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olderthanIusedtobe
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Joined: 05 Sep 2011
Posts: 7708 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline |
I think I saw a house finch in the rhody bush in front of the house a few minutes ago. Don't see them very often.
Quite a bit of robin activity the last couple days. It's spring! (well not really, but I can pretend; that and I've been seeing heather flowering like crazy for several weeks now, but that stuff flowers almost year round it seems like)
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Two bald Eagles on the Sammamish River trail today.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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 Sat Jan 28, 2017 8:56 am |
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Speaking of raptors:
I see 5+ baldies each day. Watched one picking over a cow carcass last week.
Small raptor IDs in the past week: Prairie Falcon, Merlin, American Kestrel, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk
Rough-legged Hawks have settled in for the winter over here. Very fun to watch.
Two Golden Eagle IDs in the past month. 15+ Golden Eagle IDs in 2016, a personal record.
Best o' 2016: 4 Northern Goshawk IDs, a personal record. All sightings were in subalpine zone near or E of the Cascade Crest.
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cartman
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Joined: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 2800 | TRs | Pics
Location: Fremont |
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cartman
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Tue Feb 14, 2017 6:07 pm |
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Saw two male buffleheads at the south end of Lake Union yesterday. First I've seen this winter.
Cool looking waterbirds. Spent more time diving than swimming.
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olderthanIusedtobe
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Joined: 05 Sep 2011
Posts: 7708 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline |
Saw a small group of brants a couple days ago at the Edmonds waterfront, immediately north of the ferry dock. They usually hang out in big groups, so maybe this is the vanguard and more will be arriving soon.
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:05 pm |
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| olderthanIusedtobe wrote: | | Saw a small group of brants a couple days ago at the Edmonds waterfront, immediately north of the ferry dock. They usually hang out in big groups, so maybe this is the vanguard and more will be arriving soon. |
Maybe. A population of Brants winters over in Puget Sound and the small group you saw might be part of that population. OTOH the Brant spring migration through PS usually begins around this time of year.
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olderthanIusedtobe
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Joined: 05 Sep 2011
Posts: 7708 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline |
| DIYSteve wrote: | | Maybe. A population of Brants winters over in Puget Sound and the small group you saw might be part of that population. OTOH the Brant spring migration through PS usually begins around this time of year. |
I visit the Edmonds waterfront and Richmond Beach fairly regularly. I've never noticed full time resident brants at either location. Both are definitely lay over areas for the migrators though.
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olderthanIusedtobe
Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011
Posts: 7708 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline |
Encountered a raven at Boeing Creek Park today, hadn't hear or seen it there for a while. Glad it's still hanging around. Also heard my first varied thrush of the year a few blocks away from the park.
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics
Location: West Seattle |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
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Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:18 pm |
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Wow. This is some fascinating videography. Rather terrifying for the garden birds. Who would have thought that putting up a bird feeder would set them up for certain death. This was filmed in England, but maybe it happens here. ~z
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
In Quebec at Gateneau Park they used to have feeders at all the huts. It was.fun for the kids to see all the birds and squirrels at the feeders. Soon owls and hawks started hanging around also. They took away the feeders when the "circle of life" became a bit too overt.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:33 am |
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| zephyr wrote: | | Rather terrifying for the garden birds. Who would have thought that putting up a bird feeder would set them up for certain death. |
Accipiters, e.g., Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, regularly hunt bird feeders in NWHiker territory. House cats kill far more birds in the U.S. than accipiters.
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mike
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Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Posts: 6397 | TRs | Pics
Location: SJIsl |
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mike
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Sat Feb 18, 2017 12:00 pm |
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One of many pairs setting up housekeeping now.
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Saw an unusual humming bird today. It was very small and yellow. Not at feeder where we have had Anna's all winter but at the base of a small maple near an indentation. Wonder if it could be a Calliope?
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:49 am |
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| Malachai Constant wrote: | | Saw an unusual humming bird today. It was very small and yellow. Not at feeder where we have had Anna's all winter but at the base of a small maple near an indentation. Wonder if it could be a Calliope? |
Calliope Hummers are not yellow, rare in Western WA any time of year and very rare this time of year. I doubt it was a Calliope.
I've seen some quite yellowish Rufous Hummingbirds, more yellowish than the pic below. As a general rule, populations of species with orange pigment (e.g., Varied Thrush, Northern Oriole, Rufous Hummer) will have some individuals that are yellow. Cf. yellow House Finches. Also, it's not uncommon for a hummer's throat to get covered with pollen, which is often yellow.
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
You could be right, I am not that much of a bird person. It was strange first because of the color a real canary yellow. It was so small at first I thought it was a dragonfly, but they are not out yet. We get Rufus in the summer but they usually seem more robust than the Annas.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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