West Seattle, Washington
05 Sunday
Thanks to Ann Marie for the photo, taken at 46th/Stevens. Usually indicates crows are nesting nearby; the state Fish and Wildlife one-sheet about crows includes a special section toward the end that’s devoted to the dive-bombing phenomenon.
(Photos by Kersti Muul)
We describe WSB as a “community-collaborative news source” because of the thousands of ways community members have contributed over our 15 years – from someone who texted us once about a traffic jam, to those who send calendar listings, to those who attend/support those events, to people who share photos of our area’s natural beauty – from neighborhood flowers to breathtaking wildlife. Among those contributing in that last category, and then some, is Kersti Muul, whose name you see here most often when whales are in the area. Kersti’s dealing with a tough break right now – literally – and could use some support. She explains:
I have been having bad vertigo and vision issues off and on for the last three months. While coming out of an episode; still slightly unbalanced, I took a hard fall at Alki on the concrete, while watching “T-63 Chainsaw” the famous orca, pass by in Elliott Bay. My camera unfortunately was broken in the fall. Nikon has just deemed the camera damage ‘beyond repair’.
For those not familiar with me, I am a scientific educator, urban conservation specialist, community naturalist, award-winning photographer, and wildlife rescuer.
I am extremely active in the West Seattle community, donating my time, expertise, and photography at no cost. The loss of my camera is devastating to me as it is my vehicle for community education, research, outreach, and it’s how I decompress from the extremely stressful work that I do.
I’m reaching out to the community to help me, so I can continue to help you!
On her crowdfunding page, Kersti elaborates: “Helping others see the world through my lens and spurring them into action has been the biggest loss so far.”
Thanks to Hugh Donnelly for the photo! That’s a Northern Elephant Seal, seen today off Lincoln Park. We reported on sightings last year – Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network noted they were becoming more common in area waters; one, nicknamed Ruckus, hung around for quite some time last July. If you see this – or any other marine mammal – on a West Seattle beach, please notify SSMMSN at 206-905-SEAL.
Thanks to Nico for sending the photo Sunday after spotting that flyby off West Seattle – American White Pelicans. They’re rarely seen in this area, though we did get a flyby photo last spring too. (The last sighting report before that was in 2013.)
This past week’s low-low tides are over, but we have a few more wildlife photos to share. The first and last photos are from Marc Milrod; the four below are from Rosalie Miller – first, a Mottled Star:
A Hermit Crab:
A Limpet:
And a Pink Sponge:
Among the birds on the temporarily expanded beach, this Great Blue Heron:
The next stretch of low-low tides (which is the term we use for low tides out past -2 feet) is on the chart for June 12th-18th. (Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will be at Constellation and Lincoln Parks for five of those days.)
Tomorrow is the final day this month with a low-low tide beyond -3 feet, expanding the walkable stretches of West Seattle’s shores. Tonight we have more photos to share – above, from Jerry Simmons; below, from Theresa Arbow-O’Connor:
And Rosalie Miller shared more photos of the wildlife on view – in order below are an Orange Sea Cucumber,
Dorid Nudibranch, Purple Star and Painted Anemone, and a close-up of the star:
If you remember the Sea Star die-off last decade, it’s heartening to see them. Michael Ostrogorsky included this photo from beneath the Fauntleroy ferry dock in the comment section following our previous coverage:
Thursday’s low-low tide is -3.4 feet at 2:02 pm.
As mentioned here earlier, this week brings low-low tides to West Seattle beaches. Tonight we have three photos from Rosalie Miller, whose photos of tiny plants we’ve featured previously. Above, a Lined Chiton; below, an Opalescent Nudibranch:
And here’s an Anemone:
“Gorgeous day at the beach,” Rosalie reports.
