Wildlife 1738 results

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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Video: New Year’s visit with an octopus in West Seattle waters

January 2, 2012 12:17 pm

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

We’ve shown you the New Year’s Polar Bear Swim … call this one the New Year’s Octopus Swim, shared by diver/underwater photographer Laura James, from Cove 2 at Seacrest:

New Years Day Dive! from Laura James on Vimeo.

SIDE NOTE: After reviewing the video, we asked Laura about its start, in which she touches the octopus’s suction cups; she explains that it’s a way to both gauge where an octopus is in its lifecycle, and to offer “kind of a ‘hello’ but allowing it to check me out since much of their sensory input comes from suction cups. I find that if they are not OK, they retract into the den. This one seemed more curious than upset, based on color pattern. It was getting rather annoyed by paparazzi by the end of the shoot, and solved the dissatisfaction by throwing a fish at me (the cloud of silt near the end) and going back into the den!”

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West Seattle wildlife: Out on a limb in Lincoln Park

January 1, 2012 7:53 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle online | West Seattle parks | Wildlife

Danny McMillin spotted this barred owl during a New Year’s Day walk in Lincoln Park. (Is he/she one of these two? Would take keener eyes than ours to tell!) Thanks for sharing the photo!

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Video: ‘Bubbles’ on the rocks with Seal Sitters for New Year’s

January 1, 2012 1:29 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Following the sad news about Frosty the seal pup, West Seattle-based Seal Sitters was heartened to end the year with a visit from this pup, promptly dubbed “Bubbles.” Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey shared the video of Bubbles; you can see more of her video and photos as pup visits (and other “news on the beach”) is chronicled on their Blubberblog site, where you’ll also find their year-end wrap-up – as noted here previously, it was a record year for pup sightings on local beaches, keeping the all-volunteer Seal Sitters busy. If you see a seal or other marine mammal on a local beach, call them at 206-905-SEAL (7325).

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West Seattle wildlife: From the ‘name that bird’ file…

December 31, 2011 1:04 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

“Bird Watcher Newbies” sent that photo. Sometimes we can “name that bird” without asking for community help; this time, nope, we need you. They write:

We just had a feathered visitor near our house on Alki, and not having seen him before wanted to know if it could be posted for those who know for identification. He had an interesting call, which our intrepid hound still wants to locate!

The photo above is as close as we could crop it, by the way. Thanks, if you can help!

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Final West Seattle coyote report of 2011? Two seen in Admiral

December 31, 2011 1:30 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

“Fred by the Library” sent this just before midnight:

Saw 2 healthy-sized coyotes about 30 minutes ago by Arch Ave SW and Walnut Ave SW [map] while walking the dog. They sauntered away to the NW after we saw each other (they were about 50 yards away).

Thought others in the neighborhood might like to know.

Coyotes made it into our West Seattle wildlife year-in-review report; if you haven’t read up recently on what to do if you see one (most important advice – try to spook them), here it is again.

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Sad news from Seal Sitters: Frosty the pup didn’t make it

December 30, 2011 11:55 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
Our roundup of 2011’s top West Seattle wildlife news included the record year reported by Seal Sitters – more than 50 seal pups on area beaches. Seal Sitters‘ first responder Robin Lindsey has a sad update today about one that they had been watching recently, and what they discovered about his death:

At 9 pm Christmas Eve, the hotline received a report of a pup sleeping on the beach. Instead, it was a dead pup who was identified as our little seal nicknamed Frosty. Having entertained quite a number of onlookers on Saturday, Frosty returned to the sound around 6 pm and we fully expected to see him the following morning. He had been alert without any notable indication of health concerns. We were shocked and saddened to find him dead that night.

The necropsy revealed a parasitic infestation in his lungs and trachea complicated with pneumonia and bacterial infection – a common and often deadly combination that weaned pups face. Except for one coughing spell over the course of three days, Frosty did not give any reason to believe he was in such compromised health. There is a more in-depth blog post on blubberblog about the findings, as well as a discussion of why these “weaners” are so at risk. With only a 50% survival rate the first year, they desperately need safe haven on shore. The work that the marine mammal stranding network does is often challenging – with much heartbreak that is, thankfully, counterbalanced with much reward – as we help this newest generation of pups get the best chance they can, not only to survive, but to thrive under our community’s protective watch.

