West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
3:07 PM TUESDAY: We’ve also received multiple messages today about a startling sight toward the east end of Alki Beach – an animal carcass. Some thought it might be a goat but the first person who messaged us, Karen, reported it to city authorities, who told her it’s a young deer and that they were aware of it and planning to remove it. We don’t know if that’s happened yet but are checking. Karen saw it near 54th/Alki.
ADDED 2:57 PM WEDNESDAY: Karen noticed it was still there this morning, so made more calls. Meantime, we checked with Seattle Animal Shelter spokesperson Melissa Mixon, both about the status and about what to do in case of a dead animal. Her reply:
I checked in with the team and it looks like the deceased deer was removed from Alki early this afternoon. With respect to when the public should report a dead animal to SAS, we encourage them to do so any time they encounter a large, deceased animal. The shelter’s animal control team responds to these calls as soon as possible, pending other high-priority or emergency calls.
Smaller dead wildlife, under 15 pounds, should be double-bagged and placed in the garbage. This includes rats, squirrels, birds and other small wildlife. Residents can also bring an animal to the shelter for disposal, but are encouraged to please contact us for an appointment first.
The Seattle Animal Shelter is reachable at 206-386-PETS; you also can file a report (including for a dead animal) here. If you see a dead marine mammal, though, call Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, 206-905-SEAL.
(Photo by Maya Sears, NMFS Permit 27052)
Sad news tonight about the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales’ newest calf, whose birth was first reported by photographer Brittany Noelle one month ago. The Center for Whale Research reports J60 has disappeared:
The Center for Whale Research is sad to report that the youngest member of J pod, J60, was missing during our most recent encounter with the pod. On January 27, CWR researchers conducted a photo ID survey of J pod in San Juan Channel (Encounter #8). During the encounter, photos were obtained of all other members of the pod, including all potential mothers for J60, but J60 himself was not seen. Given his young age, it is extremely unlikely that J60 was off on his own for the entire duration of the encounter. While our protocols require at least three full censuses of the group to confirm mortality, we now believe that J60 is likely deceased.
The calf was believed to have been born in central Puget Sound, though the “residents” range far and wide. CWR’s report says that while the presumed death is sad, it’s not surprising: “The mortality rate for young calves, especially those born to first time mothers, is very high in the southern residents.”
That photo by Antoine Smith – taken from a distance – shows a harbor seal that marked a milestone for Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network: The first live seal that SSMMSN volunteers have tended this year, according to David Hutchinson. The seal came ashore at Lincoln Park, where, David tells us, “The First Responder on duty reported that this seal looked healthy and returned to the water around 3 pm due to the rising tide.” If you see a marine mammal on shore – or one in distress offshore – in West Seattle, notify the SSMMSN hotline at 206-905-SEAL.
Thanks to everyone who’s sent bird photos this month! We have enough for one of our periodic weekend galleries – starting with seabirds: Above, Steve Bender‘s photo of American Wigeons at Jack Block Park; below, Mark MacDonald photographed Harlequin Ducks at Lincoln Park:
Also at Lincoln Park, a Common Goldeneye, by Erin B. Jackson:
At Duwamish Head, Robin Sinner photographed this Black Turnstone:
Moving inland a bit, a Yellow-rumped Warbler from Jerry Simmons:
Two more from Mark MacDonald, both at Lincoln Park – a Varied Thrush:
And a Cooper’s Hawk:
They were popular to photograph in recent weeks – we’ve received other Cooper’s Hawk photos, including this one from Andrew Kronen in Belvidere:
And a closeup from Steve Bender:
Here are two owl photos – first a Great Horned Owl seen at Lincoln Park by Rob Christian:
And William Wright sent this photo last Tuesday, explaining: “The students at Fairmount Park Elementary have had a great view of a Barred Owl perched just outside one of the third-floor classroom windows; just about the whole school has made a visit to room 303 for a look at the owl who has been perched there all day.”
Now the request for ID help – Juli wondered if you can identify this bird seen at her feeder:
Thanks again for all the bird images – we also publish some with our every-morning event-preview lists (and also appreciate the other West Seattle scenes sent in for those) – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best way to reach us, unless it’s urgent, in which case please text or call 206-293-6302!
