West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
Shared by Alki photographer David Hutchinson, who says, “My wife and I came across this Common Loon in Elliott Bay while walking near Salty’s this evening.” (The bird may be deemed “common” by name, but its beauty is anything but!)
(Click image to see it in a larger size)
Sharing that photo (and others) taken during a Puget Soundkeeper trip along the Duwamish River, West Seattle volunteer Tom Foley wondered, “Does anyone out there know who might have numbered the animal and if they would like to know it has shown up here in Elliott Bay?” A bit of online research reveals Steller sea lions – the species we believe this to be – have been widely branded along the North Pacific so that sightings can be tracked; Stellers are on the endangered-species list. Can’t tell from this number, though, who might have placed it there…
From Danny McMillin:
I’ve never seen a Eurasian Collared-Dove until this morning. I spotted a pair while photographing an eagle on Alki Point. I’m curious to know if anyone else has seen these doves in West Seattle; and if so, where and when.
As a bonus, Danny included the eagle (pursued by a crow):
No one can resist the downtown-skyline view from West Seattle – not even the noble and ever-busy crow. Thanks to Darren Pilon for sharing the photo. P.S. While rain is on its way back, the forecast includes some weekend sun.
Thanks to Gary Jones for sharing photos of the orcas that put on a show between Alki Point and Bainbridge Island late this morning!
We heard about it via Facebook, went down to the water to see if we could see them, and no luck (again), so Gary’s photos are much appreciated. Expert watchers say all this leaping is because they’re feeding.
We also got a call from a nice person who said he could see them via telescope from his home over Beach Drive (and offered us the chance to use it), but at the time – 12:30ish – they were “way on the other side.”
According to the Orca Network‘s latest Facebook update, these are likely “transients” – orcas that eat mammals (seals, sea lions, whales) instead of fish, which is the staple of Puget Sound’s resident orcas.
Before we get going all-out with a brand-new day – and Tax Day, at that! – take a moment for two seagoing West Seattle sights shared by WSB’ers. First, John Hinkey‘s view of the Monday night sunset. Next, the latest undersea video from diver/photographer Laura James – who lets her camera linger on market-squid eggs on the seafloor near Seacrest:
The eggs take just past two months to hatch, according to this squid-info page. (Yes, same squid that appears on menus as calamari.)
(August 2010 photo by Guy Smith)
Another chapter to share in the ongoing saga of Alki’s Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft, first launched in 2008, first mentioned here when we heard from Joy’s husband Guy Smith in 2009, and the subject of some memorable stories since then. Today, Guy shared another one:
Joy’s raft is in dry dock again after an underwater line broke. That’s nothing new, but the way the raft was rescued is quite a story.
We discovered it had broken loose in the late afternoon on Thursday the 12th and located it drifting along about halfway to Duwamish Head. There wasn’t enough daylight left to get a boat and pull it home, so we crossed our fingers and went to dinner with friends. They volunteered to look for it the next day in their boat, but when we got back home at dusk we couldn’t believe our eyes. The raft was tied to a buoy about halfway between the point and the Alki Promenade. How could this have happened?
As near as we can tell, from listening to all the neighbors’ stories and a little guesswork, the raft and buoy were drifting toward Alki Point at about 7:30 pm, on the strong incoming tide when a neighbor, Zack Singer, jumped into his kayak and set out to rescue it. Zack said he was spurred to action when he, Judy, and Linda were sipping cool ones on the patio and Judy said something like “we can’t let that raft get away; we like watching it too much.”
Zack hooked up to the raft and buoy, but the current was too strong and he found himself being pulled south around the point. Luckily, Jack Miller was heading north in his big boat, the “Baltic Sea,” and responded to Zack’s hail.
(Photo by Kyle Udo, added Tuesday morning, courtesy Kyle’s dad Pat Hogan)
Jack hooked up to what he laughingly described as “a pretty unusual sight” and pulled the whole thing around the Point to the first buoy they came to; one of only 3 left on this stretch of beach where a dozen used to be. Zack said it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride; because when Jack took off, the kayak was being pulled backward. Afraid it would flip, he whipped out his knife and cut the kayak loose (instincts from working on tug boats), nicking his finger in the process.At the new buoy, rope was needed; so Zack paddled to the beach and borrowed a length from Duff Kennedy’s seemingly endless supply. Jack donated a throw-ring float from the Baltic Sea to keep the lines from sinking and tangling. All this action was watched by neighbors on the beach as they shouted encouragement and advice (happy hour was running late that day).
