The small pieces

“To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”    

Aldo Leopold

A few weeks ago I was watching and waiting for a Bald Eagle to lift off it’s perch and swoop down on an unsuspecting fish for a quick meal.  Out over the edge of the water I notice a swarm of insects that were back lit by the morning sun. Our winter had one real cold spell in December then turned very mild. So mild that the Winter Olympics in Vancouver British Columbia just 150 miles north of here does not have enough snow to go around. Snow is being trucked in for the competitions.

The eagle did go for the fish. As I was walking out of my blind I notice a Ruby Crowned Kinglet was feeding in the branches.  Then it dawned on me, what is the difference?  It is “relatively easy’ to see an Eagle pick off a fish but few see the awesome power and ruthlessness of a Ruby Crowned Kinglet. The Kinglet just lives in a smaller scale then the Eagle. 

It is now early February and the temperatures are hovering in the mid fifties each day. Leaves are beginning to emerge a full month sooner then they did two years ago. As the trees warm their saps begin to flow and the whole energy from the sun cycle starts anew.  With the stirring of the tree’s sap the migrations start. Birds eat a variety of food.  The seasons offer up what is available and those birds that do not capitalize on the bounty presented perish.

Buds opening on the tree in the yard

Fungus growing on the twigs that did not survive the winter.

Close up of the sap sucking insects. If you think about it if there are ten of these bugs for every foot of branch and twig per tree that adds up pretty quick. Then think about how many trees in a given area and suddenly you have a bio mass of insects that adds up to tons of food while remaining unseen by us.

Close up of a larger flying insect. These insects hunker down and hug the branches. This is where they spend the winter hiding in the open waiting for the temperatures to rise enough to revive from their torpor and go out to feed or breed.  Many never get a chance, any one of the birds you are about to meet glean over the branches with sharp eye sight and fast reflexes eating everything in their path. If they did not we would be over run by hundreds of tons of insects.

Mystery bark carving. Something is going on here, an animal has a plan and you can see it has worked before. Notice the healed scars to the left and above the fresh rectangles.We will now take a quick look at the usual suspects to find our "vandal".

Ruby Crowned Kinglet Male.
Here in the Northwest these birds visit during the Winter searching many different kinds of plants looking for tiny insects. As the weather warms the Males begin to practice their complex songs. In my experience once they start to sing they will be gone within a week or so not to be seen until next Winter. Large numbers will migrate through in a short period of time and getting in a position to photograph them is difficult. They are always on the move and very wary.

Golden Crowned Kinglet.
A year round resident of the Northwest in Coniferous forests. They are seldom seen due to their size and upper canopy haunts.

Male Common Yellow Throat.
A migratory bird in the Northwest their arrival is dependent on insect populations being active to survive. 

Male Yellow Warbler.
His needs are  similar to those of the Yellow Throat and does not stick around once the insects go dormant.

 

Bewick’s Wren.
This hardy and active little bird is a year round resident.  It is constantly on the search for insects in all types of weather. The Males spring song is so varied and vibrant I have been fooled many times thinking I have found a new species. Intense searching turns up this tiny Wren. It can be disappointing to discover that it is "just" a Bewick's but it is a comforting pleasure to know that they are in the yard.

Female Orange Crowned Warbler.
Secretive and shy this Summer visitor searches the dense thickets and branches for tiny insects, when  her young hatch and it takes all she has to keep up with their demands.

Male Anna’s Hummingbird.
Urban plantings have allowed this species to expand it's range far North of it's historical haunts. In the past twenty years or so it has even begun to Winter over as far North as the Canadian border. When I first heard of January reports of them in Seattle back in the Eighties I thought they were just mistaken. My resident Anna's Hummingbirds not only winter over but actively fight over the fountain in my yard when all local water sources are frozen over. During the periods of below freezing weather there is no nectar or sap to feed on so these tiny birds turn to an all insect diet. When there are no insects to be found they go into a state of torpor or semi hibernation. It is a sleep that some do not wake up from, it is a gamble with high stakes when you do not migrate. This behavior has had some strange results with reports of Female Anna's actually nesting in the Winter months within the city limits of Seattle.

