Wild Fidalgo

This Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) is one of several that have visited my yard here in the middle of Anacortes, Washington.  They appear to be abundant all over Fidalgo Island.  My previous home on the south shore of the island was literally on a deer trail.  They were daily visitors year-around.  I have now lived in town for three months, and observed the same behavior here.  I recognize three adult does and one young buck along with three fawns from this season. This mature gentleman that visited yesterday afternoon was new to the yard.  His thick neck and well-developed antlers indicate a male ready for the mating season.  He came out of the woods chasing a doe.  When she eluded him, he spent some time in the lawn appearing befuddled.  He looked around as if trying to decide what to do next.  You will notice something else peculiar about this guy, as I did. Some kind of net material was firm...

Since I last posted here, I moved to a new house.  I am now living in Anacortes, right in the middle of the city.  Interestingly, this place doesn't seem to be any less wild than the rural location where I was before.  This doe and fawn are just one of the families that pass through here every day.  These are indigenous Columbian Black-tailed Deer , Odocoileus hemionus columbianis .  I had just come home from a hike and spotted them in the cul-de-sac in front of my house.  I took this photo from the car. Here's a shot taken through my living room window the other day.  She just decided to take a rest in back yard.  I regularly see two does with fawns, one with twins and one with a single offspring.  I also see one with no offspring, and this may be her. Then, there was this guy that passed through the back yard early this morning.  I have motion-activated video cameras around the house that are catching a lot of the goings-o...

The Madronas at Deception Pass are amazing this year.  I have never seen the abundance of fruit on the trees like they have right now.  Yesterday, I went over to the State Park to get some photos of the trees.  While at the top of Goose Rock, I made a couple of new friends, a pair of young Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus).   As usual, I went hiking to find one thing, and ended up finding something else unexpected.  Surprise encounters like this are always the best. The pair were not fully grown.  If I can use the observations from my own yard , I am guessing these are siblings.  After they leave their mother's side, they will stick together for a few years until they mature. Another habit exhibited by deer is a tendency to follow the same trails and routes from day to day.  I have also seen this in my yard.  That would mean this pair could be frequent visitors to the top of Goose Rock, the highest poin...

I was back hiking at the Kukutali Preserve today.  While crossing the tombolo to Kiket Island, I met this Colombian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) .  Our local indigenous deer, they are a subspecies of Mule Deer.  While I was hiking in, she was heading in the opposite direction on the beach next to the tombolo. It is not uncommon to spot deer on beaches around here.  Those that pass through my yard are usually heading to the beach.  I suspect they go there to add a little salt to their diet. We didn't stop to chat.  In this case, I believe she detoured to the beach when she spotted me.  From her expression and brisk pace, I could tell she was not happy with the encounter.  Once we passed, she climbed up to the tombolo road behind me and we each went our separate ways.

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...

Encountering a Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) is always an adventure.   Sometimes they are indifferent or even curious and engaging. Other times , they can be aggressive and territorial.  I ran into this fellow on the Bowman-Rosario Trail in Deception Pass State Park.  The reaction was hostile and noisy.  I heard his angry barking and scolding first.  Then he came right up to me to challenge my presence in his territory.  From the look in his eye, it was obvious that I was not welcome here. Does anyone recognize what he is carrying?  It looks like a chunk of dried conifer sap.  Whatever it is, it must be something good to eat.  He was not about to give it up.  Chasing off intruders should never interfere with a good meal.

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...

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...