Wild Fidalgo

Black Oystercatchers and Friend Solitary pairs of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) nest on solitary islands above the high tide mark.  A simple scrape in the rocks is all they require.  Locally they can be found around the rocky shores of the San Juans, Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands.  Pairs are monogamous and return to the same nesting sites every year. During the fall and winter, however, they give up their isolation and come together in flocks or "parcels."  One spot where this can be observed is at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park.  They can be seen mid to late mornings on the large rock just offshore from the parking lot.  I have unofficially dubbed this " Fraggle Rock ." On my visit yesterday, I watched as more gulls flew in to join the party.  I have never witnessed squabbling between gulls and Oystercatchers.  Mixed groups always appear amicable. More gulls continued to fly in.  Peace continued, but it...

Gulls can be notoriously difficult to identify.  They change appearance with age and the season.  To add to the complexity, some species readily interbreed to produce hybrid offspring. This is the case with Washington's Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls.  According to Sibley , hybrids of the two may be more abundant here than either of the two individual species. This is why I am calling this one a hybrid of the Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) and the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) .  Both species have dark eyes, pink legs and a heavy bill with a red spot.  The wing tips of the Wedstern are black while those of the Glaucous-winged are light gray like the mantle.  This bird's wing tips are dark gray.  Of course, I could be completely wrong.  Like I said, gulls are hard. In the Kukutali Preserve , there is a driftwood log that that juts out over the beach.  It is propped up on a large rock.  There is always a g...

Imagine a place, a small island perhaps, where much of the wildlife of a region can be found.  What would it be like to experience a dozen or more wildlife encounters in just a couple hours of exploring?  Such a microcosm of the Pacific Northwest exists and it's a stone's throw from where I live.  You can literally walk a mile and find forest, wetland, beaches, tide pools, driftwood fields, salt marsh, rocky balds, grass meadows and a pocket estuary.  It also happens to be a significant Native American cultural site.  All of these things can be found in a 96 acre/39 hectare preserve just waiting to be explored. The Kukutali Preserve opened June 16th, 2014.  Over the past three months I have made several visits.  During this short time and in this small site, I have acquired an amazing collection of wildlife sightings and photographs.  To reveal what an amazing place this is, I decided to post them all at once. Along the Road From the par...

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....