Tag Archive for 'bird watching'

Ballard Locks- When Winter Meets Spring

Published on March 19, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

When winter meets spring – what a marvelous time of year in the Pacific Northwest and what better place to experience this junction than the Ballard Locks in Seattle? Here saltwater meets freshwater and forest meets the garden, joining multiple habitats where residents and migrants mingle in this dawn of the year. I have chosen this unique time and place to lead a Seattle Audubon Bird Tour to share the magic of the melding of seasons and habitats.

Arriving early, I am greeted with the long melodious vibrato of the resident Winter Wren clearing the air with its 300-note song. This tiny songster is joined by the migrant Varied Thrush, whose discordant monosyllabic song rings through the garden. As the Audubon group arrives, a male Anna’s Hummingbird shows off his squeaky metallic song from the top of a Wax Myrtle, attempting to impress the females who are nesting nearby.

A quick “Whit!” draws our attention to a winter resident, the Yellow-rumped Warbler, who is getting her fill of insects taking flight in the warm morning air. The warbler is powering up for the long migration back north.

Tearing ourselves away from all of this activity we continue to explore the rest of the Carl S. English Gardens. The gardens provide a lovely place of refuge for locals and
tourists alike, all of whom can enjoy the spectacular landscape all year round. Our attention is drawn away from the Starry Magnolia in full bloom to an ancient Blue Atlas Cedar. It is not the tremendous height of this tree that is alluring, but the decoration of dozens of Great Blue Herons posed in a stately manner throughout its branches. As we gaze through our binoculars and spotting scopes, the stillness of the scene is awe inspiring.

Closer examination shows all the herons are sporting lovely white breeding plumes on their necks and chest. They are gathering for their pre-nesting social. Their rookery is located in the forest just south of the Locks, and they gather here in the garden prior to starting the long, arduous nesting season.

The rattling call of a Belted Kingfisher pulls us toward the water. A chase is on between the resident male and any other kingfisher who dares enter his territory. The kingfisher’s feeding area at the locks is rich with young salmon, who are leaving the relative safety of freshwater and entering the first stages of their lives in saltwater.

Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Greg Thompson.

Other fish-feeding birds are in evidence with Doublecrested Cormorants perched high on light posts, spreading their wings to dry in the morning sun. A closer examination in my spotting scope shows some of the cormorants beginning to grow their double crests in anticipation of nesting season. Soon they will depart the locks and return to offshore islands to raise their young.

Scanning the water reveals a multitude of migrant waterfowl in full breeding plumage, feeding for the last few days before spring departure. Greater and Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Mergansers, Barrow’s and Common Goldeneye. Soon we’ll only be left with Gadwall and Mallards, tough urban species who will nest in marginal blackberry brambles.

Soon we notice the herons have left the “dance floor” of the Blue Atlas Cedar and are now gathering in the young alders lining the south side of the saltwater arena. A great deal of slow-motion posturing begins to take place. Thin branches from the alders are stalked and removed by the strong, fish-killing beaks. Rather than fly back to the rookery with the sticks (as they will in a week or so) instead they pose, manipulate, and generally show off their stick-gathering prowess.

While we are watching this ancient dance the herons are joined by a mixed feeding flock of Black-capped and Chestnutbacked Chickadees, Bushtits, and Pine Siskens- a reminder that it’s still winter for many small birds who have yet to break into pairs.

We end our rich morning in the Kiwanis Ravine, a forested area just above the Locks, to admire the Great Blue Heron rookery. Large stick nests laden the alders and maples in the ravine, quietly waiting for the spring frenzy that is soon to come.