Big thanks to the photographers who have shared more views of our feathered neighbors, Above, James Tilley photographed a juvenile Bald Eagle and Caspian Tern flyby; below, Matthew Olson found a Marbled Murrelet:
Gene Pavola caught this bird (ID, anyone?) watching the water from a pole perch:
Jim Clark shares another golden view of a duck family at Seola Pond:
This Canada Goose family was on its way to Elliott Bay when photographed by Jerry Simmons:
Away from the water, Jerry also got this pic of a Black-headed Grosbeak:
This photo of a Brown-headed Cowbird is from Gary Jones:
We also feature bird photos some mornings in our daily event lists, so don’t skip those if you enjoyed these. From birds to breaking news, we appreciate pics at westseattleblog@gmail.com or (if urgent) 206-293-6302 any time!
Thanks to Carl Furfaro for the photos of a River Otter on the beach at Lincoln Park this morning, enjoying a breakfast of fish. This gives us the opportunity to remind you of two things: One, yes, what you see here in and near West Seattle waters are River Otters, not Sea Otters, which are more common in the open ocean. Two, you might see a River Otter crossing a local street – especially streets by the water, like Alki Avenue – to get to an inland den, so while driving, be watchful for wildlife as well as people. This one, however, headed back into Puget Sound, perhaps for a second course:
P.S. Carl has a website with photos of other local wildlife – see them here.
That’s a Common Loon, photographed by Rick Rasmussen last year. One seen in West Seattle waters earlier today might be in trouble, and community naturalist Kersti Muul asked if we’d put out the word for you to watch for that loon. Kersti says it was “last seen 200 yards from shore, north of the UW buoy off Lowman Beach,” around 1:30 pm, “possibly entangled … thrashing about and not diving at all.” She says plans were being made to rescue it by boat if needed, but they haven’t spotted it again. If you do, text our hotline (206-293-6302) and we’ll forward.
Thanks for more awesome views of West Seattle birds! We start with birds you can see on the water – above, Harlequin Ducks photographed by Dan Ciske; below, Killdeer by Jerry Simmons:
A Wood Duck from Mark Dale:
Stewart L. photographed this Cormorant:
On to birds of prey – from James Tilley:
An Osprey from Danny McMillin:
From Laura Pavola, a Cooper’s Hawk:
An anonymously texted view of a Barred Owl:
Also hanging out with cherry blossoms, a Black-capped Chickadee, photographed by Finn Litton:
And Hummingbirds! A Rufous visited Trileigh Tucker:
And an Anna’s, from Matthew Olson:
One last bird for this gallery … a Golden-crowned Kinglet, photographed by Alex Gutierrez:
Thanks again to everyone who shares photos – from birds to breaking news! westseattleblog@gmail.com, unless it’s breaking – you can send that to our hotline, 206-293-6302.
(Photos by Jon McAllister)
The photos show Terri McAllister‘s surprise discovery at Alki. You have to look very closely to see what they really are! Terri emailed us to report:
Just a tip to wear shoes at the beach in spring. At Alki beach this morning, by the bathhouse, we came across some crab zoea. Tiny little spiny buggers managed to get our bare feet and hands whenever we touched the sand. It feels like glass or an itchy pinch. A bunch stuck to our beach blanket and we got some rad photos with a magnifying glass.
No wildlife authorities are available for us to consult today for further enlightenment on this sighting – but it’s an extra reminder to tread lightly on the shore!
Thanks to local photographers sharing their work, we are able today to present another gallery of West Seattle birds! First, seabirds – above, a Horned Grebe photographed by Matt Olson at Duwamish Head, where he also saw this Red-necked Grebe:
From Jim Clark, Mergansers at Seola Pond:
James Tilley, from afar, photographed a Great Blue Heron hunting for food along Alki:
He also sent this photo of a Pileated Woodpecker at Lincoln Park:
Elsewhere in Lincoln Park, Anthony Beas took this photo – can you ID the bird?
Hummingbirds are popular subjects – Sarah Miller saw this Rufous:
And from Jerry Simmons, an Anna’s:
Barred Owls also have drawn a lot of attention lately. Marc Fendel photographed this one:
And we can’t resist publishing one more photo of the owl who photogenically hung out in an Admiral cherry tree all day – this one is from Alex Anderson:
One more big “thank you” to everyone who shares photos, from birds to breaking news and beyond – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best way to send them if it’s not urgent, or text 206-293-6302 if it is!