Rufous Hummingbird.
These beautiful little birds migrate from Southern California up to Southern Alaska and back each year. They need fuel for this long migration. Nectar, tree sap and insects are all critical to the ability of these birds to start their journeys. If they travel ahead of their food source or suitable weather they either have to turn back or settle in and go into a torpor until the weather warms. The males move North first and are very active, the females follow but are much more subdued in their travels.

Pine Siskin.
A year round resident they are usually thought of as seed eater which they are. When seeds are hard to find tiny insects fill the needs to survive the cold winter weather.  They cover large areas and there are years when I do not see them for months at a time if at all.

 Bushtit

These tiny drab birds are year round residents in my yard. In the winter they flock together in large groups gleaning over the trees in a manner matching that of a military maneuver.  Nothing escapes their sharp eyesight. The Males have black eyes and the Females have yellow eyes. In the spring the large flocks break up into nesting pairs that weave sock shaped nests hidden in the thickets

Chestnut Backed Chickadee
A year round resident which depends heavily on insects in coniferous trees. Here you can see the intense focus while looking of food among the needles. 

Black Capped Chickadee

More common then the Chestnut Backed Chickadee around my yard but just as dependent on insects.  These spent Sunflowers offer a few missed seeds as well as spider and insects.

Cedar Waxwing
In the spring the Waxwings move in to the higher branches of the Douglas Firs in the area and build nests. They are easy to see when they fly out from their perch to intercept a flying insect then return. This hunting technique for catching flying insects is called "hawking". A number of bird use this method.

Tree Swallow
A sure sign of spring is when the Swallows return. They require flying insects and do not forage like any of the birds I have talked about so far.

Barn Swallow
Soon after the Tree Swallows are seen the Barn Swallows appear. They too take food on the wing and do not forage, Though I have seen one walk to pick up an injured insect that fell of the front bumper of a car.  This particular Male Barn Swallow has unusual tail additions.  I had posted it on my Flickr page and asked if anyone else had seen a bird like this. I have received over seven hundred and fifty views and not one response to date.

Northern Rough Winged Swallow
Here is another Swallow that many non birders easily overlook. Neither the Male or Female are overly colorful so they just blend into the back ground and are thought to be juveniles of other species. Like the other Swallows they too take insects on the wing.

Female Downy Woodpecker
I think everyone can identify with this iconic  little woodpecker.  Shy and secretive Downy's find insects under the bark of damaged and dead wood. The woodpecker here is taking advantage of damage to the tree not caused by a bird.

You never know who your friends are. This Black Tailed Buck used the tree to scrape the velvet off of it's antlers when the blood supply stopped flowing to the soft tissues and the calcium began to harden. The damage to the tree is not a concern of the deer but a benefit to the woodpecker

Now back to the source of damage to our first tree.

Red Breasted Sap Sucker
      
This Sapsucker takes a different and more direct approach to feeding on insects. They shave away the outer layer of bark to allow the sap to pool in the wells they create. Later they return to feed on the sap and insects that have also come to feed on the sap. Many other birds have learned to take advantage to the industrious Sapsucker.  It is believed the Anna's Hummingbird numbers and survival chances are much greater in areas where Sapsuckers are abundant.

 From the sunlight creating the sugars in the tree sap to the insects to the tiny foraging birds to the birds and animals that feed on them. The small cog turns the bigger cog slowly then the biggest cog moves infinitesimally.  The cogs and wheels move at their own speeds, infinite in scale both large and small, up and down. Which can you see, global warming, Chickadees feeding or tree sap rising?

I think Mr. Leopold could comprehend all of the cogs and wanted us to just understand that they existed .

I do not think we ever were smart or responsible enough to "tinker" any part and we surly have not by this point in history we have demonstrated "intelligence". We would be hard pressed to show "precaution".