Olympia – Part II

Published on February 23, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Birders Scott and Penny are back at it in Olympia, Washington. Here’s how their long day of birding in Washington’s capital turned out:

We had enough time after lunch to walk to the capitol building along the shores of Capital Lake, a dammed body of water adjacent to Budd Inlet, resting below the capitol itself.  The lake is a perfectly circular reflecting pool bordered by extensively manicured lawns and a few individual ornamental trees.  But do not underestimate the power of water.  The lake was littered with Ring-billed, California, and Glaucous-winged Gulls; Lesser Scaup; Bufflehead; American Widgeon; Gadwall; and at least two lovely male Wood Ducks.  As we made our way around the lake, I spied a Peregrine flying around the dome of the capitol high on hill above.  Excitedly, I binned the bird, grabbed my compact binoculars and began reporting (loudly) to Scott its every move.

“He’s diving, left, right, up, now to the left THERE’S the FEMALE!  He’s DISPLAYING! They are FLYING TOGETHER!”

I felt a gentle tap on my arm and looked at Scott’s chagrined face.  Oh right, we are in a very public park with hundreds of people walking, jogging, and otherwise not bird watching.  Never mind. My enthusiasm doesn’t dampen easily.  I’m just sorry all these folks are missing this amazing display of wildlife right above their heads.

Finally we arrived at the capitol under the watchful eye of a male Anna’s guarding his territory and were properly shushed and awed by the magnificence of the architecture.  We gazed with respect at the marble columns and gold chandeliers, checked the House and Senate seating arrangement, and drank in the significance of it all.  But not for long – soon the inner child begins to squirm and we are off on a true exploration.

Feeling more like 5th graders escaping from a required field trip than Washington State citizens getting in touch with the seat of government, we explored every stairwell and hallway available to our enquiring feet and eyes.  We soon found ourselves in the bowels of the capitol where lengthy marble hallways led us past congressional offices to a remote outer doorway.  Sneaking out (for no apparent reason since it is open to the public), we discovered the courtyard between the capitol building and the governor’s mansion.  We rewarded ourselves with a wave to the state patrol officer guarding the mansion, then stood about, a bit lost with our “nerve.”

Suddenly, the same back door we had just exited swung open – I was swept with guilt, expecting a teacher to emerge at any moment and discipline us back to the tour.  Better yet, it was Governor Gregoire herself, leaving work on a Saturday afternoon and heading home to the mansion.  We giggled sillily for a few moments while we speculated on whether the governor was aware of the Song Sparrow singing in her garden or the Peregrines nesting on the capitol.  Before we could decide if she truly had time to keep a yard list (after all, she was working on a Saturday), she suddenly reemerged from the mansion with her family and dog Trooper in tow for an early evening walk around Capital Lake.  We took this as our cue to return to Capitol Lake as well.

The fruitful and lovely day was topped off with a complete circuit of the lake with the distant clouds turning pink on the horizon.  We stopped often to enjoy the view and scan the lake for any additional new birds.  Our scanning was rewarded with an adult Bald Eagle careening after a first year Glaucous-winged gull, obviously carrying a prize coveted by the Bald Eagle.  The gull easily out maneuvered the eagle but the chase was exciting nonetheless.  A last memory for our Olympia adventure.  The day was an excellent birthday outing with 44 species, one peregrine nest, and a double sighting of Washington State’s governor.

Olympia – Part I

Published on February 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Birders Scott and Penny set out for a two-part birding adventure. Check out what they saw in colorful detail…

Bored with the normal weekend pursuit of new yard birds, Scott and I went looking for a novel local area in which to bird.  After all it was Scott’s birthday weekend and we needed something completely different in order to celebrate.  After much head scratching, hemming and hawing, we lit upon an idea.  How about Olympia?  Washington’s state capital lies at the southern end of Puget Sound, ideally placed for winter birding along saltwater shores.  Tragically, neither of us had ever visited our state capital, but now we had a perfect reason to go.

We headed out into the dark gray rainy January morning, our mood reflecting the weather.  By the time we reached Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, a perfect rest stop on the trip, the sun had broken through and the clouds had lifted, taking our spirits upward with them.  It was just a few moments later down I-5 that we easily located Priest Point Park on the northern border of Olympia.  An old park in Western city terms, it was founded in 1905 on land formerly controlled by a missionary, hence the name of Priest Point. The park’s forested hills and slopes border Budd Inlet, a southern arm of Puget Sound.  Ellis Creek flows into Ellis Cove and Budd Inlet.  Many of the parks’ lengthy trails explore the ravines around the creek, cove, and inlet.

