West Seattle, Washington
17 Friday
Salmon sightings to report:
FAUNTLEROY CREEK: One day after the annual gathering to call the coho home, the first one has made it to the creek’s spawning reach, reports Judy Pickens on behalf of the volunteers watching the creek. It did not want to pose for a clear photo, so the one above is the best available for now. Three others have turned up – one dead, two alive – by the creek’s mouth. Now that the salmon have shown up, watch for word of “open creek” time this Saturday when you can go try your luck at spotting one!
LONGFELLOW CREEK: Jacquelyn sent this sighting from Longfellow Creek by Dragonfly Park:
Here’s info on Longfellow salmon-seeking.
The first returning salmon of the season has been spotted at Fauntleroy Creek. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it far before dying. But her appearance gives hope that others will show up during favorable high tides starting this week. With that as context, creek advocate Judy Pickens and musician Jamie Shilling led drumming and singing this evening to call the coho home.
It’s an annual tradition, with all ages welcome.
The short gathering is always whimsical as well as reverential – including “Habitat,” to the tune of long-ago hit “Lollipop”:
This year, something extra – it’s the 25th anniversary of the revived creek’s first modern-day spawners, Harry and Louise. The 30+ people who participated tonight were invited to sign a commemorative card.
You can do the same at next weekend’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival (at the church, Y, and schoolhouse, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 27th). Pickens told the backstory:
Meantime, volunteers have begun monitoring the creek for signs of more potential spawners. Once there’s a sighting, an “open creek” visitation opportunity will be announced.
Fall isn’t just rainy season, it’s salmon-spawning season. Notes from two West Seattle creeks:
LONGFELLOW CREEK: Thanks to Tom for that photo from earlier this week. He reports, “I saw this lone salmon in Dragonfly Park about halfway up the stream to the Salmon bridge (Monday). The fun has begun.” Here’s info on looking for salmon along the creek, which runs through east West Seattle.
FAUNTLEROY CREEK: As spawning season begins here, you’re invited to the ceremonial start tomorrow:
(WSB photo from past drumming event)
Rain or shine, gather to drum and sing to welcome the coho home to the creek, 5 pm Sunday (Fauntleroy/Director). This is a special year – the silver anniversary of the first two spawners to return to Fauntleroy Creek in modern times, as explained in our preview. All ages!
Received via text last night just before all the weather havoc:
Hi from Pigeon Point… just had a Buck sighting in our backyard that borders the Duwamish Greenbelt near Pathfinder K-8…. wanted to share; he’s heading East back into the greenbelt at this time.
Last deer sighting we heard about was more than two years ago; that in turn was almost a year after a few weeks of sightings of a deer eventually dubbed Westley – last seen heading into South King County.
From David Hutchinson of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network tonight, the photo and more information on Tuesday’s sea lion removal and necropsy on the West Seattle shore:
Seal Sitters would like to thank Seattle Parks for their participation in the removal of the deceased California Sea Lion from the shoreline yesterday. They moved the carcass from Cove #3, along Harbor Avenue, over to the Don Armeni boat ramp where Casey Mclean of SR3 performed a limited necropsy due to the advanced stage of decomposition. Parks’ staff has arranged for the disposal of the carcass now that the necropsy has been completed. Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network had been tracking the location of this dead animal as well as another that had floated up on Port of Seattle property last Saturday.
Yesterday was a busy day for Seal Sitters. As well as coordinating and assisting at the necropsy site, our volunteers responded to a dead harbor seal pup on the other side of the West Seattle peninsula and watched over a live pup resting on the rocks along the Elliott Bay shoreline. Seal Sitters responds to all reports of marine mammals on West Seattle beaches – alive or dead. Please contact our Hotline (206-905-7325) if you observe any of these while out on local beaches. Our volunteers are on duty to protect any live animals and are responsible for entering details about any dead ones in NOAA’s online database.
We asked a followup about whether the necropsy had revealed anything about why the sea lion died: “All we can say at this point is that the sea lion was robust. Due to the very advanced decomposition after being dead for several weeks or more, the necropsy was much more limited than if the animal was fresh dead. The skull was removed and taken for x-rays.” They’ll report back if those show anything.