On Saturday, Jerett Kaplan donated his rowboat for retrieving the raft; and it now sits in dry dock, awaiting new parts and a call to the diver. It’s been a nice marine refuge and people along the beach like to watch the birds and seals. Penny Earnest is a Seal Sitter volunteer and sends in daily seal counts. Thanks go to other neighbors who keep watch on the raft and who helped fill in details – Bette Callan, the Hogans, the Warrens, and others; even the unknown owner of the buoy where the raft was temporarily tied. The biggest thanks go to Zack and Jack for their timely action.
Sharon Kennedy related that on Friday, she had watched a mother seal and her pup circle the spot where the raft normally floats; circling for quite a while before they gave up and left. She laughed when she told that she had almost started yelling and pointing to the new location.
On the WSB Facebook page, we shared the Orca Network‘s report of orcas between north Vashon Island and West Seattle, closer to the Vashon side, but hadn’t heard any other reports – till FB commenters confirmed the sighting. They’re reported to be southbound past south West Seattle (but of course that means they’ll eventually have to head back this way).
(First 2 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Walking at Don Armeni this morning, we stopped to watch one of the local Canada goose families as they headed up the ramp and off to truly greener pastures park lawns. We can’t even approach the cuteness factor of David Hutchinson’s last parent-and-gosling photo, but we snapped away bravely just the same.
Then, just as we were about to publish those two photos, Cheryl Nellis shared low-tide sights via Facebook – including this view of a great blue heron taking wing as brant munch eelgrass in the foreground:
(Thanks to Cheryl and the other great local photographers who share images – wildlife and otherwise – via WSB!)
Yes, West Seattle had an “Easter seal” today (By the way, the original Easter Seals are still around.) Jen sent us the top photo of a pup on Alki this morning, watched over by Seal Sitters, whose Robin Lindsey told us tonight they nicknamed “Bunny” – because it kept popping up all over the place! Robin shared a photo too:
Robin also calls our attention to a story published tonight by our partners at the Seattle Times, following up on a sad story she broke last week – also reported here last Monday – the death of the rehabilitated pup “Sandy,” found tangled in old fishing gear in Edmonds. The Times story quotes a conservation group as saying more than half a million sea creatures are killed by lost/abandoned gear every year.
2:20 PM: Got a call about southbound orcas that – if they don’t change their direction – might soon be visible off Alki Point. We’re heading off to look; let us know if you see them.
3:59 PM UPDATE: We didn’t have any luck ourselves (as usual) – but maybe we were too early, as they are still out there, according to those discussing it on the WSB Facebook page.
If you ever wonder where those beautiful hummingbirds seen in local yards go to nest, or rest … maybe they all go to Fauntleroy. “Woodsman Steve” shares this photo by friend Michael Oxman, taken in Fauntleroy Park. “Pretty special since you never see a hummer sitting still,” observed Steve. “In fact, in all my years on this planet I have never seen a nest.”
(It’s been exactly one year since the last time we were lucky enough to receive a hummingbird-nest photo to share with you … last year the folks at The Kenney [WSB sponsor] on the north end of Fauntleroy were watching theirs!)
ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Steve later shared another photo by Michael, same hummingbird, different angle:Read More
This is the fifth spring that Alki photographer David Hutchinson has kindly shared his wonderful Canada geese images with WSB. This one, taken today along Harbor Avenue SW, arrived tonight, with the observation “Despite the cold blustery weather, spring must be just around the corner”; we checked back in the archives, and we’ve been lucky enough to have his gosling (and grownups) photos going all the way back to 2008 … scroll through this newest-to-oldest archive to see them (with a few other wildlife photos along the way).
(January 2012 photo by Robin Lindsey)
Just in from Robin Lindsey of West Seattle-based Seal Sitters:
I am so sad to report that West Seattle’s rehabbed seal pup “Satellite” Sandy was found dead yesterday, entangled in fishing line near the Edmonds fishing pier.
This just serves to remind us of the many dangers that seal pups and other marine mammals face with fishing line, lures and nets. Pups are attracted to fishing piers and docks because those structures create a climate where tiny fish thrive – the very fish that make up a good portion of a seal pup’s diet. When fishermen dump bait at boat launches and fishing piers it only compounds the dangers for pups – and frustrations of fishermen when pups and adults steal bait from their lures. With discarded lines and lures abundant around popular fishing spots (such as Colman Pool at Lincoln Park), we can all help by picking up any debris on the beaches and in the water. The waters of Washington are littered with derelict fishing gear and nets and it is estimated a minimum of 50,000 animals die yearly.
