Wild Fidalgo

There are no certainties in birding, but there are places where it is possible to come close.  In the very heart of the Salish Sea , Deception Pass State Park offers great spots for viewing three special birds. Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) During the fall and winter, look for them at West Beach resting on the large rock just offshore from the parking lot.  Mid to late morning seems to be the best time.  This is one of the few spots where they can be viewed inland from the Pacific coast.  The numbers that congregate here are also unusual.  Laid back, peaceable and a bit quirky, I consider them the most charming of all shorebirds. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Also at West Beach, there is a resident pair of Bald Eagles that can often be seen perching at the edge of the Dune Forest.  Like most predators, eagles spend a lot of time resting.  They can usually be seen in the tallest trees at the north end. ...

From the Kukutali Preserve, I was able to add another creature to my Kukutali Bestiary  today.   As usual, I heard this Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) before I spotted him.  I have heard them often over there, but have never been able to get a good look at one.  When I have managed to locate them, they usually skitter around to the other side of the tree to hide.  This one seemed comfortable going on with his work while I took his picture. This is a male, identified by his red mustache or malar stripe.  Females have a black mustache.  Also, the red crest of the male extends down over the forehead.  In females, the forehead is black. When they're working on a hole like this, they don't go ratta-tatta-tatta like Woody Woodpecker.  It's a more methodical and resonant tap...tap...tap...tap.  It's very common to hear that sound echoing in these woods.  The other sound they make is their distinctive call .   It res...

Gulls can be notoriously difficult to identify.  They change appearance with age and the season.  To add to the complexity, some species readily interbreed to produce hybrid offspring. This is the case with Washington's Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls.  According to Sibley , hybrids of the two may be more abundant here than either of the two individual species. This is why I am calling this one a hybrid of the Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) and the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) .  Both species have dark eyes, pink legs and a heavy bill with a red spot.  The wing tips of the Wedstern are black while those of the Glaucous-winged are light gray like the mantle.  This bird's wing tips are dark gray.  Of course, I could be completely wrong.  Like I said, gulls are hard. In the Kukutali Preserve , there is a driftwood log that that juts out over the beach.  It is propped up on a large rock.  There is always a g...

There have been some events since the previous post (about the eagle).  The brand new Canon 100-400L II lens I received just before Christmas turned out to be defective.  I returned it and received the replacement lens yesterday.  Today I took it our for a shake-down cruise and hit the wildlife jackpot. I was hiking along the East Cranberry Lake Trail in Deception Pass State Park.  It skirts the shoreline between West Beach and the East Cran picnic grounds.  In a lagoon next to the trail, I spotted this Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  just quietly floating there alone. If you're familiar with the park, you will recall the marshy island with the trees at the edge of the lake.  The swan was near the trail just inside this island.  I fully expected the bird to bolt at my approach, but it didn't.  Instead, it remained very still allowing me to take some photos.  Then, very slowly, it began to glide smoothly past the island an...

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...

Recently, I hiked the Bowman-Rosario Trail out to Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park .  At the beginning of December, we had a stretch of clear skies and cold temperatures.  For me, this is ideal weather for hiking and exploring. Big rocks out in Bowman Bay are visible from the trail.  On the map, I believe these are the ones identified as Gull Rocks.  Usually, they are populated with dozens of cormorants, a real spectacle.  These are diving birds that like to gather together in such places to dry their feathers, preen, rest and socialize after fishing.  Such a group is called a "sunning."  On this morning, however, there were no cormorants.  I spotted just a single bird, a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perched on the rock in the early December morning sun. Here's a closer view of the eagle taken further along the trail.  I doubt this is a good vantage point for spotting fish in the bay.  Like other predators,...

Encountering a Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) is always an adventure.   Sometimes they are indifferent or even curious and engaging. Other times , they can be aggressive and territorial.  I ran into this fellow on the Bowman-Rosario Trail in Deception Pass State Park.  The reaction was hostile and noisy.  I heard his angry barking and scolding first.  Then he came right up to me to challenge my presence in his territory.  From the look in his eye, it was obvious that I was not welcome here. Does anyone recognize what he is carrying?  It looks like a chunk of dried conifer sap.  Whatever it is, it must be something good to eat.  He was not about to give it up.  Chasing off intruders should never interfere with a good meal.