Salmon homecoming! Drumming Sunday; creek-watchers ASAP

| Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(2011 photo from Fauntleroy Creek, courtesy Dennis Hinton)
This Sunday is the day set for the annual Fauntleroy Creek community drumming session to call the salmon home. (5 pm, creek overlook at Fauntleroy/Director, across and uphill from the ferry dock) But they don’t seem to be waiting for an invitation – they’re approaching, and we just got word that volunteer creek-watchers are needed:

With the spotting of two coho spawners in the tidepool at the mouth of Fauntleroy Creek, Salmon Watch 2012 is getting under way a few days ahead of schedule. If you’ve thought about being a salmon watcher, this could be the year to see a lot of action. Volunteers schedule themselves for half-hour shifts when spawners are most likely to be present at the fish ladder (SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW). Training on your first shift for adults and youth; children welcome with a parent. Sign up on the porch at 4539 SW Director Place; more information from Judy Pickens at 938-4203 or judy_pickens@msn.com.

westseattledood October 24, 2012 (12:01 pm)

So great! I love this time of year. And I also think lots of salmon are headed in. Late last week off Lincoln Park north of the pool, I saw a massive sea lion feeding on big silvers out at the drop-off shelf. The eight -12-foot creature took about 10 salmon in even fewer minutes as the seagulls hovered for scraps flung into the air as it snatched and slapped one coho after the other.

Peter October 24, 2012 (1:08 pm)

That coho, assuming it’s a coho, has some huge spotting!

Josh October 24, 2012 (4:29 pm)

I think that’s actually a sea run cutthroat and not a coho in the picture. Coho would not have spots like that but SRCs are in the area and do have spots.

Judy P October 25, 2012 (8:00 am)

Josh,you need to revisit descriptions of coho in spawning mode. They all have spots and the one in the photo was much bigger than a cutthroat and not nearly as active.