Wild Fidalgo

December has been mostly wet and dark, not great conditions for wildlife photos.  Finally, a pair of Bald Eagles came calling this morning.  Literally.  I can always tell when they stop by from inside the house.  They chatter to me, "Hey Dave, come out and take our picture."  From the ground, I didn't realize there were actually two eagles perched in the tree.  Can you spot the second one behind the foliage? Their perch was about 70 feet (21 meters) above the ground and roughly 125 feet (38 m) from my position.  When the eagle took off, I managed to get one quick shot.  I realized there were two only after the second one followed.  I am fortunate to have two hunting perches, one on each side of the yard.  The birds use them to spot fish out in Skagit Bay.  They also use them as loafing perches where they can just hang out for a while.  I think that's what was going on today.

This rock is one of the little gems in Deception Pass State Park that visitors might overlook.  It is located at West Beach just off shore from the parking lot.  As you can see, it is a favorite roosting spot for gregarious shore birds.  During the time I watched and took photos, more and more birds continued to arrive and join the gathering.  For want of a better name, I informally dubbed it "Fraggle Rock" on a previous visit .  Does anyone know if this landmark has an official name? On the left end of the rock, I spotted a " sunning " of Cormorants in the company of gulls.  These are either  Double-crested Cormorants ( Phalacrocorax auritus ) or Pelagic Cormorants ( P. pelagicus ).  A better look at their bills would have been helpful to distinguish them.  They dive underwater for fish and will literally swim with their webbed feet to catch their prey.  When they have had their fill, they will roost like this to dry their fe...

Several years ago, I think in the '90's, I saw one Brown Creeper ( Certhia americana) in my yard.  I have never seen another one since.  This morning, I was hiking along the dike at Wiley Slough over on Fir Island.  I was taking a brand new Canon 7D camera out for the first time.  I spotted this little fellow scooting around the side of a Red Alder right next to the trail.  He was very fast and kept moving away, but I managed to get this one quick shot.  The fast response of the 7D was a big help. Brown Creepers are permanent residents in Washington.  According to BirdWeb , there are two subspecies, separated by the Cascade Mountain Range.  These are small, woodland birds that feed on insects, spiders, their eggs and pupae they find in bark crevices.  A thin, curved bill is the perfect tool for this diet.  They will hunt in a spiral pattern around the trunk.  I can vouch for the acrobatic abilities of this little bird.  ...

Autumn Blue Heron She is dancing with the wind Taking flight with me Skagit River Delta, Fir Island, Washington Quiet visitor Softly singing with the wind Music of the earth Skagit Bay, South Fidalgo Island, Washington

While hiking the dike in the Skagit Wildlife Area on Fir Island, an opening in the vegetation revealed this handsome  Wood Duck ( Aix sponsa ) swimming in Wiley Slough.  Wooded areas in the Skagit delta wetlands provide ideal habitat.  These "tree ducks" are monogamous, solitary nesters.  Up to fifteen eggs will be laid in the cavity of a tree and incubated by the hen according to iBird . He was joined by his mate and the pair quickly disappeared behind the vegetation lining the dike.  This is a public hunting area, so the birds are wise to skedaddle. Wood Ducks were almost hunted to extinction around the turn of the nineteenth century.  Efforts to restore populations included installing nest boxes in breeding areas and allowing beaver populations to increase.  Beavers help build the habitats desired by Wood Ducks by creating fresh water marshes with their damming. As an aside, I see the terrific iBird Pro app for Android devices is ...

The Spur Dike along Wiley Slough in the Skagit River delta has become one of my favorite spots for exploring.  There always seems to be something new to discover there.  Maybe this is a benefit of the Washington "Discover" Pass .  On my last visit a week ago, I came upon this group of long-billed wading birds in the marshes south of the dike.  At the time, I wasn't sure what they were.  This was a busy, active bunch, about a dozen in all, moving quickly as they probed the shallow waters with those specialized bills.  The moved along in unison like a troupe of caffeinated dancers. With bright morning sun, the lighting and shadows were terrible for both photos and for identification of the birds.  When I got home, I hunted through my bird books and internet sites to try and determine what they were.  With some reservation, I have identified them as Greater Yellowlegs ( Tringa melanoleuca ) .  As usual, please correct me if I am wrong. U...

For the past twenty-five autumns, I have observed  Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) stopping for a visit on South Fidalgo Island.  While we have year-around resident geese in the area, the only time I see them here is during September and October.  This tells me that these visitors are stopping by on their annual migration.  The geese routinely come to the spot where a small stream drains into the bay.  Here, they can get a drink of fresh water, refuel with a seaweed snack and catch a snooze.  I have come to look forward to this annual event.  It is a part of the natural rhythm of the neighborhood. I also see the V formations and hear the woodwind sounds of Canada Geese flying overhead.  They are always moving to the west following the South Fidalgo shoreline towards Deception Pass .  I suspect they will head out the Strait of Juan de Fuca to join other flocks in the Pacific Flyway . Groups of between five and thirty birds w...