There is something you can do about the runoff problem mentioned in Robin’s full update – Sustainable West Seattle’s “Tox-Ick” website has some simple advice, for starters.

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2011 in review, second installment: West Seattle wildlife

December 27, 2011 4:59 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| 2011 in review | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(June 2011 photo by David Hutchinson)
This year, we’re reviewing 2011 topic by topic, instead of the traditional everything-lumped-together or month-by-month review. On Monday, we began with the 10 most-commented WSB stories of the year … and this afternoon, we’re continuing with a favorite WSB topic: West Seattle wildlife. So much of our coverage is thanks to your reports, with and without photos – aside from the Steller’s Jays in the backyard, wildlife seems to elude us. So we start this review with a huge THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Now – the categories of most note, listed alphabetically, with two bonuses afterward:

COYOTES

(February 2011 photo by Karen, at West Seattle Golf Course)
We published 38 stories with reader reports about coyote sightings this year (some included more than one sighting). They certainly evoke mixed sentiments – sometimes admiration, sometimes anger, since there is no question that some pets, particularly cats, have been eaten by coyotes – which eat rodents and reptiles too – while yet others are worried they might eventually attack humans (no documented cases in West Seattle in recent years). All coyote reports published here, dating back to 2007, are archived (newest to oldest) here.

WEST SEATTLE ORCA SIGHTINGS

(August 2011 photo by Craig Savey, taken from Harbor Island)
With a newborn J-pod whale this month, Puget Sound’s resident orcas now number 89. That’s still such a small number … but every new one is cause for hope they won’t go extinct. And every sighting, particularly here in metro waters, is cherished. So many West Seattleites are working to help protect and save them, like Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail, which now has interpretive signs on state ferries; Jeff Hogan, whose Killer Whale Tales takes their story to schoolchildren; and Mark Sears, the Lincoln Park-based researcher who can often be spotted right out among the whales. Lots of great photos and video in 2011, especially this clip from Vashon:

By 2012, we resolve to get orca sightings their own category, so we can point you to an archive, instead of the search box, to find past stories (we published more than a dozen sighting reports this year alone).

SEAL PUPS PROLIFERATE

(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
As of last week, West Seattle-based Seal Sitters had already dealt with more than 50 pups on local shores – a record year. Their role and responsibilities expanded this year, too, as did their territory, as they now respond to beaches further north, too.

SNOWY-OWL SURPRISE

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen publications around the region covering the unexpected appearance of snowy owls, usually seen further north. But WSB’ers were ahead of the curve on these birds, thanks to Mark Campbell‘s photo/report a month ago.

And aside from the trends, we had to include these:

BONUS LOOK BACK: THE RACCOONS WHO ALMOST MADE THE ‘MOST-COMMENTED STORIES’ LIST

In July, we got a tip about a backyard raccoon rescue carried out by a West Seattleite named Patrick – one of his friends told us about seeing the story told via Facebook. Patrick subsquently agreed to let us share his photos and story, among the year’s most memorable.

BONUS PHOTO ENCORES

(April 2011 photo by David Hutchinson)
So many great photos this year – just scroll through the “wildlife” coverage category to see them all! – but we had to give these two a home-page encore – David’s parent-and-child Canada geese, and Trileigh Tucker‘s hooded mergansers in courtship mode:

Thanks yet AGAIN for all the great sightings, photos, even ID help when WSB’ers send photos asking “what is THIS?” … looking forward to 2012.

More 2011-in-review reports to come between now and Saturday night! See the first one here.

