Wild Fidalgo

There are no certainties in birding, but there are places where it is possible to come close.  In the very heart of the Salish Sea , Deception Pass State Park offers great spots for viewing three special birds. Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) During the fall and winter, look for them at West Beach resting on the large rock just offshore from the parking lot.  Mid to late morning seems to be the best time.  This is one of the few spots where they can be viewed inland from the Pacific coast.  The numbers that congregate here are also unusual.  Laid back, peaceable and a bit quirky, I consider them the most charming of all shorebirds. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Also at West Beach, there is a resident pair of Bald Eagles that can often be seen perching at the edge of the Dune Forest.  Like most predators, eagles spend a lot of time resting.  They can usually be seen in the tallest trees at the north end. ...

December 1 is the meteorological beginning of winter.  In northern latitudes, winter is the season of cold, stillness and darkness, when much of nature seems to die.  True to form, ours has come with subfreezing temperatures and even some snow in places.  In the north Puget Sound area, we have been getting clear skies and bright sunshine along with the cold temperatures. For some reason, I love hiking in cold weather.  With a day off work and a beautiful day, I headed over to the Kukutali Preserve to check out the wildlife.  I didn't get much past the parking lot before spotting this Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) enjoying the fruits of a Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) .  This tree is a native of Europe that has become naturalized in the Pacific Northwest. As I mentioned, our overnight temperatures have dropped below freezing.  It was about 26° F (-3° C) when I left home.  A skim of ice had formed on the surface of...

This seems to be a banner year for Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Deception Pass State Park.  Off and on, I have seen one or two birds at a time.  Was I ever surprised to come upon this gang out on Urchin Rocks at Rosario Beach.  I have never seen so many at one time. They nest along fast moving streams at higher elevations.  In winter, however, they love our rocky shores, according to Birdweb .  They suggest the west coast of Whidbey Island and Rosario Beach on Fidalgo Island are two of the best places to spot them.  My experience is proving them right about that. This group appeared to be resting and bathing.  The two males in the water would dunk their heads and splash with their wings while the others looked on and enjoyed the sunshine. The best wildlife viewing in the park is on a weekday, off-season and early in the morning when it's quiet.  Just one other party and I had this whole section of the state park ...

Over the past month or so, I have made several trips to West Beach in Deception Pass State Park.  I have been coming to check this big rock just off shore from the parking lot .  It looks oblong from shore, however, the satellite map view reveals it to be fairly round in shape. For want of a better name, I have dubbed it Fraggle Rock after the Jim Henson/HBO TV series from the 1980's.  Like in the TV show, it's a little world apart where different creatures live in a complex ecosystem. I have discovered this rock to be a favorite resting place for sea birds.  Fall and winter seem to be the best seasons to view this phenomenon.  After 09:00 AM is the optimum time to view the birds.  By 10:00 AM, the crowds really begin to gather. One of the species I have been looking for in particular is the Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) and here is one red-beaked fellow in all its glory.  They breed on hot desert islands off the west coast of Mex...

Well at least this morning it was for this mother Wood Duck ( Aix sponsa ) swimming with her brood in Wiley Slough.  I wonder if this is the same hen I saw here last fall .  On that encounter, she was swimming with a mate.  Wiley Slough is in the Skagit State Wildlife Recreation Area on Fir Island. Here it is possible to hike out into the wetlands of the Skagit River delta on the Spur Dike Trail .  This is one of the best spots I have found in the area for viewing wildlife.  The site is a partially wooded wetland which is ideal Wood Duck habitat. Another shot provides a look at a few more of the ducklings.  There were 12 to 15 in all.  I spotted the ducklings first before mom swam into view. Wood Ducks have the unusual characteristic (for ducks) of nesting in trees.  They have claws on the ends of their webbed toes to facilitate this.  They will nest in a natural cavity or in a nest box according to BirdWeb .  There are some ...

Today, I visited  Skagit County's Sharpe Park for the first time.  I only recently discovered that it was there.  I found a network of old growth forest trails I can spend many hours exploring.  The headlands offer terrific views of the San Juan Islands across Rosario Strait.  I also found a large pond and wetland, tailor-made for wildlife.  The park is located on the west side of Fidalgo Island off Rosario Road. The pond was my first stop and right off the bat I spotted two handsome male Hooded Mergansers ( Lophodytes cuculattus ) in the company of a male Ring-necked Duck ( Aythaya collaris ).  The peaked crown and a more decorated bill distinguish the latter from either the Greater or Lesser Scaup .  I saw no females of either species. The Hooded Mergansers were eager to display their crests.  This makes me think there were hens somewhere in the area.  Like Wood Ducks , they like to nest in tree cavities near water. ...

While hiking the dike in the Skagit Wildlife Area on Fir Island, an opening in the vegetation revealed this handsome  Wood Duck ( Aix sponsa ) swimming in Wiley Slough.  Wooded areas in the Skagit delta wetlands provide ideal habitat.  These "tree ducks" are monogamous, solitary nesters.  Up to fifteen eggs will be laid in the cavity of a tree and incubated by the hen according to iBird . He was joined by his mate and the pair quickly disappeared behind the vegetation lining the dike.  This is a public hunting area, so the birds are wise to skedaddle. Wood Ducks were almost hunted to extinction around the turn of the nineteenth century.  Efforts to restore populations included installing nest boxes in breeding areas and allowing beaver populations to increase.  Beavers help build the habitats desired by Wood Ducks by creating fresh water marshes with their damming. As an aside, I see the terrific iBird Pro app for Android devices is ...

The weather started to look more spring-like this week.  With a day off and a pause in the rain, I decided to see what was going on at nearby Deception Pass State Park .  First, I crossed the bridge to Whidbey Island to check out the sand dunes at West Beach.  The Northwestern Crows were out and about raising a ruckus as usual.  This one paused to catch a drink from Cranberry Lake. Next came a stop at Bowman Bay on Fidalgo Island.  This pair of Canada Geese was feeding on the lawn next to the parking lot. The American Robins were still hunting earthworms in the picnic grounds, as we saw last month .  I didn't spot anyone who appeared to be full of eggs this time. Among the spring flowers in the lawn, several Dark-eyed Juncos were foraging with the Robins.  Also spotted, White-crowned Sparrows that were too quick for my camera.  Everybody was singing in their individual voices. I set off on the trail to Rosario Beach an...