Wild Fidalgo

One of our most beautiful birds is the Cedar Waxwing ( Bombycilla cedrorum ).  It can also be one of the most elusive.  I do see them in my yard, but very rarely.  Meanwhile, out on Fir Island, the wild Pacific Crabapples ( Malus fusca ) along Wiley Slough are now fruiting abundantly.  They have attracted large numbers of Cedar Waxwings.  I have never seen such numbers in a single spot. Fir Island, Washington is actually the Skagit River delta.  Most of it is farmland, protected by a system of dikes and drainage sloughs.  We have visited the island before to see concertizing  Song Sparrows  and flocks of Snow Geese . The Skagit State Wildlife Recreation Area at Wiley Slough is amicably shared by hunters, birders, photographers, hikers, dog trainers and a lot of big, friendly dogs.  Here, the barrier dike was moved inland to restore salmon habitat.  The old spur dike has been left in place.  The "Spur D...

A juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull ( Larus glaucescens ) grovels and pleads to an adult who remains impassive.  The youngster calls pitifully during this encounter in downtown Anacortes, Washington.  These are city birds who allowed me to take the photo from about 10 feet (3 m) away.

Northwestern Crow Before After The Wingscapes BirdCam is a popular tool for birding enthusiasts.  It is a sensor-activated, 8 megapixel digital camera hardened for outdoor use.  It has a fixed f/2.8 aperture with shutter speeds 1/8 to 1/400 of a second.  Set it up aimed at a feeder and see who is visiting your yard when you're not around.  For birds like these clever and perceptive crows, it would be impossible to capture such a relaxed demeanor if there was a person with a camera in the yard. There are many variables involved in producing a great digital photo.  Since they can't all be controlled, the BirdCam sometimes produces hazy, softly focused shots.  If the lighting is less than ideal, photos might be under- or over-exposed.  All is not lost, however, since these problems can often be fixed with a good photo editor.  Click on the 'Before' and 'After' photos here to view them full-sized.  These methods will also work for ...

Procyon lotor is the scientific name of the Common Raccoon .  It literally means "like a dog that washes its food."  Astronomy buffs will also recognize Procyon as the brightest star in Canis Minor .  I caught these guys in my koi pond yesterday afternoon.  There were five altogether, not fully grown.  They are probably littermates who have not yet learned that they are supposed to be nocturnal.  Grabbing a photo was a challenge.  They kept scooting around to the other side of the tree. Having them around is a mixed blessing.  They have chewed up one hot tub lid and they can make quite a mess in the koi pond.  Their dexterous little fingers managed to pull all the weather stripping off the bottom of the back door.  This time, I caught them before they could do any real damage.  Despite rascally behavior, they are definitely cute and engaging creatures.  At night I have had them climb up onto my front deck and look in the ...

I was at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park yesterday.  This Glaucous-winged Gull ( Larus glaucescens ) agreed to stand nicely for his portrait.  I can add this photo to my collection of " seagulls standing on rocks ."  This must reveal some unique behavioral characteristic, but I have not yet figured it out.  Whatever is going on, it certainly adds to the charm of these common shorebirds. Pink feet and a red spot on the bill are identifying characteristics.  A similar, less common local bird is the Western Gull ( Larus occidentalis ).  The Western has black wing tips with white spots, while the Glaucous-wingeds have gray wing tips with white spots.  This is complicated by the fact that these and several other gull species will interbreed producing hybrids.  In general, gulls are extremely difficult to differentiate.  As we get further into fall and winter, the head and neck of these birds will take on brown mottling. In natural ...

Pine White Butterfly ( Neophasia menapia ) Over at Google+ I am following some great wildlife photographers.  I have been envying all the wonderful shots of butterflies I have seen posted there.  The Lepidoptera are favorite photo subjects.  Now, such as it is, I have finally gotten one of my own. This is a Pine White Butterfly (Neophasia menapia) enjoying some Russian Sage.  This little fellow was very camera shy.  He (she?) was already airborne when I managed to catch this one quick shot.  Their range is southern British Columbia and Alberta, and down through the western states.   One source indicates that they are "absent from northwest coastal forests."  Well, I happen to live at the edge of one those, so obviously, this photo contradicts that statement. I believe my yard suffers from lepidoptepenia .  I rarely see any butterflies at all.  Despite the fact that I have chosen plants for the garden known to attract them, the...

Columbian Black-tailed Deer ( Odocoileus hemionus columbianus ) Nature Blog Scavenger Hunt:   Wild Fidalgo is participating in scavenger hunt featuring Pacific Northwest nature blogs.  Patricia K. Lichen ( Kidnapping the Lorax ) will be hosting the event.  Answer questions from the featured blogs and you could win a copy of Kidnapping the Lorax . Join us at  www.patriciaklichen.com on Saturday August 27, 2011 at 09:00 PDT (16:00 GMT) for some nature blogging fun. - - - - - When I bought this property, there was a trail that ran from the road down to the beach.  It provided easy access through the woods to inspect the lot.  At the time, I wondered who was using this trail and if this would be a problem in the future.  It turned out to be a deer trail and after clearing, building, landscaping and nearly 24 years, the deer still follow the exact same route to the beach.  I assume they make the trek to get a little salt. Our deer are C...