Hell, we have now even shown that we have adult supervision. 

On another note,

Happy Lunar New Year!
Year of the Tiger
Happy Valentines Day 

                       

Who's the daddy?

Millions of years ago the Earth's land mass were arranged differently.  A group of birds formed in to what would become known as the duck species of today.  In that nebulous bird soup a smaller group forged it's own identity, we know them today as Wigeons.  

In the time since then the Earth's slow but sure tectonic plate action separated the initial core group into isolated groups. Today two species of Wigeon are found in the Northern hemisphere divided between the Eurasia and North America land masses. This is just a personal observation but it took a true lack of imagination with a over ridding zeal for accuracy to name them the Eurasian Wigeon and American Wigeon respectively.

 American Wigeon Drake

 Another fine example of an American Wigeon

 American Wigeon Drake and Hen

 American Wigeon Drake and Hen

The polar ice cap during the past ice ages as well as the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans formed the large physical barriers the allowed all the two species to evolve into what we see today. Remember the females chose the males that impress them the best, the tastes in the old world went to the red and the new world went to the green.

Two years ago while walking in Titlow Park in Tacoma, Washington I came across a Male Eurasian Wigeon in a flock of American Wigeons. He stood out with his beautiful red head and silvery body feathers. At the time I took some photos and did not think about it much. I had seen just three Male Eurasian Wigeons before in the Puget Sound area. I was just elated to have been able to photograph one.  They are not very common and the numbers vary each year.

Eurasian Wigeon Drake at Titlow Park

 Here both the American and Eurasian Wigeon on the wing. Notice a strong metallic green on the wing of the Eurasian Drake

A few days ago I was near Titlow Park again and the sun broke out from behind the thick cloud cover. I took a quick left and headed to Titlow to see if there was anything new going on there. I was kinda surprised to find a flock of American Wigeons exactly where I had seen them two years ago. Even though I was surprised to find the flock I was not too surprised to find the Male Eurasian Wigeon still with the flock.  

In the spring of each year millions of both species migrate North and mingle in Alaska.  When the time comes to head south there is some confusion and inevitably birds from both species get caught up with the wrong group and end up migrating South along the respectively wrong side of the Pacific Ocean.  This also happens to the birds that live in the Atlantic Ocean Basin.  While the Males of each species are easy to tell apart the female are all but impossible. These birds that have gone the wrong way have no choice but to stay with the birds that look similar to the ones they are used to. When they migrate North again the following year they may or may not find their own kind.

Some of these "lost" birds settle in with their new flocks and take mates. The calls and breeding behaviors do differ but not so greatly that the birds to not find each other attractive. Being distinct species their mixed offspring are hybrids and take on the characteristics of both. Since there is variation on how the genes split the outward expression of the genes creates a variety of beautiful and unique birds. As to if these offspring can successfully breed themselves, I do not know, I would assume that they could due to the species not differing greatly.

During my visit I thought I have found a second Male Eurasian Wigeon. As these two male Wigeons maneuvered closer to each other I notice on of the red headed Drakes differed from the other. After a few minutes I realized the second Drake I had found was one of these Hybrids.

American X Eurasian Wigeon Drake on the left with an American Wigeon Hen.  It is easy to see the characteristics of both of the species in the Male. He clearly has Eurasian body feathers and a head that is red but patterned like the American with green highlights.

 Our hybrid in the center flanked by two American Wigeon Drakes

This photograph sums up my whole article in it's self. The duck in the foreground is an American Wigeon Drake, the second is an Eurasian Wigeon Drake, the third is an American X Eurasian Wigeon Drake and an American Wigeon Hen in the back ground.

Since it has been two years since my first sighting of the Eurasian Wigeon Drake in this flock I do not think it is too much of a leap to conclude that the hybrid duck may be his offspring.  OR...There may be a pure breed Female Eurasian Wigeon in the flock that mated with an American Wigeon.

