, I have been seeing a lot of juveniles at this BirdCam station.

Arguably, the film Predator gave us one of the greatest movie creatures ever.  It took cunning and some luck for Arnold to defeat it.  Our wildlife gardens can also contain predators that are as malevolent and ruthless as that alien creature in the movie.  Domestic cats that are allowed to run free are known to exercise their predatory instincts.   One blogger did the math and came up with an estimate of 1.7 billion birds killed by outdoor cats annually in the United States.  If you think that is an overestimation, divide it by 1,000 and the number is still too large. If cat lovers are not feeling a little concerned by that number, perhaps they will take notice of these figures : Free-roaming cats live 1 to 3 years Indoor/outdoor cats live 6 to 8 years Indoor only cats live 20 years or more My neighborhood serves as an example.  When I first moved here, there were several cats, perhaps a dozen, that roamed the area.  I came to recognize ...

The Black-headed Grosbeak ( Pheucticus melanocephalus ) in the Cardinal family is one of our summer birds.  They breed in all of the western U.S. states and southern British Columbia, but spend their winters in Mexico.  Males are handsome devils, with orange breast and neck, black mask and a tortoise shell pattern on the wings and back. Melanocephalus  literally means "black headed" in Greek, but this refers specifically to the male's coloring.  Female and juvenile Black-headed Grosbeaks have paler buff undersides and white eyebrow stripes.  A thick bill is designed for cracking open seeds. They also like insects, spiders, fruits and berries.  They are one of the few birds that can feed on the Monarch Butterfly in their Mexican wintering grounds.  Monarchs accumulate noxious chemicals in their bodies from their milkweed diet that most birds avoid. Locally, these birds can be attracted to feeders with suet, safflower seed, apple slic...

Dies caniculares , the dog days of summer have provided warm, sultry temperatures to South Fidalgo Island.  After a week of hot weather, the weekend brought overcast skies and a cool down.  Activity at the two BirdCam stations brings the usual late summer pattern.  A lot of juveniles are making their debuts while summer and year-around residents are looking a bit past their prime.  In the morning twilight, an oregonus Spotted Towhee male enjoys some suet for breakfast at BirdCam Two.  In early morning and evening, I would hear calls that resembled a coach's whistle  coming from the trees.  I finally figured out it was one of the Spotted Towhee's vocalizations. A group of Chestnut-backed Chickadees is called a banditry.  These little guys are bold and energetic and their visits come with a lot of chatter.  I get dozens of them in the Madrona trees where they forage for spiders and insects. The Black-headed Grosbeak is our only...

The BirdCam catches a Townsend's Chipmunk ( Tamias townsendii ) getting a drink at the birdbath station.  He pauses to admire his reflection in the water evoking the story of Narcissus from Greek Mythology. Caravaggio [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons When Narcissus saw his reflection in a pool, he fell in love with it.  He lingered there admiring his own image until he died. My little friend is not as vain as the guy in the Greek legend, but he seems to enjoy having his picture taken.  Their photos have been captured at the BirdCam stations several times.  Townsend's Chipmunks are year-around residents on South Fidalgo and are active through the winter here.  Where winters are colder, they will hibernate in their underground burrows. Oregon State University provides some tips for attracting them to the wildlife garden.  Give them a source of water, some brush piles, rock piles, rotten logs and dense plantings for cover.  They ...