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West Seattle wildlife: On the ground and in the trees

December 23, 2011 12:52 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | Wildlife

Photos this afternoon from three of the photographers who have shared more than a few images va WSB over the months and years (thank you!) – first, Machel Spence and daughter India found “a stropharia and a sleeping slug” in the Thursday morning chill at Lincoln Park. That’s also where Bill Bacon got a squirrel to pose (after bribing it with a bit of sandwich) last week:

And Melanie Dixon spotted this juvenile bald eagle this morning near Me-Kwa-Mooks, on the lookout for salmon (after competing with a family of sea lions, she said):

Thanks to them and to everyone who has shared photos, from cameraphone breaking-news shots, to volunteers out doing great things in the community, to school celebrations, wildlife, sunsets/sunrises, and so much more … here’s how to connect with WSB any time.

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West Seattle wildlife: Seal Sitters’ record-breaking 50-pup year

December 22, 2011 8:52 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey shares that online “card” as holiday greetings for you, as the all-volunteer organization wraps up a year to remember with this report:

As 2011 comes to an close, Seal Sitters would like to thank the West Seattle community and WS Blog for your continued support. This has been a record-breaking year for us. Our hotline has fielded 618 calls from all over the Puget Sound region since the harbor-seal pupping season began in late June. Since early August, our West Seattle volunteers alone have logged over 140 responses to seal pups, looking after 50 different pups – a number of whom hauled out repeatedly for many days in a row. And our Sno-King volunteers responded to numerous marine mammals from the Seattle waterfront as far north as Tulalip. We distributed more than 5,000 Share the Shore informational brochures at street fairs, outreach events and on the beach.

Seal Sitters has a binding agreement with NOAA to respond to marine mammals from Brace Point (south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock) to Kayak Point (north of Everett in Snohomish County), donating thousands of volunteer hours each year to this effort. It is truly a labor of love, but we depend on contributions to meet ongoing operating expenses, including the dedicated hotline, supplies, educational materials, website and blog. If you’d like to support our work, a tax-deductible donation can be made online. For volunteer opportunities or to comment, please e-mail us – we appreciate your feedback.

We’ve enjoyed talking with so many of you along the beaches this year and send wishes for a happy holiday season. Seal pups continue to use the shoreline (we had a pup just this morning) and will do so throughout the winter months, so please give the hotline a call @ 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you spot a marine mammal on the beach. Spanky, Sly and the seal-pup gang thank you for giving them some space to rest and warm up!

While Seal Sitters’ main website is at sealsitters.org, you’ll find their updates – “news from the beach” – at blubberblog.org, often including Robin’s beautiful photos and video, and in fact, Robin has an update there about today’s visitor, now nicknamed Frosty.

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And baby makes 89: New calf for oft-seen Puget Sound orcas

December 21, 2011 5:04 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(October 2010 photo by Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales)
Orca pregnancies are said to last up to 17 months – so when southern resident killer whale J16 was photographed by West Seattle whale educator/researcher Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales 14 months ago, she just might have been carrying the newborn calf that’s with her now. The new baby orca was announced in Orca Network‘s Tuesday night e-mail newsletter (see it here if you haven’t already). S/he may not even be a week old yet. The baby, known as J48, is in this photo. Writer Candice Calloway Whiting says this is only the second baby born to the southern-resident orcas this year, and that they now number 89 with J48’s arrival. Reports so far do not say where researchers saw and photographed the newborn orca last weekend.

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West Seattle wildlife: Mystery bird sighting; ID help requested

December 10, 2011 5:38 am

| 16 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Every so often, it’s time for a round of “Name That Bird,” and this one is requested by Kate, who shared the photo, saying she can’t deduce what this bird is: “I’d be grateful; my identification books are letting me down. I think this is a Cooper’s Hawk- maybe Sharp Shinned?” (We couldn’t tell by checking photos online.)

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West Seattle salmon: Fauntleroy Creek season, by the numbers

December 4, 2011 8:41 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Environment | West Seattle news | Wildlife

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks so much to Fauntleroy Creek volunteer Dennis Hinton for sharing earlier updates as well as this wrap-up on the annual coho watch at the creek, restored a decade ago. Since no fish returned last year, this year’s returns were cause for celebration.

By Dennis Hinton
Special to West Seattle Blog

The first three coho spawners to come into Fauntleroy Creek this year were spotted by volunteer Jack Lawless and friends on Saturday morning, Nov. 19.

