West Seattle Art Walk and more for your Thursday

Before we get to what’s up for today/tonight – anybody able to ID that chipmunk? Mark says it has “taken up residence in our yard on Gatewood Hill. Over the 32 years we have lived in our house we’ve never seen a chipmunk in the neighborhood, and I’m not at all sure they are all that common in our part of town. I’ve seen plenty over the years in the foothills and higher peaks of the Cascades and Olympics, but not in our suburban environment.”

Now – to calendar highlights.

DINE OUT FOR HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY PLAYGROUND: 15 percent of proceeds today/tonight at Zippy’s Giant Burgers in White Center (open until 9 pm) will support the Highland Park Elementary playground project – watch for an update on the project here later today! (9614 14th SW)

DRAWING & WINE AT LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: 4-6 pm on second Thursdays, stop by the Log House Museum and sip wine while drawing – perhaps inspired by the courtyard garden. Free, but donations welcome. (61st SW/SW Stevens)

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, FEATURING MAKERS MARKET: Another new addition for tonight’s WS Art Walk – a Makers’ Market in Junction Plaza Park! It starts at 5 pm in the park at 42nd SW/SW Alaska. Info’s in this month’s Art Walk roundup, which also has highlights from some of the regular stops on the map:

At Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), you’ll find Fritz Rud and his unique work:

As explained on the Click! blog, “West Seattle local Fritz Rud pairs salvaged vintage equipment with his own custom woodworking to create sculptural objects for listening to music on your phone.” (4540 California SW)

Remember that the Art Walk now includes supporting food and drink specials at some venues – that includes Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor), where there’s no tasting fee on Art Walk night. Viscon’s newest releases are available for tasting and purchase, and you can meet artist Lindsay Peyton. (5910 California SW)

OPEN HOUSE AT ‘THE BUILDING’: 6-9 pm, this Gatewood building full of art and artists welcomes you to stop by tonight for its “Spring Into Summer Open House.” (4316 SW Othello)

‘LITTLE MERMAID’: Lafayette Elementary invites you to this year’s spring production, Little Mermaid” (the junior edition), 7 pm at the West Seattle High School Theater. (3000 California SW)

NIGHT CIRCUS: 9 pm at The Skylark – details in our calendar listing. $7 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

AND THERE’S MORE … on our complete calendar.

15 Replies to "West Seattle Art Walk and more for your Thursday"

  • mehud7 June 8, 2017 (11:54 am)

    Least chipmunk?

  • annika June 8, 2017 (12:25 pm)

    That’s definitely a chipmunk!  That’s wonderful to know that chipmunks are making a comeback in Seattle.  Ravens are also slowly coming back here too, it seems.  I heard them in both Lincoln Park and Seward Park.  Great photo – thanks for sharing it, Mark!

  • BLB June 8, 2017 (1:37 pm)

    Since when did Seattle have a chipmunk population? I’ve only seen them east of the mountains.

  • Jennifer June 8, 2017 (1:46 pm)

    I am not positive but I think it is a Townsend’s Chipmunk. I think they are the common chipmunk in this area. How fun you have one in your yard!!

  • Mark June 8, 2017 (1:56 pm)

    I thought of the Least chipmunk as well, but according to the Slater Museum of Natural History in Tacoma, “the Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus) is restricted to sagebrush habitats in the southern part of the Columbia Basin”. The only species that is common to western Washington is the Townsend’s chipmunk, and I’m pretty sure this is not one. If indeed it is a Least (or Yellow Pine) chipmunk, my thought is that it hitchhiked from the east to the west side of the state after crawling into a parked vehicle. My camper was recently parked in the Chelan area for a week while I was on a bike tour, but I’ve been home over 2 weeks from that trip and we just noticed this little critter a few days ago. Not that it couldn’t have been here longer but he/she is quite visible everyday in our front yard and I thought we would have seen it sooner if indeed it came back with me.

  • erm June 8, 2017 (1:58 pm)

    That’s like the chipmunks I saw growing up in PA! I feel like it’s good luck to see them out here, so hats off to you!  They really are the cutest little critters.

  • Mark June 8, 2017 (2:03 pm)

    I ruled out the Townsend’s chipmunk because, again according to the Slater Museum of Natural History, “it differs from all the other species in not having a clearly defined dark stripe extending from nose to eye”, and this chippy definitely has the dark stripe.

  • herongrrrl June 8, 2017 (5:51 pm)

    My field guide says Townsend’s chipmunks are gray beneath the stripes, and Yellow Pine (Least) are yellowish-brown, so I agree, Yellow Pine (Least), and most likely a hitchhiker.  They are forever jumping up into the undercarriage of my car when I camp in the mountains, so it wouldn’t surprise me if one wound up taking an unauthorized field trip to the lowlands!

  • pupsarebest June 8, 2017 (6:00 pm)

    We had chipmunks in our yard when I was growing up in the Midwest—so darn adorable!

    I’m on Gatewood Hill, too, Mark, I hope the little critters populate and take up residence in my yard,  as well! 

    Thank you for sharing the info and the great photo. 🙂

  • Elle Nell June 8, 2017 (11:48 pm)

    Omgosh!! Chipmunks! Those cute but devilish little creatures… I’ve sworn I’ve seen Ravens lately too, we’ll only one but I was surprised

    • WSB June 9, 2017 (1:00 am)

      While I was in Lincoln Park for the tree-cutting story on Wednesday, I got to hear one … it was a sound we have heard near our house (not far from Lincoln Park) but couldn’t identify, aside from guessing corvid of some kind, so I asked those I was touring with and got immediate multiple replies “that’s a raven.”

  • Kersti Muul June 9, 2017 (9:27 am)

    There are 4 fledgling ravens in the park right now, along with the adult resident pair. There were 5 babies, but one could not fly and was abandoned for two days by the adults. I, along with friends rescued it and it is in rehab, to be released at a later date. 

    The babies are VERY loud and sound kind of like dinosaurs (as I imagine) They are also doing a lot of ‘baby talk’ as they navigate their new world and learn their language. These young ones will be kicked out of the park by the parents mid-august, and will have to find a new territory. 

    FYI there is now a second genetically distinct species of flying squirrel here in the PNW as well! 

    Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, bird and outdoor

    • WSB June 9, 2017 (10:01 am)

      Thanks, Kersti! Dinosaur is a good description for that sound.

      • Kersti Muul June 9, 2017 (11:34 am)

        :) 

        can you believe how big this  +/- 30 day old raven baby is?! 

        when people see them, a way to tell the babies apart (other than sound) is the yellow/pink around the beak and the eyes are still blue, size is not a good comparison.

        Image may contain: bird, grass, plant, outdoor and nature

  • Trileigh June 9, 2017 (3:26 pm)

    Chipmunks, yay! That’s fantastic. I love how West Seattleites all chime in to help with identification. Can’t wait to see one in my yard!

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