For everyone who wondered why that dead sea lion remained on the beach at Seacrest Park for several days – here’s why: Moving one is no easy task, given their weight. The photo sent by Rodney Mash shows today’s removal with the help of heavy equipment. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife tells WSB they “helped with coordination” of the removal but the necropsy was to be done by SR3; we don’t have any information yet on what happened from there.
9:01 AM: Texter says Southern Resident Killer Whales are off Fauntleroy, northbound.
10:01 AM: Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail just called to say they’re now passing Discovery Park, so out of our viewing range.
Saturday night, after several questions, we reported on a dead sea lion on the beach at Seacrest Park. It’s still there, leading to more questions today because it’s so visible from the Water Taxi dock, so we followed up with Lynn Shimamoto of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, who answered our weekend inquiry too: “I’m in contact with Fish & Wildlife and SR3 to see if they can do a partial necropsy. It will then be up to Parks to dispose of the carcass since it’s on their property but Parks can’t do this for a couple more days for logistical reasons. Seal Sitters posted a sign near the carcass warning people of the health hazards and asking them to stay away. Interestingly, we responded to another dead sea lion on Saturday. This second carcass is on Port property and we hope it can be examined as well.” Pending potential necropsies, what killed the sea lions is unknown. (Photo courtesy Keri)
It’s getting late to catch them tonight but as tipster Kersti Muul points out, you might see them in the morning: Southern Resident Killer Whales from J-Pod were passing Bainbridge Island, southbound, shortly before sunset.
(“Harry & Louise,” 1994, photo courtesy Southwest Seattle Historical Society)
Not too soon to make your plan for what to do after the NEXT Seahawks game. Take the family to be part of the first event in a special salmon-return season at Fauntleroy Creek: The silver anniversary of “Harry and Louise,” the nicknames given to the first spawners in modern history to return to the creek, spotted in October 1994. Fauntleroy Creek advocate Judy Pickens explains how you can be part of the celebration this season, next Sunday and beyond:
October is spawning season on Fauntleroy Creek and you have four opportunities to get in on the action, starting next weekend.
Drum in spawners. The annual drumming (Sunday, Oct. 20, 5 pm), will entice spawners into the creek and begin a year-long “Silver Anniversary” for Harry and Louise, the first spawning pair in modern history, who arrived in October 1994. Bring a drum of any kind or just yourself to this free rain-or-shine event. Drumming will guide you to the creek level at 4539 SW Director Place (near SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW).
Become a salmon watcher. Starting Oct. 20, volunteers will work in half-hour shifts to document activity in the spawning reach near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal during the five hours after high tide. Email judy_pickens@msn.com for details and to get on the list.
Come to a creek open house. The West Seattle Blog will announce this free weekend event, depending on when spawners arrive.
Come to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. Volunteers will be on hand near the salmon-hat booth in the church parking lot (Sunday, Oct. 27, 2-5 pm) to answer questions and invite you to sign a “Silver Anniversary” poster honoring Harry and Louise.
Fauntleroy Creek is one of just a few salmon creeks remaining in the city limits.
We’ve received multiple questions about a sea-lion carcass at Seacrest Park. We referred the first texter to Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network and then checked late tonight to see what they’d found. Seal Sitters’ Lynn Shimamoto replied:
We responded to a report of a dead sea lion at Cove 2 this afternoon. The carcass is in an advanced state of decomposition. We don’t know the cause of death or whether it will be necropsied. We marked it with green paint in order to identify it in case it floats away.
If you see a beached or struggling, or dead, marine mammal, Seal Sitters’ hotline is 206-905-SEAL.
Again today, orcas are in the area! Kersti Muul tells us several whales have been seen in Elliott Bay, near the Port of Seattle’s offices on the downtown waterfront. No word yet if they are transients or residents.
Up for some early-morning whale-watching before work? Just heard from Kersti Muul, who says Southern Resident Killer Whales are again visible off west-facing West Seattle, southbound, seen from Constellation Park south of Alki Point.
12:48 PM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for updates on the Southern Resident Killer Whales that started the day in the South Sound and are finally close to our area – she says the orcas are northbound in Colvos Passage (west side of Vashon Island) and likely to emerge around 1 pm. So have your binoculars ready and let us know if you see them!
1:24 PM: Kersti says in a comment that the whales are now visible from west-facing West Seattle if you look toward north Vashon – but they could go out of view for a while if they stay west of Blake Island.
11:57 AM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for word that Southern Resident Killer Whales are in the area again! Southbound off Bainbridge Island – still north of Elliott Bay – at last word.
1:35 PM: In comments, Robin Sinner reports: “1:15 pm, just saw two breaches from Constellation Park in West Seattle, southbound to red buoy.”
(Added: Photo by Monica Zaborac)
1:03 PM: Thanks for the tip – if you haven’t seen the Southern Resident Killer Whales yet on their latest visit to central Puget Sound, today might be your day. They are reported to be off West Point on the north side of the entrance to Elliott Bay, southbound. Let us know if you see them!
3:45 PM: Thanks for the updates – in view off west-facing West Seattle at last report!
Thanks to Trileigh Tucker for the report: A humpback whale is in view from Lowman Beach, north of the north end of Blake Island across the Sound. Let us know if you see it!
(Spyhopping orca in Elliott Bay, photographed by Eric Lemar)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A day that began with orcas in view off West Seattle ended with a discussion about protecting them, locally and worldwide.
The Whale Trail presented author Erich Hoyt, as he launches a tour to promote a new edition of his seminal book “Orca: The Whale Called Killer.”
And after he spoke to a rapt audience at The Hall at Fauntleroy, attendees got a bonus – some observations from local orca researcher Mark Sears, who spent three hours on Puget Sound this morning with the Southern Resident Killer Whales.
The night began with an introduction from Donna Sandstrom, the West Seattleite who founded The Whale Trail in 2008, just three years after the SRKWs were declared endangered. Its purpose is to make it easier to watch them from shore and also – via TWT’s interpretive signs – to “tell their story when they’re not around.” It started with 16 signs, and now stretches from British Columbia to California: “Now you can follow The Whale Trail from San Juan Capistrano to Prince Rupert, BC.” (And soon, she disclosed later, Mexico, too!) “Shore-based whale watching is now more than ever “a strategic act of conservation.” That’s one of the hot topics addressed by the Governor’s Task Force, of which Sandstrom is a member.
She said reading Hoyt’s book was her initiation into fascination with the whales and a desire to help them.
9:38 AM: Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail says seven resident orcas are in view right now from Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza. They’ve been in the area for a while again this morning – here’s a photo Danny McMillin took:
10:08 AM: Whale watchers at Alki:
(That’s Donna in blue/pink at center.)
Tonight (Thursday, September 19th) The Whale Trail presents author Erich Hoyt at The Hall at Fauntleroy (details here). He’s here just in time for whale-watching – Kersti Muul sent the Wednesday sunset photos, explaining, “The Southern Resident Killer Whales were welcomed in grand style to West Seattle with a beautiful sunset providing backlit blows and a visit from Erich Hoyt and his daughter. Donna [Sandstrom, Whale Trail executive director] is in the picture next to her Whale Trail sign watching them go by. What a magical evening and a great intro to Erich’s book tour. The three-mile-away breach was still spectacular… just sharing the same air as them is humbling.”
Wednesday was the second consecutive day the SRKWs ventured into central Puget Sound.
For a second day, Kersti Muul tips us, Southern Resident Killer Whales are in central Puget Sound and headed our way. She says they’ve just been reported off Carkeek Park and are traveling southbound “at a good clip.” No guarantee they’ll make it this far – Kersti says they turned around yesterday before getting this far south – but we’re always committed to giving you a heads-up when we get an alert! Let us know if you see them.
If you’ve got good rain gear and binoculars – or a window with a good view of the water – you can look for a dozen or so orcas headed this way. Kersti Muul says they were southbound off Richmond Beach at last report. And they’re likely Southern Resident Killer Whales. Let us know if you spot them!
Thanks to Kelly for the photo and caption! The big blue cover at Colman Pool gave a Great Blue Heron a spot to hang out tonight. While the pool wasn’t open today, it has two more post-season weekends to go – September 14-15 and 21-22.
| 10 COMMENTS