The last two spawners were seen by watcher Anne Samenfink on Saturday morning, Nov. 26. They were the first fish that Anne has seen in 10 years of watching.

All told, eight creek volunteers spotted 14 coho during the season, compared to zero last year.

Watchers also noted:
*Three spawning pairs (location of their redds marked)
*Three coho carcasses (examined by volunteer biologist Steev Ward)
*20 Alki Cooperative Preschool kids, plus chaperones, seeing two spawners on their Nov. 21 field trip.
*About 100 people checking out spawning activity from the fish-ladder viewpoint (SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW, across from the ferry terminal). Note: The viewpoint is a treat to visit anytime but is especially interesting during spawning season (Halloween to Thanksgiving).

Local volunteers joined the county-wide Salmon Watch program in 2000. Since then, watchers have tallied 479 spawners (chart after the jump):Read More

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West Seattle wildlife: Wintertime visitors seen near Alki

December 3, 2011 11:07 pm

| Comments Off on West Seattle wildlife: Wintertime visitors seen near Alki

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Click to see larger image)
From photographer Danny McMillin – a seasonal sighting:

Brant geese feeding on eelgrass near Constellation Park on Alki (today) This is my first sighting of Brant this fall/winter. They’ve migrated from their summer breeding grounds in Alaska and the high Arctic of Canada. Man, that’s a long way to fly!

Danny frequently contributes to the WSB Flickr group and we’ve been fortunate to be able to showcase some of his photos here on the site. You can see more of his work in a photography display that’s about to open at Shanti Salon and Spa (WSB sponsor), “A Sampling of Birds II,” opening next Wednesday and continuing all month. Danny will be at Shanti on West Seattle Art Walk night next Thursday (December 8), 6-9 pm (2138 California SW).

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West Seattle wildlife: College St. Ravine coyote on the rocks

December 3, 2011 2:43 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Pete says he was in his office along College Street Ravine in North Admiral this morning when “to my surprise, a visitor showed up outside my window.” He says the coyote went through the yard 4 times. Meantime, Bly reported a south Morgan Junction sighting (California/Frontenac) via Twitter.

Coyote reports we’ve received over the past three-plus years are archived here.

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas back in the area

November 30, 2011 12:11 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Second day in a row, the orcas are out there somewhere! Just like yesterday, a Bainbridge-Seattle state ferry spotted them – and Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail shared the news with us; they were headed southbound. So if you’re near the west-facing West Seattle shore, be on the lookout. We’ll add any updates we get.

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West Seattle wildlife: Christmas light ‘theft,’ but not Crime Watch

November 29, 2011 3:28 pm

| 19 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Note the missing bulbs, off to the right of the photo, which is from Dan, who explains:

Yesterday we saw a squirrel run off the deck with a bright yellow object in his mouth..and came out to see he had chewed through the wires (and they were turned ON) and grabbed a yellow LED light from the deck railing.

Then today he (or someone he told about it) was back and grabbed another yellow…this time with them unplugged…and later we spotted him with a green one in his mouth running across the deck.

We had no idea that they were nutritious …!

Thought this was very strange, til we found online that this is somewhat common… and most report that the red ones are not ever taken.

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas in the area

November 29, 2011 11:48 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(No orcas in this pic but they’re out there somewhere – shot around 1 pm, light on the Olympics)
11:48 AM: We’re getting reports of orcas in the area – they were first spotted from the Bainbridge ferry about an hour ago; Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail called to say they appeared to be heading this way; and now we’ve just gotten a phone call from someone who saw them from a ferry “between Alki and Blake Island.” We’re out looking – let us know if you spot ’em!

11:55 AM: Just talked to Donna south of Alki Point – the whales are much closer to the Bainbridge side right now, so you’ll need really good binoculars/camera at this point – updates to come if that changes.

1:24 PM: They’re now visible from Lincoln Park, according to wildlife watcher/photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker. Donna also has checked back to say they’re between here and Vashon. Please share photos if you get ’em! Thank you!