The video is from Natalie, sent late last night:
Caught this video tonight of two coyotes, one in our yard and one on the sidewalk. You can see a rabbit run away on the sidewalk right as a coyote chases an animal (likely rabbit) in our yard, which also gets away. We are on 46th between Graham and Raymond. Thought this might be interesting to know and see.
We publish coyote-sighting reports – with or without video/photos – for awareness, not alarm, and recommend that everyone read up on coyotes, including urban coexistence, via infopages like this.
Thanks to the reader who texted the report and photo:
Driving down Jacobson around 9:30, I came upon 4 adults standing around a dead eagle, turns out one of them was Kersti Muul, a Wildlife Biologist.
The adult male was found laying in the intersection of 56th SW by a couple who live nearby, who moved it to the sidewalk.
Kersti’s examination concluded that he was electrocuted, which probably explains the power flicker earlier this morning.
Another bystander assisted Kersti in bagging the majestic bird for transport to the next stage of its existence.
Later we heard from Kersti, who explained:
Male of the pair that frequents and feeds off Me-Kwa-Mooks and always perches in the little greenbelt adjacent to Jacobson. … Female can retain territory and recruit a new partner. This pair did not have a nest.
I examined it and found injuries consistent with electrocution.
I surmise it cross-phased the two phase power lines that run up Jacobson. Due to line configuration at 56th, the lines are very close together.
Sad..this pair is always present when watching orcas go by. I love listening to them and actually just recorded them the other day.
The eagle’s death may be the cause of a relatively short-lived 145-customer outage in the area this morning – it was gone from the map before we could write about it, but Beach Drive Blog has a framegrab of the outage zone.
11:09 AM: Orcas are in Elliott Bay today – Kersti Muul just texted with word that whales are currently in the “grain silos” area toward the north end of the downtown waterfront.
9:31 PM: Thanks to Greg Snyder for sending the photo!
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: And thanks to Robert Spears for these pictures!
Elena sent this report:
Second week in a row of a swooping, talons out, owl encounter along Alki/Beach Drive while on a run. The first was last week, about a mile north of Lincoln Park along Beach Drive. I was running and suddenly felt talons on my head and after some arm flailing, the owl perched herself/himself on the telephone wire adjacent to me, and then tried to go after me again when I tried to resume running. Had to walk backward 1/4 mile before we lost sight of each other. The second was (Tuesday) morning, near the trees just west of Marination (near the larger parking lot). Similar circumstance, but this guy was more persistent. This time, the swooping did not stop even while I stopped my run and stood still, and had to walk backwar with my arms out about 100 yards before it stopped. I imagine it must be some seasonal nesting behavior/etc. But runners and walkers (and small critters!) look out, I suppose.
As we’ve noted following similar reports in the past, the state has a page explaining this owl behavior. Last year, meantime, a reader told us about the creative deterrent she wears!
(Photo by Kersti Muul)
Over the past decade. readers have sent occasional photos of a multicolored bird we quickly learned was a Golden Pheasant. (For example: 2013, 2019.) Most likely not all the same one, as their lifespan isn’t quite that long. Most recently, the one shown above was hanging around Arbor Heights. Kersti Muul sent a sad update about it today:
I leaned yesterday that the golden pheasant was found off 106th and (Marine View Drive) with head trauma and euthanized at Urban Animal. I matched it to one in Arbor Heights that (a) woman had contacted me about. We were monitoring it in her yard. Found very close to her house.
Kersti said several people had suggested she “rescue” it in the past year, but it was clearly not in distress and was “very active and alert,” so there was no reason to do so. “He had a good free life for a long while. Rest well, beautiful one.”
Three more West Seattle coyote-sighting reports, all with visuals:
42ND/FINDLAY: That’s where Nicholas‘s video of two coyotes begins:
Just thought I’d send over a video I took of some coyotes running around my neighborhood right behind C&P.
ABOVE ALKI: Sent Tuesday by Amy:
SW Orleans St and Hillcrest Ave SW – he was big and trotting around like he owned the place!