Had Sandy not been fitted with the id and satellite tags, her death would most likely never have been reported. We are encouraging divers to document any animals they find entangled in fishing gear – do NOT try to remove the animal or the gear itself. Dead or alive, it is against Federal law to touch a marine mammal without authorization. Additionally, removing net and fishing gear is extremely dangerous. Please e-mail photos and lat/long to Seal Sitters and we will forward to the appropriate person for entry into a database. I have added some links of interest regarding marine debris and derelict fishing gear removal in my post (on Blubberblog).
It was just two months ago when Robin reported that Sandy had been released and was being tracked.
Three views of West Seattle wildlife to share – first, from Patrick McCaffrey, a pileated woodpecker – and then from Melanie Dixon, her backyard screech owl, “just before taking off after prey”:
On the beach at Lincoln Park, a placid Saturday afternoon view of a resting seal. Sabra, who shared the photo, says Seal Sitters were on the job:
Seal Sitters hasn’t had an off-season yet this year. (Many of their adventures and challenges are chronicled on their “blubberblog” site.) Meantime, thanks to everyone who shared photos – send ’em any time! (Or share via the West Seattle Blog group on Flickr.)
ADDED 7:42 PM: One more Lincoln Park photo – a barred owl, seen and photographed there by Kate:
… which reminds us that West Seattle naturalist Stewart Wechsler has two owling walks on his calendar, just days away.
The reader report and photos are from Rebecca in the Fauntleroy Cove area:
Early this afternoon, I discovered a raccoon wandering around the property; it was daytime and I thought it strange that a raccoon would be out and about.
After watching him for a minute I realized he was either very sick or dying. Turns out he had distemper, which is highly contagious and can kill off an entire colony of raccoons, not to mention infect dogs and humans.
I called Seattle Animal Control and they were on the scene in about 20 minutes, quickly caught the little guy, and took him off in a cage. If he isn’t too badly infected, he will receive treatment; otherwise he’ll be euthanized.
We are fortunate to have a diverse population of wildlife in West Seattle and it’s important to keep an eye out for abnormalities that could be a threat to them, us or our pets.
Distemper signs to look for: Conjunctivitis in the eyes, mucous discharge covering the eyes. Wandering around in circles, disoriented, falling down, slower than normal movement. For more information check out Distemper in Raccoons. The number for Animal Control: 206-386-7387
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
A sad procession on Alki less than an hour ago – but one that might ultimately yield some knowledge for the future: A dead harbor porpoise was taken away by biologist Dyanna Lambourn from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations unit and biologist/stranding coordinator Jessie Huggins from Cascadia Research Collective. Also on hand at the beach this morning, Seal Sitters first responder Robin Lindsey, who got word of the porpoise’s death at mid-afternoon Saturday (the organization is part of a stranding network for all marine mammals, not just seals), and Seal Sitters volunteers David and Eilene Hutchinson. So far we know the porpoise was an adult female, but the cause of her death was not obvious and will require further investigation.
As the biologists (in the photo with camera-wielding Robin) explained to curious passersby, harbor porpoises are not rare and not endangered (read more about them here), but the biologists say they seldom wash up like this – most often, they die at sea and “just disappear.” On the Seal Sitters’ “blubberblog” site, Robin tells the story of the elaborate operation carried out last night to secure the porpoise until it could be picked up this morning; as she writes, it died further east along the Alki shore, and was moved to the spot where we photographed her and the biologists this morning (near the 53rd Avenue Pump Station section of beach). The porpoise is now being taken to a facility in the South Sound.
3:47 PM UPDATE: Robin has updated her report, but the necropsy results aren’t in yet – look for another update (there and here) when they are.
11:03 PM UPDATE: Robin at Seal Sitters has updated her report again with those results. Biologists say the porpoise had a serious lung infection. Full details added at the bottom of her story.
As the skeleton of the ‘Arroyos Whale’ – the gray whale that died in West Seattle waters on April 14, 2010 – went on display this weekend at the Highline College Marine Science and Technology Center, the 15-mile distance between Redondo Beach and Arroyo Beach seemed to vanish. Not just because of where the whale was found; also, MaST’s executive director Dr. Kaddee Lawrence, beaming at a big turnout for Saturday’s whale debut, is a West Seattleite:
She told us another story of community ties: The West Seattle/White Center “charity beer” Whale Tail Ale was served at last weekend’s party for MaST volunteers who worked on the project, from a keg donated by Big Al Brewing. (The Arroyos Whale exhibit’s backstory was told by WSB contributor Keri DeTore in this story last month.)
