Seen at Shilshole Bay near Sunset Hill in Seattle Continue reading

On Sunday I explored a conservancy park close to the ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island. We discovered a trail that leads through the woods to a large wetlands area and then on to the beach after eight years of living on the island. Hawley Cove Park is almost 12 acres, has a 400 foot boardwalk and 330 feet of beach nestled in a cove close to the ferry dock. I was hoping to see some new species to add to my bird list - which has not grown much in the last two weeks. Much to my disappointment the forest... Continue reading

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Yesterday was crisp and sunny, we've had a string of unusually dry weather. With threats of impending rains starting early in the week I grabbed my oportunity and went for a long walk at the local park. I had hopes of seeing something new and different in the pond. It was a complete disappointment - no new species all day. The resident Mallards and American Wigeons were dashing about preening their feathers. The one lone gull was hanging out with the Canada Geese. There were a few colorful House Finches and vocal Hummingbirds (Rufous?). But no new exotics. On the... Continue reading

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My hope of heading out for an afternoon of birding today was dashed by a mountain of urgent paperwork. A visit from one of our resident Barred Owls was compensation enough! We've had a hard frost the last few days and she's moved in closer to keep an eye on the birdfeeder. Continue reading

One New Year's Day in Port Townsend we were lucky enough to see three Oystercatchers. I was so enthralled with the unusual bird and it's orange eyes and beak that I didn't notice the little surfbirds. It looked like the rocks were moving, that's how much these beautiful little birds blended in. At first I thought that they might be Rock Sandpipers, that have migrated down for the winter from the northern tundra on the arctic pacific coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands looking for ice free water. But I think they are Black Turnstones. The Black Turnstone has... Continue reading

I think this is a flock of Pine Siskin. I snapped the shot through tree branches as they were flying overhead. Continue reading

So far, we've had such a mild winter that there are still trees with autumn leaves. No prolonged snow storms or wind. I probably jinxed it! Continue reading

This beautiful girl has attained celebrity status in Seattle. Folks were excitedly flocking from all over the city to get a glimpse of a Snowy Owl so far south. When I heard the rumor that there had been Snowy Owl sightings in Seattle I immediately went on line to search. Thanks to eBird, I found exact locations on thier interactive maps where people had seen last seen the owl - the Sunset Hill neighborhood in Seattle. As the crow flies Sunset Hill is a few miles away, but to get there I would have to take a ferry and drive... Continue reading

Cheerful House Finch enjoying the sun on a cold Seattle day. Continue reading

Our last stop on New Year's Day was a little spit off of Hudson street in Port Townsend. The sun was setting and the light was fading fast, so from a distance these little guys looked like crows. As we got closer we noticed their beak (how could you not) and then their glowing orange eyes. I'm new to birding but not to walking on the beaches of the northwest and I've never seen these birds before. There were three of them moving slowly and methodically over the spit looking under an occasional rock for food. A Gull was following... Continue reading

Soon melted in the bright January sun.... Continue reading

I've joined the ranks of millions and have officially become a bird-watcher, or rather a newbie - amateur - occasional - bird watcher. I've discovered the restorative effects of bird-watching at a time in my life that I'm insanely busy, which is probably why it's so attractive. To slow down, get outside, and take photographs of birds, nature, and wildlife is a gift. Happily we live in a rural area that has many unusual and fascinating birds in our backyard - literally. I've downloaded and printed the Washington state bird list and will see how many I can tick off... Continue reading

A short walk around the pond at the local park is always an adventure. There are lots of resident birds as well as flocks of migratory birds - mostly ducks. The American Wigeons were noisy and cute. Besides the Wigeons and Mallards I saw exactly one Greater Scaup (I'm guessing she's a Greater Scaup rather than a Lesser Scaup by her rounded head) and one Bufflehead. Almost always there is a lone gull cruising with the ducks - I think he imagines he is a duck. Away from the pond there were flocks of American Robins (including the odd one... Continue reading