NORTH ADMIRAL: Received today from Deanna:
Last night around 11:30 pm, our daughters saw a coyote going back and forth across the street. Location was at the South end of Sunset Ave SW near 50th.
REMINDER: We publish coyote sightings for awareness, not alarm – until their recent resurgence, many people might have either forgotten or not been aware at all that they have lived around here for a long time. Do’s and don’ts for coexistence are here.
(Photos by Tom Trulin. Above, one of the last of this year’s 34 spawners)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
After two years of amazingly high numbers of coho spawners in Fauntleroy Creek (244 in 2021, 254 in 2022), this season’s 34 isn’t all that impressive unless, like veteran counter Dennis Hinton, you take the long view.
“Since the first spawners in modern history arrived in 1994, we’ve had 13 years with 10 or fewer, including some years with none,” he said. “A glut of fish draws a lot of attention, but when that happens in this small creek, late arrivals dig the redds of earlier fish and we lose hatch potential.”
(Veteran salmon-watch volunteers Pete Draughon, Dennis Hinton, and Mark Sears)
On October 22, 20 volunteers began watching the spawning reach in the lower creek during the five hours after high tide. Mark Sears led a special cadre of volunteers to relocate drift logs on the beach to ensure spawners could reach the mouth of the creek.
Watchers recorded the first robust spawner on November 4 and the last a week later. They also recorded two cutthroat trout in to snag what salmon eggs they could.
Harbor seals and other predators in Fauntleroy Cove were especially active eaters this year. Most carcasses above the spawning reach soon disappeared, likely in the jaws of raccoons.
By November 18 when the watch ended, watchers had invited at least 88 visitors down to creek level from the fish-ladder viewpoint across from the ferry terminal. Another 136 came during an “open creek” on November 12 to talk salmon and habitat.
If creek conditions continue to be favorable, eggs will hatch late January/early February, and fry will emerge from the gravel a few weeks later. Area schools will get eyed hatchery eggs in early January to rear and release as fry in May through the Salmon in the Schools program.
From Amy in Brace Point:
Saw this on my Ring cam footage (Tuesday) morning. Looks like a coyote trotting through our back yard around 1 am.
The video gets grainy after that clear opening frame but you can see the short clip here. We’ll note again that we publish sighting reports for education and awareness, not alarm; if you’re new to living with coyotes, state wildlife authorities offer info and advice here.
For the first time in a while, we’re commemorating a Seahawks afternoon with a gallery of bird photos sent by WSB readers, starting with sea and shore birds:
Above, a Surf Scoter, photographed by Tom Trulin near Lincoln Park. Below, Horned Grebes, which James Tilley found near Jack Block Park:
A Surfbird off Alki, from Robin Sinner:
Susan Kemp saw this Great Blue Heron off Constellation Park:
Cindy Roberts photographed this Western Meadowlark at Don Armeni:
Continuing inland, this immature Cedar Waxwing is from Jerry Simmons:
Mark Dale photographed this Cooper’s Hawk in his Gatewood yard:
An Anna’s Hummingbird is visiting a fuschia plant in Samantha Wren‘s photo:
At Lincoln Park, Jamie Kinney found this Barred Owl:
And we’ve been receiving more photos of the roaming Guinea Fowl that some are mistaking for turkeys. Kathy Humphrey sent this one:
Huge thanks again to everyone who continues sending bird photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com – we use some in daily preview lists, too.
Meantime, a bird-health note. Krystal sent this last night:
I wanted to let you know, in case you wanted to share it on your Sunday bird report (my favorite!), that we’ve spotted conjunctivitis in the House Finches in the Sunrise Heights/Westwood neighborhood at our feeder. We quickly took our feeders down and our neighbors did the same, and we will keep ours down for the next few weeks. We always wash our feeders in-between fillings, but the recommendation from Cornell suggests leaving the feeders down for a couple weeks, and also recommends against feeders with larger ports where the birds can rub their heads on the openings, such as tube feeders. More info here.
Until 3 pm, you are invited to visit Fauntleroy Creek for a close-up chance to see salmon. As of Saturday, 34 coho spawners had made it into the creek in the span of a week, and more are expected.
