Wild Fidalgo

I consider the pair of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) that make their home in the Kukutali Preserve to be friends.  I have been watching them since 2011 , the first time I visited.  I'm fairly certain I have been seeing the same birds every year.  According to BirdWeb , "Males and females appear to form long-term pair bonds, and the pair returns to the same territory year after year." I was in the Preserve yesterday and found them in their usual spot, where they appear to be nesting now.  They seem to nest later in the season than other birds.  I'm not certain, but perhaps it's a shorebird thing.  Land birds are pretty much done with that now, or even getting ready for a second brood.  Oystercatchers lay their eggs in a simple scrape in the rocks, above the high tide line, according to the iBird app . While I walked up the beach to the west, I pointed the camera at some gulls that were still quite a distance away.  Only th...

Last Tuesday I went hiking and picture-taking at the Kukutali Preserve .  I headed out to the far end of the beach off Flagstaff Island to check on the Black Oystercatchers .  I noticed a pair of brown birds sticking together on the root of a large driftwood tree.  They would fly up occasionally, then return to their perches on the root.  When they flew, they resembled swallows, but when perching, I didn't recognize what they were. They steadfastly kept their backs turned to me.  This was frustrating my efforts to get a decent photo.  One of them held possible nesting material in its beak.  The story was emerging.  They were building a nest nearby, but did not want to reveal its location to me.  For as long as I stayed on the beach, they would stick to their perches on that root with their backs turned. I got a few shots (of their backs) then left so as not to disturb them any more.  When I got home, I took a good look at ...

These  Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) have come home to their nesting site in the Kukutali Preserve .  When I visited the island this morning, I was treated to a little courtship song and dance. They always leave their nesting site during the winter to join their friends over on Fraggle Rock at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park.  But now they are home for the summer to raise a brood of youngsters.  Pairs are monogamous and usually return to the same isolated nesting sites every year.  I have been observing this pair since 2011. Note that I am taking these picture from a good 100 feet/30 meters away with a telephoto lens.  Visitors to the Kukutali Preserve should be respectful of this nesting site.  If you come to visit, please be careful not to disturb the birds.

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...

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. ...

A group of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) is called a parcel according to iBird Pro .  I found this group resting on Fraggle Rock this morning.  Recall, this is the name I gave to the rock just offshore at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park.  I have never been able to find an official name for it. This is a favorite late morning resting spot for shorebirds, especially gulls and cormorants.  During the fall and winter, Black Oystercatchers also like to congregate here.  They come to rest and socialize.  It is always a peaceful gathering.  I have never seen any squabbling among the different species here. Humans, of course, bring another story.  While I was taking photographs, these people started throwing rocks at the birds.  They didn't stop until every bird was driven from the rock.  Apparently, they thought that was appropriate behavior.  The birds were gone and my photo session was over.  Tha...

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...