[Bowregard]

I was referring to the Great Blue Heron. I have seen loons up in Canada take off hundreds of times from mountain lakes (we used to go fishing up there all the time). Loons do appear to have to work at it but you can see their process incrementally increases their speed until they can gain enough lift to make some elevation. Blue Heron on the other hand just extend their huge wingspan and try to brute force themselves directly off the water (almost vertical). The first time I saw this we were out in a boat on Pine Lake about 50ft from one when it took flight and it took 3 or 4 tries. Each time it failed it would land back in the water and compose itself before trying again. I had no idea they could launch from the water at all and it was really a shocking thing to watch. I did a quick search for it but came up empty. They have no trouble at all taking off from a standing position in the water but if the water is too deep for them to stand up it becomes quite a challenge.

[David]

I’ve seen a cascade red Fox maybe a mile below the DOT station on 542 at Kulshan. This was probably three or four years ago.

[Brushbuffalo]

My wife and I saw a pair of red foxes among the shoreline boulders at Larrabee State Park in 1971. They remain the only red foxes I have seen in Washington, although I have seen gray foxes frequently in the state ( but probably only one fox for every 100 coyotes). I remember a few summers ago there were caution signs posted at Camp Muir about a gray fox that was stealing climbers' food out of tents up there. We buried our food under about 2 feet of snow as a deterrent ( worked).

[Malachai Constant]

There are often red foxes at both Sunrise and Paradise at Mount Rainier.

[Bowregard]

Ran across a Lynx or Bobcat on our neighborhood walk this evening. I thought at first it was a dog because it was very stocky from the back. Not concerned about us at all. We got to within 40-50ft of it and it casually strolled across the sidewalk in front of us and down somebody's driveway.

[Anne Elk]

[glenoid]

On my way to go fishing a Tucannon area Pond this AM, had to brake and stop to let a cougar with her three cubs cross the road. (The five jumbo rainbows were nice, but the cougars were an exceptional treat). Was about 5:30 AM on a paved road, before descending down a gravel road to the Tucannon. Pretty cool. (Have only seen two cougars in the past. One on the slopes of Mt. Constance, and the other down in the Wooten Wildlife Area.

[Mike Collins]

Happened upon a Long-toed salamander while hiking around Coal Creek. Usually they hang out in the leaf litter and aren’t often seen. This was a male as it has glands under its chin that release pheromones. He rubs the glands against the female that increases her receptivity to mating. It is fascinating to read about the Ambystoma genus here. http://eherp.net/pdf/88410.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0YfrGsyJ69zeH-XuDTuE9U-lOTxguZZLeHBrcreAYiqqFLBeTd8Tmb04I I tried to get a picture of the glands but whenever I put him on his back he just flipped back over. At least he is showing you his long toes.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I see something in the salamander family, I think rough skinned newt, fairly regularly in lakes. I don't recall ever seeing a salamander of any kind out and about for a walk on dry ground, and I don't think I've seen any of the other types of native salamanders we have here in the NW other than the one (brownish back w/ bright orange belly).

[kitya]

Something really unexpected (at least by me), but yesterday Cookie and I met a harbor seal right in the downtown Duvall, just swimming around happily in the Snoqualmie river, near to the shores of McCormick park. I since searched and turns out people see seals occasionally in the Snoqualmie river all the way up to Tolt in Carnation! This is very far from the ocean!

[Anne Elk]

[ScottP]

Last June (2021) I saw what I believe is a fisher or wolverine loping across the snowfields opposite the lunch rock at Lake Serene. It was the size of a bear cub, with longer legs, a small head and a short tail.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

[olderthanIusedtobe]

[kitya]