West Seattle Saturday: Bird walk, Reptile Man, pet adoption, shopping, wrapping…

| West Seattle news | Wildlife | WS miscellaneous

After a windy night, a busy day, with one week till Christmas. Our mystery photo above by Bill Bacon (he thought maybe a sanderling, we can’t confirm with photos) is in honor of the Seattle Audubon Society‘s seabird viewing/ID/appreciation walk this morning – everyone welcome, meet at Alki Bathhouse, 9 am … Two Seattle Parks facilities have special events with family fun – Reptile Man and his “band of creatures from around the globe” are at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), 10:30 am, and the Zambini Brothers puppeteers present “The Tasty Holiday Tale” at Alki Bathhouse, 1 pm … Be a holiday life-saver – give blood at today’s mobile drive, Westwood Village, 9 am-3 pm with a break 11 am-noon … Westwood is also where you’ll find Santa, noon-4 pm (breezeway across from 24 Hour Fitness), bring a food-bank or diaper donation … Three animal-related events – local animal-advocacy volunteers will wrap your presents for donations, 1-6 pm at Rocksport (4209 SW Alaska) … Friends of the Animals Foundation has a cat-adoption event at VCA West Seattle, 10 am-2 pm … Kitty Harbor cat shelter (3422 Harbor Ave SW) is open for its final weekend till next June, 1 pm-6 pm … Need something to put together a Christmas present or fix storm damage? Or? Remember the West Seattle Tool Library is open 9 am-2 pm Saturdays (north end of campus) … And whether you’re shopping in the Admiral District, Luna Park, or The Junction, you’ll find deals and holiday-hours information from 23 ***local*** stores in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide.

Kris December 18, 2010 (9:10 am)

The bird in the photo appears to be a Surfbird. This bird shows up on the rocks west of the Alki Bathhouse in the winter.

jackie December 18, 2010 (9:15 am)

The bird looks like it has yellow legs. I think it’s a surf bird. Sanderlings have black legs.

Lura Ercolano December 18, 2010 (12:23 pm)

How are the bird experts sure that this isn’t an ordinary pigeon?

JumboJim December 18, 2010 (3:13 pm)

It is indeed a Surfbird. That species of sandpiper (or “rockpiper” as biders sometimes call them) and the Black Turnstone are regularly found on the rocks at Alki in the winter. The Sanderlings are regularly found at Alki also, but almost always on the sand/cobble shoreline at Constellation Park. I haven’t seen the Sanderlings around yet this winter – anyone else seen them?

alkib December 18, 2010 (3:36 pm)

The surfbirds can usually be seen, along with Black Turnstones, just north of the Don Armeni launch ramp on Alki Avenue, where the diagonal waterside parking spots are. They hang around on the rocks just below the railing at high tide.

Danny McMillin December 18, 2010 (6:46 pm)

I’ve seen Sanderlings on the south side of Alki Point in the last couple of weeks.

Dennis Cheasebro December 18, 2010 (11:48 pm)

How do we know it isn’t a pigeon? Wings and tail too short. Legs yellow rather than orange. Body rather stout. A pigeon is usually much more colorful. And, it’s just unmistakably a surfbird (once you’re familiar with those).

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