Wild signs of fall

| Fauntleroy | Seen around town | Seen at sea | Wildlife

Those colors on Harbor Ave keep brightening …

The migratory waterfowl are returning; here are scoters spotted off the Fauntleroy ferry dock, first swimming toward the ferry, then ducking when its engines revved…

—

Also from the dock (and from a distance), a loon!

Christopher Boffoli October 5, 2007 (7:48 am)

OMG! Seattle has loons?!

Moonbat October 5, 2007 (8:17 am)

LOL Christopher. We have a variety–some come in blue and some come in red.

Christopher Boffoli October 5, 2007 (10:47 am)

I’ve only lived in Seattle for three years so please excuse my newbieness. The only other place I had ever seen loons was in New Hampshire. But it is getting to the point that I should just assume that the Pacific Northwest has everything because this place clearly is a wonderland of flora and fauna: giraffes? Oh sure. They roam free in Discovery Park. Plesiosaurs? Of course. Out in Elliott Bay. But only on the Kitsap Peninsula side.

WSB October 5, 2007 (10:54 am)

Actually they’re not so common. The only other place we have seen one is off the north (unpaved trail) side of Lincoln Park, and that’s been a couple years. One big bird we would dearly love to see soaring over West Seattle waters someday is the brown pelican … they are plentiful as far north as the Western Washington ocean beaches much of the year, but they just don’t show up this far inland.

JumboJim October 5, 2007 (11:08 am)

Clearly WSB knows its birds. They are right about Brown Pelicans, but they do occasionally show up in the sound – but rarely. Two were seen off Discovery park recently. They are more common in an El Nino year.

Common Loons are a rare breeder on Washington’s mountain lakes. There are three species commonly wintering in the sound – mostly to the north though. One Common Loon spent the whole winter off of Lincoln Park and it appears it (or another) may be back now.

Jo October 5, 2007 (11:26 am)

4 or 5 years ago there was a Brown Pelican floating right off Alki, across from Alki Bakery. Haven’t seen one since then, though.

westseattledood October 5, 2007 (4:42 pm)

About five years ago, a Common Loon spent the winter up at Greenlake. I know. I know. NOT WS. But, I got to see it up close so often…the loon became one of my favorite birds. There is something rather primitive about them which I found compelling. Don’t get me wrong, I heart all the WS seabirds too. Ah, but the loons…they are pretty special.