As a naturalist with the City of Seattle it was a bit like taking a busman’s holiday.  I cast a sad, disapproving eye on the tremendous amounts of English Ivy quickly engulfing the understory.  Everywhere it seemed trees were snugly wrapped in the death grip of this invasive.  But despite the threat of non-natives, large tracks of very old conifers tower over a relatively healthy understory.  Due to the park’s age and the steepness of the slopes, many very large and old conifers dominated the forest and skyscape.  Grand firs of immense height were circled by Bald Eagles- an unforgettable sight when viewed through binoculars or a spotting scope. The view was complemented by their sharp cries, which rang throughout the forest.  Could they be defending territories?  A good possibility, as the firs were the perfect shape, size and location for Bald Eagle nests.

We meandered for miles, enjoying the sun and joy of bumping into mixed feeding flocks of Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and yanking Red-breasted Nuthatches.  A quiet tapping alerted us to the presence of a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Surely he was not alone as countless Western Red-cedar showed the neat lines of sapsucker wells from base to heavenly heights.  Every ancient, uprooted tree had a winter wren scolding and defending the new territory that winter winds had created.  Glimpses of the inlet and beach access were all used as opportunities to scan the water.  By far the most common bird on the water were Buffleheads, the males’ bright white and black heads glowing in the sunshine.  Lesser Scaup abounded and Common Goldeneye were peppered amongst the Buffleheads.

Eventually hunger drove us out of the woods. We took our picnic lunch to Percival Landing. Resting on boardwalk benches over the saltwater, we delighted in the birds of the inlet feasting on their lunch as well.  A Belted Kingfisher perched nearby making a catch of small fry every third try.  Double-crested Cormorants joined the feast in droves.  First, one was diving, then five then ten more traded places under the water.  Most beautiful of all were the Red-breasted Merganser males in spectacular breeding plumage joined by less showy females for a lunch of fish.

Follow Scott and Penny in the next installment of their Olympia birding adventure. If you thought their morning was filled with a variety of species, just wait to see what the afternoon had in store…

The Trouble with Tabbies

Published on December 22, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

Here’s another post from our birding experts, Penny Rose and Scott Hoskin:

The dreaded phone call finally came on a Friday afternoon.  While relaxing on his day off Scott was horrified to see Lady Raz catch and kill a Dark-eyed Junco in our backyard before he could intervene.  This little tabby had shown up in our backyard sanctuary about two years ago.  A petite version of our big boy inside tabby – Razzie, the name Lady Raz was instant.  Checking with all the neighbors for her home we discovered everyone knew this sweet little girl but she was apparently owned by no-one.  I searched for someone who would adopt her and give her a good in door home.  Success!  A trainer with the Parks Department took her into his heart and home.  But on the first visit to the vet it was discovered that she had a microchip.  He did the right thing and returned her to the original owner.  Problem solved.  Lady Raz disappeared for several months.

Spring rolled around and there she was again lolling about in our backyard.  Drinking from the bird bath and sleeping in our fisherman’s cottage, she was apparently being fed by any and all soft-hearted neighbors.  The difference this season was Lady Raz never went home again.  Day after day she was still there.

During the spring and summer months her presence didn’t cause a problem.  Being in a dense urban neighborhood, our tiny backyard has no ground-feeding birds during the spring and summer.   But time was not on our side.  Fall brings Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows and occasional migrants such as Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow who find sanctuary in this tiny green space.  Having a well-fed “feral” cat in the garden was a recipe for disaster for our birds.

