Wild Fidalgo

There's a new BirdCam from Wingscapes called the BirdCam Pro .  It offers several improvements over the BirdCam 2 which it replaces.  Here are some first looks as a brand new one comes out of the packaging. The BirdCam Pro consumer packaging provides a glimpse of the device through a window in the box.  Like the BirdCam 2, it is a motion-activated, point-and-shoot camera with an 8 megapixel sensor.  It can also be set for time-lapse photos.  Mount it pointed at a bird feeder or other target where birds or critters visit to capture their JPEG photos or short AVI videos. The back of the box shows setup examples and features.  The box reveals that the camera has no internal memory like the BirdCam 2, but will accept up to 32 GB SD cards.  The '2' would only accept a 4 GB card.  The box also reveals that this camera is WiFi SD card compatible and will record sound as well as stills and video. The device, manuals and accessories are ...

Last Friday, I was at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park .  I had a number of wildlife encounters that included several Bald Eagles featured in the previous post .  I also ran into an old friend, whose territory includes a small grove of Shore Pines next to the parking lot.  He is a Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) , the native squirrel of Pacific Northwest coniferous forests. The first time we met  in this spot, it was early morning.  He was obviously cold and trying to warm himself in the morning sun.  He was remarkably tolerant of my close proximity.  This is probably a characteristic of park critters where there are often lots of people around. On our second encounter, I dubbed him The Mayor of West Beach because of his pugnacious, take charge behavior.  Another creature had trespassed in his pine grove and he was having none of it.  He paused his eviction just long enough to come out of the grove to say hello. T...

It was quite a morning at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park .  There was lots of wildlife plus dozens of naval aircraft flying into N.A.S. Whidbey Island nearby.  Look for Ault Field on the map in the link. I want to start with the Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) .  There were at least half a dozen and they were fishing in the shallow waters near the tide line.  It was quite a spectacle with all the soaring and swooping.  When they made a catch, they would head straight for the trees in the Dune Forest behind the sand dunes.  Look under the foot of the fellow in the first photo to see his nice catch. This was the first bird I spotted with a catch.  The fish is not so easy to see in this photo, but it's there.  When shooting wildlife, it is necessary to take the lighting and the camera angles that you get. When they dove, they would disappear behind the foredune, then rise up again with a fish in their talons.  I have...

Migrating geese are a symbol of autumn and the local migration has begun.  Every year, Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis) pass by my house during September and October.  Their visits are announced by rich and musical calls.  They are always flying or swimming in the same direction, westward along the shoreline towards Deception Pass.  I assume they are heading out to meet their companions on the Pacific Flyway . In the photo, a Glaucous-winged Gull is keeping watch at the water's edge.  The mottled winter coloring of the head and neck is already starting to appear. Sometimes, the geese will stop for a rest on the beach in front of my house.  A small stream that drains the wetland behind me provides a drink of fresh water and an algae snack.  Then after a nap, they will continue on their way. I have come to look forward to this annual event.  Some people despise these birds.  They can become pests in public parks and golf courses...

On Labor Day, I took a nice long hike up the beach into Similk Bay .  I never know what I will encounter on my beachcombing treks.  I certainly did not expect to find this American Robin (Turdus migratorius) .  He was busy patrolling the driftwood that had collected along the shoreline. Silly Robin!  You don't belong on the beach.  This is the place for Gulls and Oystercatchers and Northwestern Crows.  Canada Geese, Ravens and Herons use this place.  Sandpipers and Killdeer live here.  It's not for thrushes like you.  Your place is open woods, forest edges and meadows, gardens and city parks.  You should not be hopping around the driftwood on a salt water beach. Well, look at this.  You found a tasty bug in the rotted center of that driftwood stump.  You have also been getting into those ripe blackberries growing along the shore.  I can tell by the stains on your beak.  I guess you belong here after all...

It has been a rather slow summer for me wildlife-wise.  Summer brings tourists to this area, and some of my favorite spots to visit and explore are crowded and noisy right now.  I have also been working extra hours.  My feeders and BirdCams haven't attracted much of interest either.  Then there are my endodontic issues.  This was not my first root canal rodeo, but it has been the bull that gored me. This morning, I woke to fog and overcast skies.  Then came the tell-tale calls from one of the hunting perches in my yard.  After an absence of two or three weeks, a Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) came to call.  She is looking a bit bedraggled.  Is that spit-up on her breast?  Perhaps this provides evidence of young eaglets back in the nest.  That white head isn't so white right now either.  It could be the clouded lighting, but I think she may be due for a good molt. Her calling was accompanied by a cacophony f...

The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) was the bird that led me to bird watching.  I had recently moved into this house, and as I recall, it was late August.  The house was new and there was no yard yet.  I spotted a bright red bird with dark brown wings.  It was perched on an Alder snag and preening.  I had no idea what it was.  In the late afternoon sun, the red color was brilliant, almost glowing.  I tried to memorize everything I was seeing.  The important thing I could not see from a distance was that unique bill. I bought my first bird book, a Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds, because of this sighting.  Using the book, I tentatively ID'd it as a Scarlet Tanager, but I had doubts.  It did indicate they were "accidental" in the Pacific Northwest.  The picture of a Red Crossbill in that book looked pink to me, and my bird was brick red, more like the Tanager. Now, move ahead in time about 12 years.  Add a b...