Wild Fidalgo

Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) I am going to brag a little here.  I live in a place that is regularly visited by Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ).  It is a joy every time.  Both this and the next photo were shot from my yard this weekend.  There are two hunting perches, one on each side of the property, that afford them a good view of Skagit Bay .  They come almost every day, announcing their arrival with their chattering calls.  They don't seem to mind if I am working in the yard.  I like believing they feel comfortable and safe here. They often come in pairs to spend time on the perches.  Sometimes, they just come to loaf.  Spring is courtship season and that also happens in my trees.  Talk about a ruckus when that's going on.  This also involves cartwheeling free falls high over Skagit Bay, with talons locked together.  They don't nest on South Fidalgo.  The actual location of their nests, how...

"Birds of a feather flock together" gives way to "all are created equal."  Here is a gallery of BirdCam multicultural group shots from October and November, The Enlightenment in action.  Some in this country should take a lesson.  This is a list of the birds in the photos: Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) House Finch ( Carpodacus mexicanus ) Dark-eyed Junco ( Junco hyemalis ) Red-breasted Nuthatch ( Sitta canadensis ) House "English" Sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens)

Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) An unseasonal cold snap brought temperatures in the upper teens and twenties and two inches of snow to South Fidalgo Island.  This is the result of our unique version of a nor'easter .  We were fortunate as some areas got as much as ten inches of snow.  With all its hills, Seattle was virtually shut down for a day.  Notice how the rhododendron has reacted to the cold temperatures.  The shriveled and drooping leaves will reconstitute as the weather warms again.  Spotted Towhee ( Pipilo maculatus ) The birds don't get a snow day and an interesting mix of visitors came into the BirdCam's view yesterday.  The camera caught a Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Spotted Towhee and Northern Flicker, small, medium and large.  In the midst of the snow storm on Tuesday, I had twenty to thirty Towhees in the basement patio feeder area.  They dart around constantly making them hard to count accurately.  ...

Eastern Gray Squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ) I lived here almost twenty years thinking I was watching Western Gray Squirrels ( Sciurus griseus ) raiding the bird feeders.  After all, this is the West, right?  When I actually did a little studying, I discovered the Westerns have become relatively rare in Washington due to habitat loss .  They only live in nut-bearing deciduous forests, which are also becoming rare here.  There is a patch of Garry Oaks south of Tacoma and some spots in eastern Washington where the Westerns survive . The critters I am observing on South Fidalgo are Eastern Gray Squirrels ( Sciurus carolinensis ).  They were introduced here and are not at all threatened.  They like to hoard food and I get peanuts, sunflowers and corn coming up all over the yard.  Apparently, they have not learned the chipmunk's trick of biting off the germ before burying their treasure.  They also create little caches tucked in crannies on ...

House Finch ( Carpodacus mexicanus ) The House Finch ( Carpodacus mexicanus ) is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.  According to BirdWeb , they prefer edge habitat and have followed human alterations and agricultural expansion.  They arrived in western Washington in the 1950's and are now common throughout the state.  In 1940, caged birds from the illegal pet trade were released in New York.  This became a source of territory increase in the East.  Bird lovers may have also played a role in their expansion.  House Finch distribution is apparently associated with the presence of bird feeders.  They outcompete Washington's natives, Purple and Cassin's Finches, and are the major cause of the Purple Finch's decline in western Washington.  American Goldfinches, our state bird, do not seem to be similarly affected. iBird tells us that a group of House Finches is known as a "development."  Male House Finches bear the rosy c...

Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) These charming little birds are common year-around residents on South Fidalgo.  Our coniferous woodland habitat probably accounts for this.  The Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) was the very first species caught on my newly installed BirdCam.  They are frequent and fearless visitors.  If I am working on the front patio they will come to the feeders there without trepidation.  Then they try to run me off with their " chip-chip-chip " calls.  I like the lack of intimidation towards people by these little guys.  They usually come singly, but once in a while I get two or more at the feeders... Sometimes all is not peaceful on South Fidalgo.  When a third Chickadee arrives, he displays by puffing up his head... Is he trying to run off the other birds the way they try to run me off?  Of course, his companion is having none of it... OK, I'm outta here...

American Goldfinch ( Carduelis tristis ) Ordinarily, I probably wouldn't have noticed this bird at the feeders.  The closeup afforded by the BirdCam reveals an American Goldfinch ( Carduelis tristis ) taking on winter coloration.  With grayish tones on the front and sides, it is probably a female.  Our state bird, they are abundant on South Fidalgo in the spring and summer.  In the fall, however, they always disappear, apparently preferring warmer climes.  This may be one of the last stragglers.  In somewhat awkward lighting, I caught four shots of her on October 19th, then none after that.  Here is one more...