So volunteers are standing by during today’s “open creek” to show you where to look along a stretch of the creek that otherwise isn’t usually open to the public. Go to the overlook where SW Director turns onto upper Fauntleroy Way SW (across the street, and up the embankment, from the ferry dock) and wait to be called down to creekside!
Fauntleroy Creek is a rarity, one of just a handful of Seattle creeks where salmon come to dpawn.
Two more West Seattle coyote sightings to share. First, one texted to us tonight: “Wanted to report a coyote sighting in North Admiral going east at SW Walker St toward 41st Ave SW.” Second, one that was sent by Martine on Halloween night:
I live on 34th Ave SW, between Andover and Charlestown, and this morning I had an encounter with what I think was a coyote. It was 7am and I was walking my dog. The coyote was only 6 feet away, not scared at all, and looked incredibly healthy. He did not run when I tried to scare it away and stayed within my eye-sight until I decided to just go back home and walk my dog later. It was a little unnerving.
As always, we want to note that we publish these sightings for awareness, not alarm, and for education: Here’s the state’s advice on do’s and don’t’s for coexisting with coyotes. (For previous sightings, click on the coverage-category link – “coyotes” – under the headline above and scroll through our archive.)
Tom Trulin‘s photo shows the first spawner of the season in Fauntleroy Creek. At least 22 more have followed, so with that, and a adequate supply of volunteers, the first “open creek” of the season will happen Sunday (November 12). Here’s the invitation, sent by Judy Pickens of the Fauntleroy Watershed Council:
Spawners in Fauntleroy Creek – and the public is invited
As of late Tuesday, salmon watchers on Fauntleroy Creek had tallied 23 vigorous coho spawners. The first arrived on Saturday and more have followed daily. With rain and 11-foot tides in the offing, the Fauntleroy Watershed Council has scheduled an all-ages open creek on Sunday, 1:00-3:00 pm. Dress for the weather and make your way to the fish ladder viewpoint at SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW. A volunteer will invite you down to creek level to check out the habitat, ask questions, and maybe see spawners. Children should bring a parent and dogs should be on leash.
That’s across the street (and up the embankment) from the entrance to the Fauntleroy ferry dock.
Police were sent to Pigeon Point this past hour looking for the source of what 911 callers reported as an “explosion.” We got a text from a reader explaining what happened, so in case you heard it and were wondering, here’s what they said happened right outside their house: “If anyone reaches out to you about a loud flash and bang in Pigeon Point that set off car alarms – an owl flew into (or was thrown from) the power lines. Sadly, it appears to have been electrocuted. A request to Seattle Animal Control for dead wildlife pickup has been requested.” No power outage resulted, per the City Light map.
The rain that assisted salmon in Longfellow Creek also has brought the first spawners of the season into Fauntleroy Creek. As of mid-afternoon, creek steward Judy Pickens tells us, volunteers had counted five salmon in the creek. You can go have a look from the public fish-ladder viewpoint across the street (and up an embankment) from the ferry dock; plans for a future “open creek” with a closer look will depend on weather and volunteer availability.
3:58 PM: Thanks to Manuel for the quick clip of leaping salmon at Longfellow Creek – he reports, “It’s ideal conditions to watch the salmon jump over a beaver dam at Longfellow Creek by the West Seattle Health Club. The heavy rain helped them.”
P.S. This gives us reason to remind you of this week’s big event – a celebration with information – about Longfellow Creek, 5:30 pm Wednesday (November 8th) at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center (4705 West Marginal Way SW)
4:50 PM: Manuel caught another one on video – an even higher leap!
(Salmon in Longfellow Creek – 2016 reader photo by Alex)
Longfellow Creek runs through much of West Seattle, mostly hidden between trees, and at its south end, routed underground. But out of sight shouldn’t mean out of mind. You’d be surprised by what you don’t know about it – why it matters, and how you can help improve its future. Next Wednesday, you’re invited to an event that will catch you up on all that. Here’s the announcement (and if you’d already seen this in our calendar or elsewhere, note that the location has changed):
Southwest Seattle Historical Society, Duwamish Alive, and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association bring together experts and advocates to celebrate an urban creek and its wildlife.
