Wildlife 1737 results

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.

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Seal Sitters volunteer training next Saturday, and a sad reminder of why the mission matters

February 26, 2012 6:21 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(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.

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West Seattle wildlife: The Alki ‘shrimp’ that wasn’t

February 25, 2012 10:03 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(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.)

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Busy beaches: Six seal pups ashore in West Seattle in 1 day

February 24, 2012 10:15 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(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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Seen satellite-tagged Sandy? Seal Sitters say she’s in the area

February 21, 2012 11:21 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

If you happen to spot the seal pup in the photo – no, it’s not in trouble, and the unusual item by her head is nothing to worry about. Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters says Sandy (the rehabbed, tagged pup mentioned here 3 weeks ago) may just turn up in West Seattle:

Sandy, the satellite-tagged seal pup, has made her way back to our area, according to the most recent satellite hits. Yesterday, she was hanging out on Vashon’s West side in Colvos Passage. This morning the data reveals that she is at the north end of Vashon, near the Port Orchard/Southworth ferry run. We are asking folks to keep an eye out for her – and to stay back (of course) and call our hotline at 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you spot her. Sandy’s homing instinct may well be sending her back to West Seattle and we’ll be waiting with open arms and lots of yellow tape!

It is incredibly exciting to watch this little pup we rescued from West Seattle back in August and her progress back in the Salish Sea; and, thus far, she seems to be successfully adapting to her new lease on life after a very long rehab at PAWS. People can follow her on SeaDoc Society’s “Sandy” page and receive almost daily e-mails of her travels.

We want to assure folks that her satellite tag was applied with glue and will fall off as she molts her coat in a few months, if not sooner. The tag does not impair her in any way and provides invaluable data for research that will help other seal pups. Here is a link to the blog posts about Sandy, including a video of her release.

P.S. Want to be a Seal Sitters volunteer? A training session is coming up March 3rd. We have a separate story in the works on that, but you can find out more right now by going here.

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West Seattle wildlife: ‘Fly like an eagle, to the sea’…

February 16, 2012 10:06 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

The classic Steve Miller song came to mind as we looked at these photos shared tonight by Gary Jones, from Alki.

Finally, a close encounter with the lighthouse:

Bald-eagle factoid: They can live up to 40 years.

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West Seattle weekend scene: Ruffled feathers in South Alki

February 12, 2012 11:19 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

No, this great blue heron isn’t all riled up into a grumpy blue heron. Alki photographer David Hutchinson explains the bird was just “shak(ing) the water off after a morning fishing expedition in Constellation Park.”

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Next chapter in the Arroyos whale’s tale, after almost 2 years

February 11, 2012 1:30 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The skeleton is 40 feet long and weighs 1,400 pounds. It’s surrounded by a wooden structure mimicking the exact structural space and framing of its eventual home at Highline Community College’s MaST (Marine and Science Technology) Center in Des Moines [map]. New kinds of riggings and connectors are being created to attach and hang it, and some of its bones are still laid out on the floor.

And it’s magnificent.

The “Arroyos Whale,” (so called by MaST Center manager Rus Higley [pictured above] and his crew) came to our attention in April 2010 when WSB extensively covered its stranding on a beach in The Arroyos in far-southwest West Seattle. Since then, it’s gone through quite a transformation, and The Arroyos Whale is giving us opportunities for research and education.

The whale is being called “The Arroyos Whale” rather than a name like “Willie” or “Shamu” for a very specific reason.
Read More

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas in the area again!

February 9, 2012 10:58 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

10:58 AM: Thanks to the Orca Network and The Whale Trail for the tip: Orcas have been reported off Vashon, headed toward West Seattle. (If you missed last Sunday’s sightings, here are our reports with photos and with video, both thanks to Rick Rasmussen.) Let us know if you see ’em – we’re off to look too.

11:38 AM UPDATE: We couldn’t see anything from Me-Kwa-Mooks or Constellation Park, but The Whale Trail’s Donna Sandstrom says if you have good binoculars – they’re still closer to north Vashon (ferry dock area), so watching from West Seattle’s west-facing beaches in the Lincoln/Lowman area is probably your best bet right now.

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West Seattle sea life: Orcas on video; seal on shore

February 6, 2012 9:58 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Just out of the WSB inbox, one more look at the orcas – transients, according to The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom – that visited our area: Rick Rasmussen, who provided the photos you can see in this Sunday report, just sent the link to that video he also recorded when his sailing trip turned into an unexpected round of whale-watching.

