WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 9 new views

Family-photo time as we start this gallery of reader-contributed West Seattle bird photos! Look closely at Kersti Muul‘s photo above – that’s a baby Killdeer under mom’s tailfeathers. Below, Samantha Burton‘s nestbox attracted Nuthatches:

Mark Wangerin photographed a fledgling Pileated Woodpecker today, explaining, “I had noticed a change in the adult Pileated Woodpeckers vocalization over the past few days. Today this new fledgling appeared! It swooped from trunk to trunk within the forest”:

This morning, Lynn Hall caught a Canada Goose family looking out at Elliott Bay:

For a closer view of a gosling – Stewart L. sent this long-lens photo:

Stewart also sends this view of a Violet-green Swallow:

Next, a House Finch, from Michelle Green Arnson:

An Anna’s Hummingbird from Jerry Simmons:

And another hummingbird from Janelle, followed by the explanation of why she was holding it:

I wanted to share this photo of a stunned hummer who flew into my window the other day. I picked him up when he was laying sideways stunned and held him for about 5 minutes until he was able to fly to a nearby tree, where he sat for another 20 minutes or so, then flew away.

I’ve heard numerous bird thuds on my windows in recent days, prompting me to research and order some Window Alert decals to help save birds from window strikes.

Thanks again to everyone who shares photos – from birds to breaking news – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best place to send non-urgent photos!

12 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 9 new views"

  • Barb Z June 6, 2021 (7:05 pm)

    I love seeing the bird pictures & descriptions!  Thanks to all photographers for sharing.

  • Scubafrog June 6, 2021 (7:28 pm)

    Beautiful photos!  And great reminder re windows and bird strikes.  

  • Insertname June 6, 2021 (8:21 pm)

    Amazing photos as always. Thanks for sharing. 👍👍

  • Julia June 6, 2021 (9:50 pm)

    Always love these, especially the babies!

  • 1994 June 6, 2021 (10:49 pm)

    Last week during the mini heat wave I saw birds puffing out their feathers – maybe to help regulate their body temp? I observed squirrels flattening themselves to tree branches or a spot of shady ground – maybe also an attempt to cool down? 

  • Suzanne Krom June 7, 2021 (12:05 am)

    Love these photos — especially this time of year with all the new young life filled with promise.

     For window strikes, the decals can help but for a more effective solution, I’ve found is by planting native Indian plum in front the problem windows. The birds are looking for something to land on and Indian plum’s branches provide that for them. It grows quickly yet is easy to control so it’s never a problem.  You can prune it as much as you want to open up views — just be sure to leave some branches for the birds to land on.   And it will grow to reach second story windows.  Birds love the fruit and the flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, and native bees. It flowers in March so is one of our very first spring flowers. Since planting it 15 years ago,  I haven’t had any bird strikes at all, a welcome relief as it used to happen all the time. Indian plum is easy to propagate using cuttings. I highly recommend it.  http://nativeplantspnw.com/indian-plum-oemleria-cerasiformis/

  • LAH June 7, 2021 (8:06 am)

    We used the Window Alert decals at our old house to avoid bird run-ins and they worked great!! 

  • J June 7, 2021 (9:00 am)

    I also LOVE these bird posts! Thanks to the amazing local photographers and the Blog for continuing to post them!

  • emcat8 June 7, 2021 (12:21 pm)

    These are all just so wonderful! Thank you, photographers!

  • Mat June 7, 2021 (12:41 pm)

    I’m not even a bird person, but I totally enjoy these birds of West Seattle posts. Thank you to everyone who shares their photos!   

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