Wednesday, November 8
Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
6 pm, reception at 5:30 pmOnce a mighty salmon-spawning stream known by Coast Salish People as t?awi, Longfellow Creek has a storied past. People and this creek have been in a close relationship for many thousands of years, from when salmon first chose to make their home here, through intense urbanization in the late 19th and 20th centuries, through today when the creek and its people are beginning to tell a new story – one of renewed hope.
Next week, SWSHS, Duwamish Alive Coalition and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association are hosting an event at Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, located along the creek, to tell this story. Billed as a celebration of Longfellow Creek, the event brings together local experts to discuss the history of the creek, to unpack new, ground-breaking research on tire dust toxins and its impacts on local coho population, and discuss how community organizers are advocating for its protection.
The event also features a reception with a slideshow of Reese’s photographs.
Participants include Caroline Borsenik, Director of Environmental Education, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Ed Kolodziej, Researcher, Center for Urban Waters, University of Washington, Katherine Lynch, Urban Creeks Biologist, Seattle Public Utilities, Kelly Brenner, naturalist, author, The Naturalist at Home: Projects for Discovering the Hidden World Around Us, and Tom Reese, journalist, photographer, author, Once and Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish
The event is hosted in conjunction with the exhibit t?awi: Creek of Hope, currently on view at SWSHS’s Log House Museum at Alki Beach. The exhibit features photographs of Longfellow Creek from award-winning photojournalist Tom Reese and tells a new story of the historic creek.
From its headwaters at Roxhill Park in Southwest Seattle, Longfellow Creek flows north for four miles through the Duwamish Peninsula, navigating culverts, private property, a city-owned golf course, and a patchwork of public parks before reaching Elliot Bay – its last 2/3 mile journey is through an underground cement pipe.
Despite these challenges, coho spawn here each fall, families of beavers are active along the creek, and diverse wildlife is present throughout. “The exhibit has provided a unique opportunity to talk about the natural environment in highly urbanized and industrialized areas,” says SWSHS’s program director, Elizabeth Rudrud. “The photos stunningly describe both the power of this creek to support wildlife and persevere, but also how human impact – both negative and positive – can effect change.”
Organizers are also working with the Duwamish Tribe to contextualize the relationship of the creek to indigenous peoples through newly displayed artifacts and are planning a guided hike along the creek to observe salmon habitat with environmental educators.
Registration and information are at loghousemuseum.org.
Southwest Seattle Historical Society preserves local history through education, preservation, and advocacy. The Log House Museum, located one block from Alki Beach, is a City of Seattle Landmark. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4pm.
Duwamish Alive Coalition has collaborated with community, municipalities, non-profits and businesses within the Duwamish River Watershed to preserve and enhance habitat for people and wildlife, towards improving the health of the Puget Sound.
Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is a non‐profit organization devoted to social, racial and environmental justice. DNDA is dedicated to preserving and increasing affordable housing for a range of incomes, enhancing the natural environment, and providing such vital resources as arts and cultural opportunities, education and youth programs for our neighbors. DNDA programs for affordable housing and wetland restoration have become models for other communities.
ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: We’ve received several reports in recent days of a dead sea lion – some have mistaken it for a whale calf, but it’s not – seen on the shore at Seacrest and Don Armeni. The most recent photos show it’s marked with bright-green paint, which means it’s already been officially noted. We asked Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network‘s David Hutchinson about it – he sent this reply with a photo of one of the signs SSMMSN has posted:
Seal Sitters has been monitoring the location of this California Sea Lion carcass since Friday (10/20) when it washed up by the north end of Don Armeni. Since then, it has floated to Cove #3 by Marination.
Signs have been posted and Seal Sitters has contacted Seattle Parks about removal and disposal. The carcass has been marked with green spray paint – this is done for ID purposes in case it floats to a different location.
If you see any type of marine mammal, dead or alive, on a West Seattle beach – or one that appears to be in distress r deceased offshore – call Seal Sitters MMSN’s hotline at 206-905-SEAL.
ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: An update from David Hutchinson:
Seattle Parks removed the California Sea Lion carcass today. During the night it had floated up from Cove 3 to the Don Armeni boat ramp. This made it accessible to their equipment – this was a large animal, approximately 8 -9 feet in length. No necropsy was done due to advanced decomposition. I was contacted last evening by a reporting party who sent photos from 10/7 showing it floating in Elliott Bay on that date. Thanks to those who called the Seal Sitters’ Hotline, and helped us keep track of its location.
Seal Sitters is responsible for responding to reports of any dead marine mammal on West Seattle beaches. For cases like this, where the carcass has to be left on the beach, our responders often mark it with bright spray paint. Many people who resight and report the carcass to our hotline (206-905-7325), are then able to identify it as the same animal rather than reporting it as a different case each time it’s resighted. If the carcass is in good enough condition, a necropsy is usually performed to try to determine cause of death. All cases are documented and entered into the NOAA National Marine Mammal Stranding Database.
(WSB photos and video unless otherwise credited)
Any day now, Fauntleroy Creek is likely to see the first spawner of the season. Today, the biggest turnout in years gathered for an annual tradition, singing and drumming to call the salmon home. As always, Jamie Shilling led the songs, starting with “Habitat,” to the tune of the 1960s classic “Lollipop“:
We counted more than 80 people, from babies to seniors, gathered steps from the creek, outside the home of Judy Pickens and Phil Sweetland, long active not only with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council, but also the Salmon in the Schools program, which teaches local students about salmon’s life cycle as they raise fry to release into the creek each year. But this afternoon’s gathering was a celebration of what’s yet to come.
Interspersed with Shilling’s songs, Judy told the story of how – after work to restore the creek – the first known modern-day spawners, nicknamed Harry and Louise, showed up 29 years ago. Community members gathered to drum – inspired by ancient traditions – in hopes that would encourage more. Over the years, thousands have shown up, counted by volunteer creek watchers like Dennis Hinton (below with Judy):
Three salmon were spotted near the mouth of Fauntleroy Creek earlier in the weekend, Judy revealed at this afternoon’s gathering – adding that watchers also saw “seals with napkins under their chins.” The mouth of the creek is near the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Judy noted that Washington State Ferries employees came to the gathering today for the first time – helping out during one song:
Today’s gathering ran a little longer than some years because of a surprise – the Watershed Council honored your WSB co-publishers for all our years of covering their work.
We were not only surprised but deeply honored. Everyone then gathered for a group photo – another dedicated creek volunteer, Tom Trulin, took it from atop a ladder:
This week, Tom, Dennis, and others will be out watching for spawners to make it into the creek. Last year, they counted 254, a near-record in the quarter-century of counting. We’ll let you know when we get word of sightings. Meantime, learn more about Fauntleroy Creek – one of Seattle’s few salmon-bearing streams – at fauntleroywatershed.org. There’s an overlook tucked away at upper Fauntleroy Way and SW Director, just south of the stairway that leads to the bus stop across from the ferry dock.
Both of these sightings were reported Friday:
GATEWOOD: From Cathy:
As usual, it happened while walking the dogs early this morning. About 5:15, my dogs were suddenly very alert to another canine crossing 37th Ave SW ahead of us at Willow St. The coyote was also very alert to us, but even more so to the rabbit flushed between us. This coyote looked to be the same size as in the photo you posted previously from “Rob.” I thought it looked pretty skinny and it didn’t run very far away nor very fast. We entered our yard and it lingered in our neighbor’s bushes across the street. Our neighborhood is rife with wild rabbits and plenty of outdoor cats and fruit trees; it’s a wonder we don’t spot more of the pack.
BEACH DRIVE: From a texter:
Coyote spotted with middle-sized animal hanging out of its mouth, this AM at 6:30 on my way to work. It ran across the street from a house on the water on Beach Drive, toward Jacobson!
As always, we include a note that we publish these sightings for awareness, not alarm, and for education: Here’s the state’s advice on do’s and don’t’s for coexisting with coyotes. (If you’re interested in previous sightings, click on the coverage-category link – “coyotes” – under the headline above.)
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