Also visiting West Seattle on Sunday, a young seal promptly dubbed Flipper:

Alki photographer and Seal Sitters volunteer David Hutchinson shares the photo, and this update:

Even though the calendar says February, Seal Sitters is busy responding to young harbor seals on West Seattle beaches. Yesterday a weaned pup, nicknamed Flipper, spent 5 hours ashore on the steps along the promenade at Alki Beach. A large number of people were out taking advantage of our sunny weather, and volunteers had an opportunity to answer their many questions.

It is important, if you come across seals or other marine mammals on the beaches of West Seattle, to call our hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325). Please ask others to keep a respectful distance and all dogs should be on a leash. The goal, as always, is to give these young animals an opportunity to rest safely while ashore. A pup has recently been hauling out on the beaches at Lincoln Park, so if you spot him, please give our hotline a call.

For more details about Flipper and the other recent visitors to West Seattle beaches, please visit our Blubberblog.

Seal Sitters will soon be announcing the first training session of 2012 in preparation for the upcoming pupping season. For more information please visit Volunteer Now on our website.

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas back in the area

February 5, 2012 2:13 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photos by Rick Rasmussen)
2:13 PM: Just got a call from The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom that orcas are in the vicinity again – west of west-facing West Seattle shores, north of Blake Island, at last report. This is one day after killer whales were seen off Ballard’s Golden Gardens Park (great reader video shared by our friends at MyBallard.com).

ADDED 6:07 PM: Donna explains in a comment: “It was a group of about 10 transients, including 3 males and some juveniles. They were on the far west side of the Sound, but clearly visible with binoculars. They were mostly traveling, with some deep dives and possibly foraging.”

ADDED 9 PM: Thanks to Rick Rasmussen for sharing photos! He says, “We were fortunate enough to have a close encounter with the Orcas today. We were sailing NE of Blake Island and they crossed our path and swam past us heading North. It looked like 3 adults and 2 smaller ones. Amazing!”

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Out in the sunshine

February 4, 2012 9:27 pm

| 24 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Hope you spent lots of time in the sun! It’s supposed to be back tomorrow, and Monday. Five views from today – above, pilot/photographer Long B. Nguyen‘s peninsula overview, always amazing to see (click for a larger view; he shared two others we’re saving for the next day or two). Next, Melanie Dixon says it was so nice, even her “resident owl” had to come out:

In the Alki area, a hot spot for eagles drew a squabbling group today. From the WSB Flickr group pool, Danny McMillin caught this view:

Gary Jones photographed two in a more serene moment:

Back to the WSB Flickr group pool, Eugene Kogan spotted wildlife on a raft, with the frosted Olympics behind:

Thanks to all the photo-sharers in WSB-land … here’s how to share yours.

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Followup: Sea lion found dead in West Seattle was shot twice

February 2, 2012 6:38 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

You’ve probably heard reports about more sea lions shot to death in this region, since we first reported Seal Sitters‘ announcement that the sea lion found at Lincoln Park was a shooting victim. (Photo is from 1/23, taken by WSB reader RyAnn as the sea lion drew onlookers.) Tonight, Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey has new information: “Radiographs show that the West Seattle sea lion was also shot in the head in addition to the left lung lobe.” Robin says that although different numbers are in circulation, as of tonight, there are EIGHT confirmed deaths of sea lions and seals from bullet wounds. She’s publishing the newest, most accurate information to the group’s “Blubberblog” site, with “the latest information from our stranding experts and biologist … (We) will keep everyone updated as information is released to the public.” See the newest update here. (P.S. As Seal Sitters mentions in their update, a $10,000 reward to solve the killings is being offered by the Sea Shepherd Society.)

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West Seattle wildlife: Sandy the satellite-tracked seal

January 31, 2012 10:24 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
Five months ago, Sandy the harbor seal was rescued from a West Seattle beach, dehydrated and emaciated, and eventually taken to PAWS for rehab. Tonight, as the Seal Sitters‘ “blubberblog” reports, Sandy has been returned to the wild, and she is the first seal in her age range – “older rehabilitated weaned yearling” – to be tracked by satellite! Get the full story, including video of Sandy being fitted with her “hat,” by going here.

