Wild Fidalgo

This past weekend, I decided to trek closer to home and check out my own beach.  It was a good decision, because I hit the wildlife jackpot.  I headed northeast into Similk Bay .  There wasn't much to see for the first half mile or so.  Even Mount Baker was dressed demurely in an early spring haze. Then I spotted a pair of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) , one of the rarer Washington state shorebirds.  They were busy foraging along the water's edge and appeared oblivious to my presence.  According to Birdweb , the state is host to only about 400 of these birds. Today's breakfast was Nuttall's Cockle (Clinocardium nuttalli) .  The Oystercatcher's bill is a specialized tool for opening mussels and clam shells.  The job still required effort to get the shell open.  This included some interesting foot action.  The reward was a delicious shellfish meal. Rocky shorelines are the favorite habitat. ...

This is George.  He stops by my yard almost every day.  Usually Martha comes with him this time of the year, but not today. I always know when they are around.  Their chattering calls announce their arrivals.  This is courtship season, so I expect there will be a lot of chattering in the coming days.  It's usually a noisy affair.  I can tell this is George, because he is not as big as Martha. Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are monogamous and tend to remain paired for life according to BirdWeb.  I have been fortunate to witness their tumbling courtship displays over Skagit Bay.  The pair will fly high above the water circling each other and chattering.  Then they grasp each other by the feet and tumble towards the bay like skaters in a death spiral.  They release just before hitting the water and swoop off in opposite directions to prepare to do it all over again.  They look like they are having a lot of fun.  I h...

Golden-crowned Sparrow at Wiley Slough I was on Fir Island last week hiking along the Spur Dike Trail at Wiley Slough .  This is always a good place for bird watching, but it was unusually quiet on this morning.  Sub-freezing temperatures may have been responsible for that. Along the edge of the dike, I did encounter a small group of Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) foraging on the frost-covered ground.  There were five altogether, busily scratching in the grass.  Such a group of Golden-crowneds is called a "reign."  I guess this helps them maintain a regal bearing.  They appeared to be eating seeds and other bits of vegetation.  They also eat shoots, berries, flowers, buds and insects, according to iBird Pro .  In my yard, they are attracted to feeders containing suet or safflower seed. BirdCam Photo, South Fidalgo Island I also caught a Golden-crowned Sparrow at  BirdCam One in my yard last week.  They...

Trumpeter and Tundra Swans spend winters in the fields of the Skagit Valley of Washington State.  They have become one of the iconic images of winter here.  Just over a year ago, I posted photos of Trumpeters shot from the same spot.  This year, the birds were farther from the road, but the group was much larger.  The first task was to figure out if these were Trumpeters again or Tundra Swans.  For that I severely cropped a photo to get a closeup view: A flat crown of the head sloping evenly with a straight bill, and the lack of a yellow spot in front of the eye reveals these to be Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) once again. The fields last year were grass covered.  This year they are muddy and bare.  We had a bit of drought during the summer and fall before the rains came with a vengeance.  This may explain the difference. In the adjacent field just north of this group, there were two more larger gatherings.  I estimate...

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.  ...