SNOWBIRDS: West Seattle feathered friends weather the weekend

From the photos sent by WSB readers throughout the snowy weekend, we’ve saved these for a separate “snowbirds” collection. Even as the snow buried birdbaths and froze feeders, the birds were in view seeking food, water, and refuge. Above, a Great Blue Heron “got comfortable on a branch right outside of my daughter’s window,” reports Mrs. E. Below, 15-year-old Drew Atkinson photographed a Crow in the Roxhill area:

The most frequently sighted birds, though, were Hummingbirds. First, from (corrected) Jamie Kinney:

From Brad Lovejoy, a hummingbird on a magnolia:

From Eric Bell, “Buzz” was hanging out in the bamboo:

Steve Fredrickson recorded the scene at a busy feeder:

The one in Lawrence Heeren‘s photo had a feeder to itself:

Lawrence also photographed a Barrow’s Goldeneye off the snowy shore:

The European Starling and American Robin are from J:

And a Dark-eyed Junco from Yma in Gatewood:

(added) Here’s a Spotted Towhee, from Rick Rasmussen:

Big thanks to all the bird photographers – we publish galleries periodically (and have a few non-snowy images in queue for the next one) – westseattleblog@gmail.com next time you want to share your pic of a West Seattle bird!

4 Replies to "SNOWBIRDS: West Seattle feathered friends weather the weekend"

  • cjboffoli February 15, 2021 (9:19 am)

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is recommending people take down their hummingbird feeders (at least until the end of February) as there is a major salmonellosis outbreak in the Puget sound region that is killing local birds of all kinds. 

  • SlimJim February 15, 2021 (9:49 am)

    Hopefully people were able to use their judgement and didn’t take down their hummingbird feeders. Fish and Wildlife’s recommendation makes no sense at all. Without the feeders they depend on in this frigid weather the hummingbirds would certainly die. 

  • Linda February 15, 2021 (11:23 am)

    This post from Featherhaven provides another view of taking down the hummingbird feeders:https://www.facebook.com/featherhavennativesongbirdrehabilitation/posts/3967607563271407

  • Heather Williams February 15, 2021 (9:16 pm)

    I put seed and peanuts on the railing of my balcony. They eat it all every day, and I wash and disinfect it every day. It’s easy. I have a hummingbird feeder as well. 

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