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West Seattle wildlife: Bird’s-eye view of well-known goose

January 29, 2012 3:14 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

While volunteering for Seal Sitters in the Lincoln Park vicinity recently, Alki-based photographer David Hutchinson got a close-up look at the famous white geese who live in the area. (They’ve been discussed on WSB before, but never with such a striking photo – thanks!)

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Followup: Bullet discovered in sea lion found dead at Lincoln Park

January 27, 2012 2:06 am

| 49 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Monday photo by RyAnn – onlookers young and old with the dead sea lion on the beach)
The California sea lion found dead at Lincoln Park earlier this week had been shot, reports Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters. She had told us the sea lion would be necropsied – and late Thursday night, she sent word of results:

I am sad to report that indeed the necropsy yesterday revealed a bullet in the left lung lobe of the California sea lion at Lincoln Park. The animal’s intestines were also twisted and will be examined. Causes can range from obstruction by fishing lures and line to tumors, but could also be from trauma of the shooting. WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations will turn over the evidence and information to NOAA Office for Law Enforcement for investigation.

Robin has published more details on the Seal Sitters’ “Blubberblog” site.

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West Seattle scenes: Life lessons at Lincoln Park

January 24, 2012 12:39 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

On the shore at Lincoln Park Monday, lessons in life and death. First – a California sea lion was discovered dead on the shore. Above, RyAnn shared the photo above, which she described as “three little explorers, the seal, and a gentle man who works at the aquarium.”

Cathy also sent us a report about the dead sea lion, which she said was being checked out by a Seattle Police officer while she was there. But she also spotted a baby seal on the beach: “Seal Sitters were there watching over him and I had a wonderful time chatting with the husband and wife team that was ‘on duty’.” Here’s her photo:

That may not have been the only seal pup on shore Monday, according to an update on the Seal Sitters‘ “blubberblog” site, which mentions a pup visiting Lincoln Park twice, and another (or MAYBE the same) pup visiting a “private beach” elsewhere in West Seattle.

ADDED 12:41 PM: From Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters:

Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SSMMSN) discovered the California sea lion yesterday, took photos and submitted them to our consulting WDFW marine mammal biologist. The animal will be necropsied by a WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations Unit team tomorrow with assistance of SSMMSN volunteers. In the meantime, people need to stay back from the carcass – marine mammals (dead and alive) can transmit diseases to both humans and dogs. Please respect the biodegradable tape perimeter that will be re-established today.

The sea lion will be secured with a rope to the logs on the beach so that the body is not washed away by high tide before tomorrow’s necropsy.

ADDED 4:08 PM: We asked Robin about suspicion the sea lion might have been shot, given the appearance of a couple photos we received (too graphic to publish). Her reply:

> Rumors about the animal being shot are strictly that – rumors. Often what people assume are bullet holes are nothing of the kind. In reality, according to our consulting expert biologist, bullet wounds are usually quite small and difficult to identify on a large, decomposing animal. And locating a bullet that is embedded in hundreds of pounds of muscle and tissue is a difficult endeavor. The wound that folks are speculating about may just be where the animal has been scavenged by birds, pecking through the flesh. However, this is not to say, it is absolutely not an entry wound that has been enlarged by scavenging. This is the reason the stranding network performs necropsies whenever possible – to try to determine the cause of death and keep an eye on the health of our marine mammal populations.

It is indeed a sad fact that too many sea lions and seals are shot each year, unjustly blamed for dwindling fish stocks – when they are just trying to survive in the wild with less and less resources to support them.

We will keep everyone updated as to the necropsy findings tomorrow.

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Arroyos whale lives on, in upcoming display and in a new movie

January 19, 2012 10:40 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Almost two years after a gray whale stranded and died off southwesternmost West Seattle, in The Arroyos (WSB coverage here), its legacy lives on in a multitude of ways. Here are updates on two. Above, Highline Community College‘s MaST Center is closer to displaying the whale’s skeleton; they hope to finish assembling it (a process that’s been under way in Tacoma) in time for a celebration in March. The recent photo of the assembly process was shared by Rus Higley from MaST.

Second – the Arroyos whale plays a bit part of sorts in a movie opening next month:

(Publicity photo, courtesy Universal Pictures)
“Big Miracle” is the new title for the Drew Barrymore movie about the effort in 1988 to rescue gray whales trapped in Arctic waters. The Los Angeles-based special-effects company that worked on the film, Rhythm and Hues, purchased high-resolution photos of the Arroyos whale from longtime WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, using them, he explains,”as a source for their computer-generated whale textures.” So now you know, there’s a little bit of West Seattle in the movie that hits theaters February 3rd.