(Stonefly exoskeleton, photographed in 2018 by Dennis Hinton)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
Did aquatic insects living in lower Fauntleroy Creek benefit from the 244 spawner carcasses that have been decaying since November? You bet, according to student researchers from Louisa Boren STEM K-8.
A dozen fourth graders, led by volunteer educator Shannon Ninburg, conducted the Fauntleroy Watershed Council‘s annual early-spring count of stonefly exoskeletons on Sunday, March 27, and found the third-highest number in the study’s 22-year history.
Stoneflies live in freshwater up to three years, then crawl out to shed their exoskeletons, fly, and mate to start the cycle of life over again. Stonefly nymphs are a significant food source for juvenile salmon, plus they are an indicator of water quality as they cannot tolerate high pollution.
(Sunday video by Tom Trulin)
Teams of students counted all the exoskeletons they could find in the study area, looking on trees, bushes, fences, and bridges near the water. One team focused on measuring torsos.
They found 62 exoskeletons – the most in three years. Average size of 10 specimens was 4 cm; one measuring 6 cm was among the largest ever recorded over the years.
After reviewing their data, the students reached conclusions about why the number of exoskeletons was so high this year and why most stoneflies exited the creek where they did. After students approve the final report, the watershed council will share it with regional salmon-habitat specialists and post it at fauntleroywatershed.org.
That Barred Owl was the most-photographed bird in West Seattle today. Its perch on a blossoming tree was just too photogenic to pass up. We received a few photos in email, and many more via Twitter. The photo above is by Delainey Schroeder, a West Seattle High School ninth-grader; the closer view below was one of four tweeted by Michael Crowe:
The tree was near 44th SW and SW Holgate. Another photo-sender, Alex, reported that nearby Crows were “having fits.” Barred Owls are “fairly common,” according to BirdWeb (at that link, you can hear their call as well as read about them).
ADDED 10:57 PM: Another view, from Jamie Kinney:
(WSB photo)
That’s artist Mike Dupille, who is painting a mural on a garage door in the 7100 block of Beach Drive SW, near the north entrance to the Lincoln Park shoreline – visible to people walking, biking, running, or rolling to and from the park. The mural will spotlight some of the wildlife who live in and near the park. The mural was commissioned by the garage’s owner, Sharon Best, who tells WSB, “This project serves three goals. The first is to allow me to use my small voice to help develop an appreciation of art in the community. The second is to provide one artist a little money he might not otherwise have at a time when arts funding is desperately lacking. The third is to highlight the place of parks as homes for wildlife in the community.” Dupille, who has a West Seattle studio, says he hopes to finish the mural next week, depending on how much the forecast rainy weather gets in the way.
(J37 in central Puget Sound in December 2020, photographed by Kersti Muul)
Happy and sad news about the Southern Resident Killer Whales. First, the happy news – J-Pod has a new calf. The Center for Whale Research confirms the arrival of J59, believed to have been born to 21-year-old J37 sometime in the past few days. The two were seen yesterday in the San Juan Islands. CWR says this is the first J-Pod calf born in a year and a half. This brings the number of J-Pod orcas to 74. It’s too soon to know the calf’s gender.
Now the sad news – two other J-Pod whales are believed to have lost their calves, according to SR3. Their researchers documented three pregnant J-Pod whales last September (as reported here) and now says that during a recent sighting, before the aforementioned birth, only J37 appeared still pregnant. The other two had lost body size, and neither was accompanied by a calf. “Unfortunately, reproductive loss has become normal for this population,” SR3’s report says. (These orca updates were first reported by Lynda Mapes of The Seattle Times.)
The report and photos were sent by community naturalist Kersti Muul:
At 1:26 PM, I received a call from concerned West Seattleite ‘Lee The Gardener’ regarding a ‘hawk’ that didn’t look well. It was grounded on the parking strip next to Lowman Beach.
Luckily I was able to respond quickly; was on scene within 10 minutes. Quite a little crowd had gathered around this beautiful bird. Initially it was standing with one leg up, which could be thermoregulating, or it could be an injury. I assessed the situation and captured the bird quickly.
