Wild Fidalgo

Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) on Dogwood Reconsidering the NWF My yard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.  Their banner, currently in the upper right corner here, has been proudly displayed.  Thanks to information from Kelly Brenner ( @MetroFieldGuide , Google+ ) and Carol Sevilla Brown ( @CB4wildlife , Google+ ) , I have learned that the NWF has apparently entered into a partnership with Scotts Miracle-Gro®.  This is the familiar garden fertilizer and pesticide company and a division of the Big-Ag chemical company ICL.  A firestorm has erupted over this news.  To those of us seeking to create natural, sustainable habitats in our yards, the very idea of this partnership is bewildering, to say the least. While this gets sorted out, those of us in Washington State have an alternative.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also has a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program .  I am apply...

I heard the distinctive noise the moment I got out of my truck.  It was the persistent, chattering alarm call of a Douglas Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus douglasii ).  In Deception Pass State Park, there is a small grove of Shore Pines right next to the West Beach parking lot.  The noise was coming from inside the grove.  There were other, higher pitched squeaking sounds also coming from the pines.  The squirrel was obviously upset, and a hollow rotted log under the trees was the focus of his ire. Douglas Squirrels are aggressively territorial.  I suspect another critter had invaded his domain and it was not to be tolerated.  I found an account of a Douglas Squirrel killing a much larger Norway Rat which illustrates how pugnacious they can be towards intruders. I believe this is the fellow I met in the same location last fall.  When he spotted me watching, he interrupted the task at hand to come out and say hello.  A second hollow log n...

Those westerly winds can play havoc with the coiffure.  This pair of Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) dropped by this afternoon for a visit.  They engaged in some robust chatter with a second pair of eagles in a nearby tree.  I couldn't tell if it was social or hostile.  It was definitely noisy.

Birders consider it auspicious to spot a new species on the first day of the New Year.  I didn't spot any new birds yesterday, but I did discover this little fellow in a tide pool at Deception Pass State Park.   Vosnesensky's Isopod ( Idotea wosnesenskii ) is named for a Russian zoologist who collected them in the nineteenth century.  An isopod is a crustacean like shrimp and crabs and related to the sowbugs and woodlice we find under rocks in the garden.  It is also called Kelp Isopod and Rockweed Isopod.  To me, it looks ancient, like something out of a Paleozoic sea. I first spotted the little guy swimming.  They swim using paddles under the abdomen.  Despite the 5 dollar name, it was only 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) long.  Had it been motionless, I doubt I would have noticed it.  This one is the same color as the local kelp and rockweed.  Those that are found in eel grass beds will be green.  This was an auspicious find as they ...

In the dappled shade of Douglas Firs, two male California Quail ( Callipepla californica ) dance on a rail fence evoking the shadow puppet plays of Asia.  The bevy pictured here was spotted at Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park. When I moved into my house, the Quail were the first birds I noticed in the yard.  Six or seven broods, chortling parents and young together, would move across the ground on foraging expeditions.  One of the males would perch on something high and serve as a lookout.  His attention to duty was steadfast.  The group would move along quickly, never lingering in any one spot.  The first time I saw this, I thought the ground was rippling.  It was the visual effect of dozens of tiny scurrying chicks. California Quail Female There is a reason these shy birds use a lookout and rarely stop moving while out in the open.  They are the "wildebeests" of the bird world.  By that I mean they are a favorite foo...

I have an endless fascination for  Bald Eagles .  I grew up in the era of DDT , Silent Spring and the near-extinction of these great birds.  When I spot one now, it is a thrill beyond description.  I feel like I am witnessing a miracle.  I am privileged to actually have them regularly hanging out in the trees in my yard. Like other predators, eagles spend a lot of time resting.  Even while hunting, they may often sit still, perched where they can spot their prey.  This habit makes them great photography subjects.  The little birds, on the other hand, are always foraging on the move making photos more difficult. All of the photos here were shot along the Spur Dike Trail at Wiley Slough in the Skagit State Wildlife Recreation Area .  This preserve is in the heart of the Skagit River delta wetlands and is managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife .  Visitors should remember to bring their Discover Pass . This fi...

During the winter, gatherings of Trumpeter Swans ( Cygnus buccinator ) are a fairly common sight in the fields along the roads in Skagit and Whatcom counties of Washington State.  It is even possible to catch sight of them along Interstate 5 foraging on plant material and invertebrates.  These are truly impressive birds and graceful in their movements.  Trumpeters are North America's largest native waterfowl, and among the heaviest of all flying birds, according to Birdweb . As of 1900, they were thought to be extinct .  By 1930, small populations were discovered in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming but fewer than 100 birds remained south of Canada.  Then in the 1950's a large population was discovered in Alaska.  Because of protection, habitat preservation and reintroduction they have made a comeback. Seasonally, they are now found in greater numbers in Washington than anywhere else in the lower 48 states.  The North American population is estimat...