The skeleton is suspended from the ceiling in the MaST building closest to Redondo Beach Drive (where, in another West Seattle echo, it is next door to the Redondo Salty’s). Look at it from the back, rather than front, and you will notice something that might startle you as it did us:
The bones from the whale’s fins are reminiscent of human hands, something not at all apparent when you view a whale either at sea or, in a sad circumstance such as this whale’s death, on land:
(April 2010 WSB photo by Tracy Record)
The Arroyos Whale is now on permanent display at MaST, which is open to the public, free, 10 am-2 pm every Saturday. But if you want to see the informational exhibit related to its death and the ensuing investigation – with not only wall displays but also a video loop of TV-news reports from April 2010 – you’ll want to get there this month or next, before another exhibit moves in. P.S. Further out on its pier, MaST also has an aquarium building, with Puget Sound sea life:
100 local species are represented in its 3,000 gallons of sea water, Dr. Lawrence told us (and unceremoniously resting on the pier outside the aquarium building, you’ll see the skull of a fin whale killed by a ship in 2004). MaST is at 28203 Redondo Beach Drive South (map).
(Click to see larger image via Flickr)
Thanks to Russell in Arbor Heights for sharing his photo of that Cooper’s hawk. He explains that it “has been scoping out a finch nest in our carport.”
The occasional “can you identify this …” reader photos we publish tend to be birds. Tonight, we have … bones. Jana and her kids found them while out on the beach south of Alki Point in the sunshine. Guesses?
P.S. Jana also shared a sunset photo from tonight – not one of those wild color-splashed scenes, yet beautiful in its own right:
Side note: Daylight Saving Time is less than two weeks away – we “spring forward” an hour at 2 am Sunday, March 11th.
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
Being a Seal Sitters volunteer can have its joyful moments – in the photo above, without binoculars, are volunteers Eilene and David Hutchinson, helping people see and learn about marine mammals. But there are also the sorrows – Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey told us today about a way-too-thin pup that died, though they tried to rescue him. The full story’s on Blubberblog, including a reminder that protecting pups on beaches is vital, as they need to be able to rest up between food runs. The protection requires a sizable volunteer corps, and if you would like to be part of it, this Saturday, you are invited to a training session, 10 am till about 12:30 pm, at Camp Long (5200 35th SW).
This will be a special session for those wanting to respond to and protect marine mammals on the beaches of West Seattle and along the Duwamish River.
A multi-media presentation by SS lead investigator Robin Lindsey will illustrate the unique challenges of protecting seals and marine mammals in an urban environment, as well as highlighting our educational work in the community. Zoologist and SS education and science advisor Buzz Shaw will discuss the biology and behavior of seals and other pinnipeds of Puget Sound. A companion followup “on-the-beach” training will be scheduled in the weeks to come. Space permitting, we encourage current volunteers to feel free to come on the 3rd for a “tune-up.”
There will be no training sessions during the summer or height of pupping season (mid-August thru October) due to time and staff constraints. However, there will be a new volunteer training in late May if you can’t make this date. Please contact us if you have any questions. Please RSVP as seating is limited to 60. We look forward to seeing you there!
You can do that by e-mailing sealsitters (at) me (dot) com.
(Click for larger view)
Another peek at a world that’s all around us, yet so small it’s all but out of sight: Photographer Machel Spence explains her image:
I just had to share this because it’s pretty darn amazing! It’s a phantom shrimp I happened to come across down by the water; they are also called skeleton shrimps … this one was fairly small (1/2 an inch) but they can get up to 2 inches. She has a brood pouch too, which I personally have never actually seen with my own eyes (just in books). In the past, I have come across large colonies of these but they move around so much, they can be hard to photograph, but this beautiful girl just stayed completely still (pretty awesome moment!) It was on a piece of eelgrass down at Alki. They are not actually shrimps but amphipods.
(More info about them can be found here.)
(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Most of the seal-pup photos you see here on WSB are courtesy of Seal Sitters – by “first responder” Robin Lindsey, or sometimes volunteer David Hutchinson. This time, we were lucky to see one ourselves, while out for a walk on the Lincoln Park shore. Two Seal Sitters volunteers were guarding this pup yesterday morning. This morning, we talked with Robin, who tells WSB this was one of SIX seal pups reported on West Seattle beaches yesterday! She also writes about that on the Seal Sitters “Blubberblog” (by the way, the one we photographed is NOT the one she says they’re worried about). Once again, you are reminded to please give them plenty of space – this time of year, they are weaned pups, at least six months old, who catch their own food, and come ashore to rest; off-leash dogs are a threat, as are some well-meaning humans – no, you don’t need to chase the seal back into the water, they’re fine while resting on land! If you see a marine mammal on a local beach, by the way – call Seal Sitters to make sure they know (206-905-7325 – that’s 905-SEAL), and if you would like to join their volunteer corps (big need for it, considering how busy they’ve been), a training session is coming up March 3rd; see how to be part of it, here.
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