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West Seattle ‘snow birds’: A photo gallery of their own

January 19, 2012 1:18 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather | Wildlife

(YET MORE PHOTOS ADDED EARLY FRIDAY!)

When we mentioned receiving so many bird photos during the snow/ice storm that they seemed to merit their own gallery, that drew some positive response – so we’re launching it now, between morning/afternoon coverage, and will continue adding to it. Top photo is Mark Wangerin‘s male Anna’s Hummingbird; next, a beautiful owl whose photo was tweeted by Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) last night:

Beautiful – and of course the bigger birds can be deadly too. Sherman’s Corner posted this next one on Facebook, looking to ID this bird that suddenly swooped down and killed a pigeon in the back yard:

Taught well by WSB birders, we guessed Cooper’s Hawk. Were we correct?

ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT: Suzanne has shared some wonderful photos. First one we’re featuring – a flicker (type of woodpecker, if you didn’t already know that):

Danny McMillin photographed this bald eagle on Monday near Alki Point:

On our snowy Sunday (seems so long ago!), Satom photographed Steller’s Jays with blooming witch hazel (thanks to Toni Reineke for forwarding the photo):

These crows were photographed by Emily Austin:

And here, courtesy of Mark Dale, is an American Robin:

AND MORE: Many hummingbirds. From Monica and Lisa:

Another bird from Mark Wangerin – this time a spotted towhee:

Plus one more from Suzanne, a fox sparrow:

Christina says her Khaki Campbell ducks were not pleased by the weather:

13-year-old Helen caught a group of robins:

Katie declared these to be robin tracks:

And we’re going to end with a bird-related sight: Beautifully iced chicken wire, from Brian Allen:

Thanks AGAIN to everyone who has shared photos, of birds and kids and iced plant stems and stuck buses and snowpeople and so much more. Sorry we couldn’t publish every single one … but don’t stop!

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West Seattle wildlife: Coyote not fazed by weather

January 17, 2012 3:26 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Quick break for a couple more short stories before we resume weather-related coverage. From Charley:

Today (Tuesday the 17th of January) a young coyote was spotted roaming around Riverview Park neighborhood. He visited many neighbors’ backyards and seemed harmless (maybe just a little hungry). He was later spotted going into a wooded area, which later he left to roam around more.

The WSB archive of West Seattle coyote reports – including what to do if you see one (hint: make a lot of noise – they and we need to remain wary of each other) – can be found here.

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Video: Otter shows up at Duwamish River habitat project

January 12, 2012 1:12 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news | Wildlife

You know the otters in West Seattle waters are river otters, even if they’re in saltwater, right? Here’s one of them – by an actual river this time around. Seattle Public Utilities just shared that video, saying it’s from the Slip 4 cleanup site on the Duwamish River. That’s on the eastern shore, 3 miles south of Harbor Island; we covered an event there back in October as the cleanup began. According to the info-page for the cleanup work, habitat restoration should be complete in February.

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas spotted off West Seattle

January 6, 2012 9:55 am

| 25 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Added — photo by Trileigh Tucker)
9:55 AM: Just got that word from Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales – ferry-dock area. We’re off to check; let us know if you see ’em!

11:22 AM: Too far for photos but we were watching for a while with Jeff and with Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail, from south of Alki Point. They say it’s J-Pod – including the new baby. (Added – photo by Gary Jones, who thinks the smaller whale was likely the calf)

They were last seen headed back north, but Jeff also mentioned a short time ago that there was a secondhand report of more whales headed this way from the Three Tree Point area, so if you have a water view, keep checking!

(Photo by Gary Jones – note the orca’s fluke, at left)
1:21 PM: We’re adding photos received from WSB’ers who were out watching the whales.

2:22 PM: KING 5‘s aerial video – already linked in the comments – is now embedded above.

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West Seattle coyotes: 1st report of the year, and a holdover

January 5, 2012 10:53 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

The first coyote report of the New Year – at least, the first one we’ve heard about. From Cara about an hour ago:

My husband just reported that there was a coyote in our yard (40th between Hanford and Hinds) [map]. The coyote walked down the street (south on 40th) and is heading that way.

We are asked on occasion why we publish these reports, and our response is usually “until we stop hearing from people who weren’t previously aware that coyotes are IN the city.” Latest example ahead:Read More

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