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West Seattle wildlife: Yes, it’s still seal-pup season on our shore

November 28, 2011 3:51 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

If you follow Seal Sitters‘ updates on their “Blubberblog” site, you know that seal-pup season in West Seattle is still going strong, and volunteers are still getting calls to come out and guard pups on the beach. We in fact got a call earlier today (and referred them immediately to the SS hotline at 206-905-7235). Not sure if this is the same pup, but photos just came in, with this note:

I am just here visiting family in west Seattle. While out walking along the beach today i found a little white seal pup stranded on the rocks off of Alki Beach. He has apparently been seen stuck in this spot before. I called Seal (Sitters) and they came right away and set up a perimeter to help keep him safe.

Thanks for sharing the photos!

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West Seattle wildlife: Look who showed up for dinner

November 24, 2011 11:02 am

| 27 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Click to see larger image)
One of the MANY things we have been thankful for every moment of every day (and night), in the course of four years of running WSB as a community-collaborative news service, is the fact that people share wonderful photos like this one from Mark Campbell, who wrote, “We spotted what we think is a snowy owl that was perched on a home at the corner of Stevens and 52nd.” He says it flew away just before 9:30 am. Various online photos seem to confirm the ID, and our area does appear to be in its winter range. (P.S. Speaking of snow – on Thanksgiving LAST year, we still had some on the ground!)

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West Seattle wildlife: Another update from Fauntleroy Creek

November 22, 2011 8:24 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Another update from Dennis Hinton, one of the volunteers who’s currently watching for coho salmon during spawning season along Fauntleroy Creek, which started welcoming back spawners after a huge restoration project a decade ago:

Exciting day on the creek. I watched in the rain from noon til 2 pm.

Saw:
A happy couple spawning.
A jack of about two pounds that had a brief battle in the love nest, then squirted up the creek (photo of jack attached).
Remains of a big carcass high on the bank just outside the culvert.

Two redds I’ve seen so far are now marked with little white ribbons.

Creek when I left had risen to .90—getting almost too high and cloudy to read the water.

Total fish count since 11/19/11 is eight.

As noted in previous coverage, last year the creek didn’t see a single spawner.

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West Seattle wildlife: Fauntleroy Creek coho tally rises

November 21, 2011 5:48 pm

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| Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Alki Cooperative Preschool paid a visit to Fauntleroy Creek this afternoon, with volunteers including Judy Pickens and Dennis Hinton (that’s him in the hat) helping the kids and their chaperones get a peek at one of the five coho-salmon spawners that have now been seen at the creek in the past several days. We couldn’t get a clear enough look for a photo, but Dennis shared this one of a male and female spawning pair spotted earlier:

Last year, volunteer salmon-watchers didn’t see any spawners at all, so this year is already a success in comparison. 2009 saw 18, the year before that only 2; since the Fauntleroy Watershed Council started keeping track in 2000, the record remains 167 in 2001. (P.S. You can watch for the fish by going to the Fauntleroy Creek overlook at upper Fauntleroy Way and SW Director, directly across the street – and up the embankment – from the Fauntleroy ferry terminal entrance. It’s one of those “hidden gems”!)

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West Seattle coyotes: Another pair spotted, this time in Riverview

November 20, 2011 11:52 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

This is the third coyote sighting in a row reported as a pair. This one’s from Todd:

I wanted to let people in my neighborhood know about a pair of coyotes my wife and I encountered tonight while walking our dog around Riverview Playfield. They were near the tennis courts and playground when I spotted the pair and they were watching us. We stopped and then one of them started running toward us and stopped about 30 yards away. I got between our dog and them and walked toward them with arms up and yelling – trying to scare them away – but the one in front only backed off about 20 feet, then stopped to watch us again. We altered our route and I saw the aggressive one pick up a large branch in its mouth and head downhill. They both reappeared about 30 seconds later and watched us walk away. They showed very little fear and they were fairly large – maybe 50-60 lbs.

Trying to scare away is what experts recommend – it’s supposed to at least keep the coyotes guessing.

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