It was very alert, but not as reactive as it should be, and not flighted. It later put weight on the leg that was previously up.
My first thoughts were, that it was one of our local Merlin pair, however after looking at the size and markings (malar stripes, etc.) I determined it to be a juvenile Peregrine Falcon. The fastest animal and bird on our planet! Quite a humbling feeling to be of assistance to such a rockstar bird.
I transported the falcon to PAWS and hope it recovers quickly.
Photos by me and Trileigh Tucker, who happened to be at Lowman looking at other birds!
Thanks to Mark Dale for sending the photo of a nesting Anna’s Hummingbird in Lincoln Park. With spring now just three weeks away, it’s a reminder to watch for nests large and small, especially if you’re doing tree/shrub work. Here’s a WSB story from 2019 with photos and information, courtesy of community naturalist Kersti Muul, about what to watch for.
Every so often, we get reports like this one from Tim:
Writing to let you know I was ‘swooped’ by—what I believe was a Barred Owl (last night around 10:45) on 37th Ave between Southern and Rose in Gatewood. [map]
White and speckled underneath, it had a large wingspan, narrowly missed me, then landed on the nearby rooftop. It watched as I walked, then motioned to dive again before I quickly got inside. Having read a previous article on WSB, I can now see I was doing everything wrong: hat and headphones (luckily, I recently had my COVID ponytail cut off)!
Last such report we published was in September. Here’s what you need to know about owls (check the “preventing conflicts” section).
(Video by Tom Trulin)
Three months after a near-record spawning season concluded in Fauntleroy Creek, some of the results are coming into view! Judy Pickens from the Fauntleroy Watershed Council shares the details:
Last Saturday, volunteer Dennis Hinton spotted the first “home hatch” left in November by 244 coho spawners in lower Fauntleroy Creek. About an inch long, they’re now emerging from loose gravel to begin feeding on vegetation and insect larva in the cold water.
With so many spawners leaving fertilized eggs, we are expecting a big crop of fry to be learning to hunt for food. They already know how to avoid predators, such that only experienced monitors have a chance of seeing them.
Starting in mid-March, volunteers will check soft traps daily to count how many smolts survived their year in the upper and lower creek to head for saltwater. Then in May, schoolchildren will be releasing fry in Fauntleroy Park through the Salmon in the Schools program.
The Fauntleroy Watershed Council continues to welcome community involvement and support for this rare resource, a salmon-spawning creek in the city – here’s how you can help.
Thanks to Kelly for the video above and S. for the photo below. Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, with the assistance of SR3, rescued an ailing harbor seal at Lincoln Park today. Seal Sitters’ Lynn Shimamoto tells WSB that this is a weaned pup they watched at the park this past Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It returned this afternoon “and was observed to be very thin and coughing … Shocking how much the pup’s condition had deteriorated.”
It’s been taken to SR3’s facility in Des Moines for evaluation. If you see a marime mammal on a West Seattle beach – or appearing to be in distress offshore – call Seal Sitters at 206-905-SEAL.
Another Sunday bird gallery, thanks to local photographers kindly sharing their work! Above, Trileigh Tucker captures one of those adorable tiny Bushtits you might see flocking through the trees. Below, one of the more captivatingly colorful backyard birds, a Varied Thrush, photographed by Michelle Green Arnson:
Michelle also shared this view of a Bald Eagle:
Next, another Bald Eagle is the first of three birds James Tilley shows us:
Also in flight, two Gulls:
This one’s more of a backyard bird, a Yellow-rumped Warbler:
Tom Trulin photographed a Great Blue Heron against the sunset (and the Fauntleroy ferry):
And in case you missed the Jerry Simmons photo of a rain-damp California Scrub-Jay we showed here, he shared another view:
Thanks for the photos! One more note – bird lovers will want to be part of a Duwamish Longhouse event on Saturday, February 26 – Birds of the Duwamish River Valley! In-person bird walks at 9 and 11 am, and a talk at 10 am with nature guide Elaine Chuang. (A chance to watch the 10 am presentation online is promised too, but we don’t have a link for that yet – hope to have that in a calendar listing soon.) The Longhouse is at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW.
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