After the disturbing phone call action was necessary.  When I arrived home from work I picked up this little lovely fur-wrapped package and took her inside.  Tucking her safely away in the upstairs bathroom away from Razzie and our tortoiseshell Lily, Scott and I explored our options.  None of them seemed satisfactory.  She obviously no longer had an owner, the shelter was a sure death sentence, and other rescue places just prolonged the problem.  Scott and I checked on Lady after our discussion.  She squeezed her four little white ballerina feet together and squinched her eyes deeply at us.  “We have enough room for three cats in our house” Scott said.  Decision done!

Three weeks later the chaos between the tabbies has settled to a mild roar.  Lily monitors their growling progress from a distance.  Lady’s vet visit transferred the microchip to my name.

But most importantly, the backyard is a sanctuary once again.  Northern Flickers feast on ants between the paving stones of the path.  Thirty-plus Oregon Juncos  and two Slate-colored Juncos pick seeds from the garden, double scratching through the fallen leaves in search of the most delicious hidden treasures.
Anna’s Hummingbirds sip nectar from the hardy fuchsia blossoms just inches from the ground.  The Song Sparrows chase each other around under the ocean spray competing for insects and seeds.  Bushtits glean insects and eggs sacs from the currant and mock orange shrubs.  Their tiny bodies dangling with impunity just a foot above the ground.

Lady, Raz and Lily relax safely inside, away from dangers of cars, fleas, raccoons and wet, windy Seattle weather, rousing on occasion for a vicarious “hunt”  of the House Finches and Goldfinches visiting the window feeder.

Food for Thought- Feeding Hummingbirds

Published on November 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Feeding hummingbirds correctly is simple and rewarding.  Doing it incorrectly can be disappointing or worse, fatal for the hummingbirds.  Keys for success include following the simple 4 to 1 ratio recipe that mimics the sugar content of wildflower nectar and keeping the feeders clean.

Difficulties arise in feeding when we humans attempt to enhance this recipe.  Common mistakes include adding red dye.  The innocent thought is that hummingbirds will be attracted to the red syrup.  However, dye is unnecessary as most hummingbird feeders have some red built into their structure.  Again the feeder mimics the red flowers hummers love, so there’s no need to make the syrup red as well.  The jury is out on whether the dye can be harmful but if it is unnecessary, why risk it?

A second mistake we make is using honey in place of sugar in the honest thought that honey is more natural.  Unfortunately honey is a perfect culture for growing a mold and bacteria that are deadly to hummingbirds.  In this case sugar is much better and safer than honey.

Believe it or not, another potential deadly mistake innocent bird feeders make is using artificial sweeteners.  Think about it for a minute, have you every seen an overweight hummingbird?  Hummingbirds feed on syrup and flower nectar for the energy the sugar provides.  Flapping their wings an average of 60 times a second leaves no room for artificial sweeteners.

Finally the most important step that any backyard hummingbird fan MUST do is keeping the feeders clean.  In a hot climate and or during summer months feeders must be cleaned at least every three days.  In cooler climates or during winter months the feeders can be cleaned once a week.  If you cannot make this commitment to your birds, think twice before starting to feed.

All feeders will grow mold if left uncleaned.  The best models of feeders are quickly taken apart and easy to clean.  A beautiful model with no access to cleaning the inside will become a mere lawn ornament as the birds will not use it, or if they do, may become sick.

The best way to keep the feeders clean is by rinsing with vinegar and scrubbing with small brushes designed specifically for feeders.  Vinegar leaves no residue like soap can.  It’s high acidity also helps to clean any molds that may have begun to grow.  After cleansing with vinegar, rinse thoroughly.  A good rule of thumb is to rinse until you think they are clean, then rinse one more time.

A little effort will provide hours and years of enjoyment, as these feathered jewels of the air will grace your garden and linger well within the range of your binoculars. All it takes is a clean hummingbird feeder filled with a simple sugar solution.

Hummingbird Syrup

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar

Bring water to a boil.
Add sugar.
Bring mixture back to a boil.
Remove the sauce pan from heat.
Cool, fill clean feeders.
Place extra syrup in a container and refrigerate for future use.