Wild Fidalgo

Every spring, I take several hikes into the wild rhododendron grove in Deception Pass State Park to photograph the blooming.  After Tuesday's visit , I went over to West Beach and Cranberry Lake in the park.  I have found the East Cranberry Lake Trail to be a great spot for viewing wildlife. The trail passes by a small, marshy island.  A narrow waterway extends between the trail and the island.  There is evidence of beaver activity in this section of the lake.  I have wondered if the island had actually been created by the beavers. As I moved along the trail, I spotted this Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) sitting silently and motionless in the waterway.  The bird kept an unwavering eye on me, but didn't move a muscle.  This struck me as odd behavior.  Usually, they either ignore you totally or get very noisy and upset.  Although it looked healthy, I wondered if it was ill.  After a few photos, I continued on my way along the tr...

It is early spring at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park, Washington.  If you are looking for birds, you will not be disappointed here.  Right off the bat, this young gull caught my eye.  He was perched on top of the concession building near Cranberry Lake with a good view of the whole area.  Gulls take four years to reach their adult plumage. Juveniles like this one can be difficult to identify.  Around here, if you guess Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) you'll probably be right most of the time.  It's our most common species.  Could this one be finishing up his second winter?  I would sure appreciate some help with identification.  This is a good looking bird regardless of the ID.  I like the browns and grays. I have spotted this pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) several times this past winter.  Late mornings, they are always perching in a particular tree at the north end of the Dune Forest....

Gregarious is a good word to describe Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) .  They like to gather together in groups with their own kind.  This is Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park.  Two years ago, they gathered together here to such an extent, the park had to close the swimming beach.  Too much you-know-what in the water.  After steps were taken (that we probably don't want to know about), the beach was reopened last summer. Several collective nouns are used to described groups of geese like this:  flock, gaggle, blizzard, chevron, knot, plump and string.  I think it depends on whether the geese are flying, swimming or just hanging out together for some of these terms.  For example, a chevron of geese refers to the V-shaped formation they assume while flying.  I have seen blizzards of Snow Geese when 5,000 or 10,000 of them launch into flight.  It is truly a snowstorm. As an experiment, this is the same photograph using...

I spotted this fellow resting at the edge of Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park.  There was something about his beak that caught my eye.  It looked smaller than I would expect for a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) .  I wondered if I had spotted a Cackling Goose instead. When I got home and started studying the question, I found myself mired in a very complicated subject.  My Sibley lists six subspecies of Canada Goose, Aleutian, Cackling, Dusky, Richardson's, Lesser and Common.  National Geographic refers to "approximately seven named subspecies."  The phrase "approximately seven" would indicate a hesitancy to commit.  It also lists the Cackling Goose as a separate species, Branta hutchinsii . BirdWeb indicates there are five subspecies that occur in Washington, Western, Lesser, Dusky, Vancouver and more rarely Giant.  It also lists the Cackling Goose as a separate species. Finally,  Wikipedia lists seven subspecies, D...

Migrating geese are a symbol of autumn and the local migration has begun.  Every year, Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis) pass by my house during September and October.  Their visits are announced by rich and musical calls.  They are always flying or swimming in the same direction, westward along the shoreline towards Deception Pass.  I assume they are heading out to meet their companions on the Pacific Flyway . In the photo, a Glaucous-winged Gull is keeping watch at the water's edge.  The mottled winter coloring of the head and neck is already starting to appear. Sometimes, the geese will stop for a rest on the beach in front of my house.  A small stream that drains the wetland behind me provides a drink of fresh water and an algae snack.  Then after a nap, they will continue on their way. I have come to look forward to this annual event.  Some people despise these birds.  They can become pests in public parks and golf courses...

For the past twenty-five autumns, I have observed  Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) stopping for a visit on South Fidalgo Island.  While we have year-around resident geese in the area, the only time I see them here is during September and October.  This tells me that these visitors are stopping by on their annual migration.  The geese routinely come to the spot where a small stream drains into the bay.  Here, they can get a drink of fresh water, refuel with a seaweed snack and catch a snooze.  I have come to look forward to this annual event.  It is a part of the natural rhythm of the neighborhood. I also see the V formations and hear the woodwind sounds of Canada Geese flying overhead.  They are always moving to the west following the South Fidalgo shoreline towards Deception Pass .  I suspect they will head out the Strait of Juan de Fuca to join other flocks in the Pacific Flyway . Groups of between five and thirty birds w...

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...

The sun came out yesterday, which can be a rare event during February around here.  I took the opportunity to visit Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park.  I spotted some of the park residents also taking advantage of the sunshine.  Even though it was still chilly, these Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) were obviously having a good time bathing, splashing and socializing. Altogether, there were thirteen birds in the group.  I am not sure if these are year-around residents, or migratory birds spending winter in the park.  We have seen family groups here before. Canada Geese have become unwelcome pests in some locales .  They often find city parks and golf courses to their liking which leads to conflicts with humans.  They can also be a threat to aviation.  On Vancouver Island in Canada, wildlife biologists are concerned that their increasing numbers are damaging the natural habitat and threatening other wildlife. Locally, I am...

After breakfast and a bath, it's time for a snooze.  At Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park, these Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) have perfected the technique of the one-legged nap.

Last winter we met the Lesser Snow Geese ( Chen caerulescens ) of Fir Island , Washington.  They are back again, of course, following the migratory urges which have compelled them for millennia.  Their home is Wrangel Island, a tiny dot in the Arctic Ocean just off the Siberian coast.  Every fall, they make the 2,500 mile (4,000 km) journey to North America where they will spend the winter.  While here, the 30,000 to 70,000 birds of the Wrangel Island flock will divide their time between the Skagit and Fraser River deltas.  You can set the calendar by their arrival in mid-October.  This annual event literally puts Fir Island in the Skagit River delta on the map. In summer, the farms of Fir Island produce crops which include feed corn, broccoli, cabbage, wheat, potatoes and cucumbers.  After harvest, winter wheat and other cover crops are planted to provide habitat for the geese.  Until the following spring, the geese are given right of t...

It must be Canada Day at Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park, Washington.  Several families of Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) were taking advantage of the nice early May weather.  When I took this photo, I was focused on the group in the water.  I didn't even notice the birds behind the picnic table.  The aunts and uncles were swimming nearby: These picnic tables are taken: After lunch, it's time for a swim: