West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
An update from Brenda Peterson of the West Seattle-based Seal Sitters:
We had another very tiny, nursing pup on the beach Friday night until 1 a.m. She had hauled out at 2 p.m. and was about 2 ft. long, 4 weeks old, with very few teeth, so we knew she was nursing. Seal Sitters were there until the mother finally reappeared in the surf, barked to her pup. The pup suddenly upped and hopped over a log, scooted down the beach and we saw both heads swimming out together. Reunion!
We’ve got a lot of pups on the beach these days. So please remind yourreaders to leash dogs and keep their eyes out. This is pup season. There are also weaning pups who are in a critical transition time for their survival. Call 206 905-SEAL to report pups to Seal Sitters. Volunteer! Also on our website at www.sealsitters.org, there is a new daily blog – we call it the BlubberBlog — that lets the community know about seals showing up on our shores.
Here’s a direct link to the site, where you can read Brenda’s detailed story about the Friday night pup and the nervous moments along the way before that happy reunion.
(Video courtesy Seal Sitters)
By Brenda Peterson, Seal Sitters
Special to West Seattle Blog
In the past two weeks we have had 5 pups on the beaches in West Seattle. Please be on alert as you walk the beaches (with binoculars!). If you see a pup please let our Seal Sitter hotline know. Call to report a seal pup on the beach at: 206 905-7324 (SEAL).
One vital thing you can do, even if you do not see a pup, is to let dog people know to leash their dogs because dogs and seal pups can pass diseases back and forth. We don’t want ANY of our pups to get hurt. These seal pups are being weaned and really need rest from their first fishing attempts. This is a critical time for weaning pups; they are often thin and exhausted from their first fishing forays without their mothers.
Though WA State has a healthy seal population, 50% of pups do not survive their first year. The main predators are dogs off-leash and people crowding them. NOAA advises that people please stay the 100 yards back from any resting pup and call Seal Sitters hotline for our trained volunteers. If you see a seal being harassed, please call NOAA’s enforcement hotline at: 1-800-853-1964 or NOAA local stranding hotline at: 206-526-6733.
We cannot cover every beach especially during this busy pup season, so those of you who regularly walk the beach, please be on alert for napping pups.
Last week a new Seal Sitter volunteer named a pup “Justice” after her grandson who was born after 9.11. “Justice” hauled out on a beach on 09.09.09 and was healthy and alert. He lifted his head at every passing school bus and garbage truck. He woke from a deep sleep every time a cell phone or loud voice startled him. Scientists have discovered that seal experience R.E.M. sleep just as humans do! Imagine trying to nap in the middle of an intersection – that’s how our beaches must seem to a seal pup. Thanks for your awareness and please help spread the word. Our Seal Sitter kids have been doing a wonderful job in their schools:
Atop this story is a video of “Justice,” who returned to the waves at 3:00 after hauling out at 8 a.m. It is normal to see seal pups on our beaches. Please educate everyone you know that West Seattle shores are a sanctuary for seal pups. Visit our website at www.sealsitters.org for more information, kids’ activities, and brochures you can print out to distribute on your walks. We hope that seal pups will realize they are among friends here on our West Seattle beaches!
On Tuesday 9.15 we had a pup actually on the sidewalk across from Cactus Restaurant on Alki Beach. Some new Seal Sitters were thrilled to take their first turn watching over this pup, who went back into the water at 7:30 p.m.
What We Need Now:
1. A Twitter person who can do quick, up-to-date blogs for those who want to follow Seal Sitters
2. Schedulers who can make calls so we do not tie up the dispatch line when a pup is on the beach
3. Computer-savvy volunteers who can help us with coordinating updates to volunteers
4. Donations of money or time to help us organize our all-volunteer organization
5. Grant writers so we can get some funding
You can reach Seal Sitters through their website – sealsitters.org.
(Photo courtesy Seal Sitters)
By Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s the season for lots of recreational fishing along West Seattle’s shores. And it’s also the season for lots of harbor seal pups.
That was evident last Saturday night at Lincoln Park, when a fisherman unexpectedly found a harbor seal pup at the end of his line. The drama was resolved quickly; with help from two onlookers, the hook was quickly removed and the pup set free.
Events unfolded too fast last for anyone to make a call, but when a marine mammal is in distress or a seal is spotted, these are the important numbers to know:
To report a seal on the beach in West Seattle: 206-905-SEAL (7325)
For all other reports, the NOAA Stranding Hotline: 800-853-1964 (monitored 24 hours)
If a marine mammal is being harassed or harmed, the NOAA Enforcement Hotline: 800-853-1964
If there is imminent danger, call 911
After the pup was released, conversation onshore continued — what exactly is the best thing to do in that situation?
Thanks to the photo at left from Rick, we reported Sunday on a group of “transient” orcas being seen in the Sound, passing Fauntleroy, northbound. Tonight, we’re sharing a comment just left beneath that story from Susan with the Orca Network: “A late breaking update – this morning this pod was again seen in Puget Sound – off Shilshole at 10 am heading south, and again at 1:50 pm, still heading south. They have been confirmed as Transient orcas and ID’d as the T137s, with T36A & her offspring T36A1 – they must be heading back down to So. Puget Sound for more of that seal buffet!”
Rick sent photos after seeing what looked like four orcas heading northbound past Brace Point about 9:15 this morning – that’s the wide shot, with the Vashon ferry dock in the background; here’s a closer view:
There’ve been multiple South Sound sightings of orcas lately, as far south as the Olympia area; according to this Friday story from The Olympian, the ones seen there were “transients,” not belonging to the three orca pods considered “Southern Residents” usually seen around Puget Sound. 3:55 PM P.S. – We are remiss not to mention the Orca Network EVERY time we have an orca story – you can report sightings through their website, where you also can subscribe to their daily e-mail with a roundup of regional sightings and other whale-related news – go to orcanetwork.org. 9:36 PM UPDATE: Rick did report the sighting to the Orca Network, and got a note back saying his sighting helps them confirm that five orcas seen off South Whidbey later in the day were indeed the “transients” that had been hanging out in the Olympia area.
“CROW PLANET” REVIEWED BY NEW YORK TIMES: The NYT Sunday book reviews comprise arguably the most prestigious showcase in America for an author – and Gatewood author Lyanda Lynn Haupt‘s new book “Crow Planet” has just made it there. Here’s the link to this past weekend’s review. We wrote about Haupt and her book just last month – here’s our story; you can also follow her more-frequent writings at her site The Tangled Nest.
COMMUNITY HARVEST PLUM-PICKING STORY ON TV: We’ve also featured Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle and its “donate your tree” volunteer fruit harvests, and now they’ve made it onto TV too – the story resulting from the KING5 visit to Margaret‘s house last Monday finally aired Friday – here’s the link (video). CHoSS is still seeking volunteers, so they can pick even more of the fruit-laden trees that have been “donated” (the fruit goes to local food banks) – here’s how to sign up!
They’re the talk of the fishing community; we mentioned them last week, and now we have photos: WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham sends photos of some of the 5 million pink salmon that have been swarming the area, many leaping from the water as they go. That photo’s from the eastern Duwamish Waterway, as is this one:
Separate from catching the pink salmon on camera in the Duwamish yesterday – where fishing’s not allowed (check the rules here) – Matt and son Jack fished Lincoln Park, where the younger member of the duo made this milestone catch:
Matt explains:
Sunday Jack Durham, age 10, landed his first salmon, a 7-pound pink salmon. Jack has worked the shores of Lincoln Park for 6 years, casting everything from Kastmasters to plugs and finally hooked this fish on a pink spoon. Lincoln Park has been a shoulder-to-shoulder fishing experience the last three weeks. Fishing can be absolutely hot with nearly every angler hooking a salmon; an hour later the bite dries to nothing. The favored lure is a pink buzzbomb.
(Lincoln Park photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli – we hear the fish are here too)
Just got a note from Sam, who reports seeing “hundreds of salmon … dozens leaping through the air as they feed” at the Harbor Island pier. Checking around online, fishing writer Mark Yuasa at seattletimes.com (WSB partner) reported this week that pink salmon are entering the area “in the millions.”
They’re by no means rare, but when coyote sightings are brought to our attention, we pass them along as a reminder that you’ll want to make sure your pets are inside, etc. Just got a call from Pam, who lives along lower Lincoln Park Way, north of Lincoln Park, east of Lowman Beach (vicinity map), and says a coyote’s been hanging around behind her house for going on an hour now, so she wanted to make sure others got the word. (Past coyote reports, some with photos, are archived here.)
That’s how Trileigh captioned this photo of the young Lincoln Park-born barred owl who was nicknamed “Wollet” during a rash of sightings that followed our first owlet report, which came from Kim and Jordan Petram and included this next photo, back in late May:
(Among other photo reports that followed, Minette contributed too.) Back to today’s top photo – Trileigh elaborates:
I found an owl in Lincoln Park on Sunday, but I wasn’t sure whether it was Wollet or one of his parents. He looked so freshly washed that I thought it was probably “our” baby. Then when I showed his picture to one of my owl-expert friends, she confirmed that it is indeed Wollet: apparently you can tell by his white tail feathers. Hooray! So glad to see that little guy one more time. My friend also tells me he’s likely to start searching for his own territory — so each sighting could be the last.
She has more photos at flickr.com/photos/trileigh. Meantime, we’ve received a few other beautiful West Seattle bird-sighting photos recently (thank you!!!!) and will share them soon too.
Jill sends this photo and explains, “Out walking the dog on the beach at low tide and saw this dead Manta Ray, or so I think. found south of the Arroyos during low tide. Anyone know, is this common for Puget Sound?” We know “skates” can be found in cold waters – “manta rays” tend to be tropical – any thoughts on Jill’s discovery? Here’s another photo, for scale:
One possibility we’ve come across so far: A “big skate.”
First an update on “Leucy,” the leucistic (light-colored) crow that died in the recordsetting Wednesday heat, after living for several years along the Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy border. Our neighbor Jane, who told us about the well-known crow’s death on Friday, posted an update today, saying that after freezing the crow’s remains, she turned them over to the local bird-expert author who had studied it before, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, who Jane said planned to take it for study at UW. (Added Monday morning: As Lyanda notes in the comment section, she has now written about “Leucy” at her website, The Tangled Nest.)
Speaking of crows:
Jodie shares that photo of a local bald eagle under siege by a crow while perched atop a tree nera 45th and Genesee, west side of The Junction – a scene we’ve probably all seen before, and yet always riveting. A different bird-in-tree scene is shared by Gary Jones – two ospreys squabbling over supremacy in an Alki Point tree:
Want to know more about our local birds and why they behave the way they do? Seattle Audubon‘s BirdWeb site is a great place to start.
Just yesterday, we mentioned that unusually colored crow – “leucistic” is the term – in our story about Gatewood author Lyanda Lynn Haupt‘s new book (from which she is reading at Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 tonight). This morning, on our way out to cover a story, we saw one of our neighbors here in the Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy area where “Leucy” has hung out for years – and she told us she found “Leucy,” aka the “brown crow,” dead in Wednesday’s historic heat. No sign of blood or injury – just dead. Neighbor Jane thinks “Leucy” was female, and had noticed her “showing off her babies” this past season. No way to tell how old “Leucy” was; Lyanda told us crows can live longer than a decade in optimum conditions.
Full story on this coming up later but wanted to post a quick alert now. We were just out covering three men digging clams up along Beach Drive, which is (a) illegal and (b) dangerous – the beaches are closed to shellfish harvesting for health reasons, explained here (and most of it wouldn’t be open anyway – either parkland or private property). Confronted by a local wildlife advocate, they claimed it was for personal use, claimed they had no idea about the health risks etc., and returned the 100-plus clams to the beach. But in case they just packed up and moved somewhere else, be on the lookout – copper/gold Suburban-type SUV with plate starting with 861, blue and white cooler. More later!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s a book about your back yard. And your front yard. And the greenbelt down the street.
And though Gatewood author Lyanda Lynn Haupt‘s new book — from which she will read at Elliott Bay Books tomorrow night — is titled “Crow Planet,” it’s not just about crows.
Coyotes are in there too, she says, as are many of the other wild things who are mixing it up with us mere humans, in West Seattle and elsewhere.
Chatting with Lyanda in the garden behind the 1920s-vintage home she shares with her husband and daughter, you might spot some of the wildness – a hummingbird hovering over a hedge, pondering whether to investigate the small bouquet of salvia that the author placed in a glass as a sort of feeder. (She wrote about the makeshift feeder last weekend on her website “The Tangled Nest: Cultivating an Urban-Earthen Household.”) Or you might hear her stories, like the one about the raccoon that woke her up during a backyard family campout:
(photo taken at EC Hughes wading pool today just before it opened at noon)
As promised by the Parks Department, E.C. Hughes wading pool (29th/Holden; map) opened today – that’s the last of the West Seattle wading pools to open this year, on a staggered schedule because of federally mandated drain-safety work. (The department says Highland Park will not open this year at all, one of more than a dozen wading pools citywide staying closed.) Delridge, Hiawatha and Lincoln Park wading pools already are open; their respective hours are listed here. If you’re too big for a wading pool, your other municipal swimming options are Southwest Pool (indoors) and Colman Pool (outdoors) – several private facilities offer pools to their members, such as the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor). Humans aren’t the only ones who can get some relief in the water – Trileigh sends this photo with a reminder to have water out for the birds:
She notes:
… our little avian friends have a tough time in this hot weather! If folks have a birdbath, please keep water in it — it helps the little guys to have cool water to drink and splash in. Yesterday there were chickadees in and out of my birdbath all day long.
Even if you don’t have a birdbath, you can put out a pie plate or other broad container with water for them. The squirrels will appreciate it too. We all need to help each other out during this heat wave!
(added) Trileigh also notes that “birdbaths (formal or informal) should be pretty shallow and not slippery, so that the birds can stand and drink or bathe. You can always put a rock in it if it’s made of something slippery, like glazed ceramic for instance.” We’re working on yet more heat-beating info, including West Seattle places where you’ll find A/C – we were just over at Stor-More (WSB sponsors) and if you have occasion to drop by and chat with them about storage/mail services, they have a very nicely air-conditioned lobby (SW Yancy just east of Avalon Way) – more suggestions welcome!
The original photo of this (apparent) marmot, as identified by WSB’ers after the sighting was shared June 19th by Jennifer from a neighborhood near The Junction, was so memorable that somebody even turned it into a LOLcritter (as noted recently in the WSB Forums). She e-mailed again this morning with this new photo and words of thanks:
It was fun reading all the comments and learning what he is. Here he is again–taken this morning in about the same spot. We’ve seen him a handful of times now. He lives in our laurel hedge.
Thanks to Jim Biava for sharing that photo. We’re not sure if it’s either grown-up Wollet or one of her/his parents (see previous coverage of the Lincoln Park owl family here), but it’s a great photo no matter what. (If you missed earlier discussions – these are barred owls – more info here, from Seattle Audubon.)
Dan Lake came by to say hi during West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend and subsequently sent us that photo from an eagle sighting in South Alki. Meantime, one of the intrepid Lincoln Park barred-owlet watchers, Trileigh, sent us new photos of “Wollet” on Independence Day and we just realized we didn’t run them – this one is particularly eye-catching, as the owlet squawked for a parent to bring breakfast:
Previous Wollet photos can be seen here (May 23), here (May 27), here (May 31), here (June 14), here (June 16) and here (June 24).
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
We ran that photo a week ago with the announcement of Seal Sitters‘ first volunteer-training session of the season – and now that the meeting’s a few hours away, hard to resist running it again. Alki UCC, tonight at 7. Puget Sound’s baby seals need YOU to protect them when they’re on the beach taking a break while their moms are off finding food. Read more about them at sealsitters.org.
And to think it started with a WSBer’s photo. Here’s the WSB Forums thread.
(photo added 2:20 pm – note, they’re still early in the set-up phase)
Two quick notes re: e-mail we just received – First, Steve wrote to ask why video-game machines are being moved into the space that’s been open since Capers consolidated. Answer: West Seattle Summer Fest! Blinky’s Time Warp Video Arcade will occupy that space during the festival (Friday-Saturday-Sunday – read about it here). Second, a coyote alert – Michael just saw one on Genesee Hill near the now-closed school: “Bold as brass, trotting slowly up our driveway … sorry I was too slow to get a pic. Small pet warning!!” (All WSB coyote reports – some with pix and/or video – are archived here, newest to oldest.) ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: Going through e-mail from the incredibly busy holiday weekend, we realize that last Friday night we failed to add this (suspected) coyote report:
At 3:00 AM on July 3, a probable coyote (according to Animal Control, who said it was definitely not a raccoon) killed an orange cat between Walker and Hill on 48th AVE SW.
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
It’s that time of year again: The local volunteer group Seal Sitters is ready to train new volunteers to help keep watch when seal pups come out of the water and start turning up on local shores. The Seal Sitters’ first volunteer training session is one week from tonight at Alki UCC – read on for the full official announcement:Read More
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