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...

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...

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...

On the day after Christmas, Boxing Day is observed in many English-speaking countries around the world.  For some reason, it is well known, but only erratically observed in the United States.  Mostly, we use it as an excuse to take another vacation day after Christmas. My Christmas present this year was a new Canon EF 100-400mm II telephoto lens.  Among the first subjects I wanted to photograph with it were the Black Oystercatchers on "Fraggle Rock" in Deception Pass State Park.  Winter is the best time to find them there.  On Boxing Day, I headed over to the park with the new lens. When I got there, I was pleased to find several dozen Oystercatchers on the rock.  Just as I was getting ready to shoot, some ignorant, yahoo tourist started throwing things at the birds.  This is the second time I have observed this behavior in the same spot.  The gulls weren't bothered, but all of the Oystercatchers flew off, about fifty in all.  My s...

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...

We have been getting January weather for the past couple of weeks.  Sub-freezing temperatures, blue skies and sunshine are typical for early January.  This is not typical for November which is usually our rainiest month.  Days on end of blue skies and sunshine in November is simply weird.  Local wildlife is also looking a lot like January. The breeding range of the Golden-crowned Sparrow   (Zonotrichia atricapilla) is British Columbia, the southern Yukon and western and southern Alaska.  Then they spend the winter in southwestern B.C., along the western US coast to northern Baja California.  They are regular visitors to my feeders at this time of the year.  They are fond of safflower seed. I spotted this bird yesterday in the Kukutali Preserve patrolling the south beach near Flagstaff Island.  Green stains on the beak reveal finding something good to eat there.  This is the bird's winter plumage.  In the breeding season,...

I think this is George, but I'm not sure.  It could be Martha.  I know it is one or the other because of the white feather in the middle of the breast.  This is one of the birds that has been visiting regularly for the last few years. I use "lonesome" to describe his apparent social status when visiting, not as part of his name.  The real Lonesome George was a sole surviving Pinta Island Galapagos Tortoise who died in 2012. A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  has spent a lot of time alone in my trees over the entire Fourth of July weekend and since.  I hear chattering up there all day long.  Summer is the breeding season for Bald Eagles.  There is a nesting pair about a quarter mile up the road.  I have been wondering if this is one member of that pair. Bald Eagles are year-around residents in this area.  Pairs usually remain monogamous for life.  Two birds  often stop by together , but only one has been visi...

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...