A few weeks ago we ventured up to Hansville for a walk on the beach. Point no Point Lighthouse is amazingly beautiful location with views of Whidbey Island and the shipping lanes. It also has a large bird list with many water related species, a marsh which attracts herons, and a forest trail. These pictures were taken around 3:00, a storm blew in making it look dark and ominous. Continue reading

This beautiful volunteer gourd is growing up the trellis I set up for a batch of sweet peas. The sweet peas bloomed so late that the gourd is now competing for climbing space. It's no contest, typical of a squash, it's growing inches a day and overtaking everything in it's way. What do you think: goblin eggs?, mini pumpkins?, birdsnest? Continue reading

A late Sweet Pea. We've had such a fickle summer that I've been waiting weeks and weeks to see the color of this flower. It's blooming so late that now the plant is competing for trellis space with a mystery gourd (picts to come this weekend). Surprises are my favorite thing about gardening, whether they're color surprises, arrangement surprises, or surprise volunteers. Continue reading

A few weeks ago we explored the old bunkers at Fort Worden in Port Townsend. The bunkers were built in the early 1900's as a first line of defense for the Puget Sound. They were actively used by the military until the early 1950's and now are a Washington state park. The ruins are intriguing in that very creepy scary way. What I do like is all the colors and lines of the bunkers, and stairs going to nowhere..... Continue reading

Junco's are my favorite garden bird. They are not colorful nor do they have a beautiful song, but they have the most character. Last year we had a family in the potager. The parents would go about their business even with us close to the nest. They seemed almost tame. This year I haven't seen any nests in the garden but we still have several families around the house. One bird in particular likes to sit in the bird feeder and warm her tiny bones on the copper tray. The temperatures have been falling in the last few days and... Continue reading

This summer we spent a week on Cortes Island, British Columbia. It's a secluded island about eight hours and three ferries north of us. This rock outcrop was in a tidal lagoon close to the cabin where we stayed. From a distance it looked like the rocks were covered with yellow moss or lichen. Once we got to the rocks I figured out it was several types of sedum rather than moss. Sedum is one of my favorite plant genus. I have major plant envy of the folks in California that can grow all the beautiful and exotic types. But,... Continue reading

These guys cruise around the garden preying on insects like stealthy helicopters. I look forward to seeing them each summer and spend a lot of time trying to capture them with my camera. Although rarely still, this one seemed obsessed with this old iron post. He would sit for a while and then take off, but would come back within a minute or two. Continue reading

The shorter days are compensated by the amazing golden light that comes to the Pacific Northwest this time of year. The warm tones are welcome after a fairly cold summer. The garden is winding down. We're building a deer fence that I'm hoping will be bullet proof. The deer, seemingly boneless, easily slide under any loose fencing without breaking stride. So, I'm resigned to the fact that it was their garden this year and will optimistically plan on reclaiming the garden for us next spring. I'm off right now to start some major weeding and clean up. Continue reading

Cloudy, 70 Degrees Sunset: 8:41 Native doesn't always mean wild! Her name is Hazel (Hazel Nut) her whole purpose in life is to eat bird seed and torment our dog. This time last year we discovered that a family of native Douglas Squirrels were nesting in the attic above our bedroom. Once the babies, there were five of them, came down to play in the wood pile we sealed off their entrance. They stayed in the woodpile next to the house for several weeks and eventually moved to the nearby fir and cedar trees. This year two or three still... Continue reading

70 (Maybe), Partly Sunny Sunset: 8:44 Time is steadily marching by while I run behind trying to catch up. It still feels like June because of the weather. It's hard to believe most of our nation is in drought conditions while we've had such a cloudy and cool summer. While I would love to see the sun more and feel warm, I'm thankful for the rain. We have a great crop of broccoli, beautiful and vibrant. The flowers are so sweet and added color as well as flavor to our salad. My goal was to have sturdy seedlings to replace... Continue reading