Either way, I am sure that some where else in this flock there might be one or more female hybrids also. Due to the gray and red color morphs common to the females as well as the similarities of the females in both species normally, I doubt I would be able to find one that I could clearly identify, photograph and share with you. They are active birds and while I can get close enough for decent pictures, none of them would cooperate long enough to take family portraits.

As I have pointed out before,  I am an amateur naturalist who makes causal observations on what I see in my limited world.

I could be wrong. I could be right. DNA testing may provide the final answer.  I am sure none of the ducks are going to fess up to it. But then again none of them are going on the Maury Povich Show to figure out who is the babies daddy. They just make pretty babies.

When is a duck not?

Last Sunday I took the dogs to Sequalitchew Lake on Fort Lewis. It is a small lake that does not allow gas motors. Over the past twenty years I have seen a wide variety of wildlife on and around the lake. During the winter storms it offers a safe fresh water refuge just two miles inland from the Solo Point area I have written about recently.

The past few weeks here have been one set of warm storms after another and it will continue for at least ten more going by the weather reports. I wanted to see what was on the lake and hunting over head. Bald Eagles frequent the Trout and Bass filled shallows.

The dogs burned off their energy west of the lake allowing me to slowly drive the gravel road on the south side of the lake. Nothing, nothing, nothing and then suddenly around the next little clearing, nothing. I did see a new beaver lodge which made me mentally review how long it had been since I had been out there. My past few visits found military exercises in this part of the post and the roads closed. With limited access I just stopped going out there about three years ago.

As I came upon the last pull out along the lake I spotted a flock of Canvas-backed ducks on the far bank. I pulled in and let the dogs out for a new sniff. I looked at the ducks for a few seconds and whistled for the dogs and put them back in the car.

What a beautiful sight. Calm protected waters with food and companionship. Let's imagine we are a duck looking for a place to rest. We'll start with a quick fly by to check out the approach and landing paths. When I say "quick" I mean flying by thirty to fifty miles per hour. A lose orbit puts us on track to land just in front of those Canvasbacks. 

 With the landing zone coming up fast it is easy to see the flock of Canvasbacks are a mix of males and females, off to the left a small group of Mallards have separated themselves. The Canvasbacks are divers the feed in deeper water while the Mallards are dabblers and feed from the surface in shallow water.Once we land we can see who is friendlier and hang out with them.

   WRONG! ABORT.! GO RIGHT...LEFT....GO GO GO GO!

(If you have not seen the problem by now it is unlikely you would last long as a duck.)

At the base of the tree is a hoop blind with a duck hunter looking back at me with binoculars. If we had been ducks rocketing in he would have been tucked under the netting waiting until we were in range.

A lack of movement when I looked at the Canvasbacks  made me pulled the dogs back to the car. I did not see the hunter until I looked at the pictures.  I am a birder, I have no bitch with the hunter so we cleared out so he can have his turn.

I get them the rest of the year. I think I get the better deal. My season is longer, more inclusive, no bag limit and I can shoot my quarry time after time.

Then go back again tomorrow.

Oh, when it is a decoy.

...then a whale swam by.

December 18, 2009

My grandson and I went out bird watching after a major bout of holiday cookie dough preparation for a cookie making party later in the week. He was pretty pumped up on the ingested samples and needed to be set free in the fresh air. I loaded him and the dogs up for a trip to the beach. Of course any time I leave the house with him is a reason to pass by the Eagle nest on the creek. As we approached the creek I could see a birding friend was already there photographing the roosting Great Blue Herons. The Herons have selected the Douglas Firs on the Western bank of the creek to soak up the morning rays. They are directly below the active Eagle nest.  We talked and caught up on our recent birding adventures. The topic turned to Loons. I told him that I had recently seen loons at Solo Point. He pondered this for a moment and we were off to Solo Point.

We pulled up to the waters edge and my car quickly emptied of dogs and grandson. They know the drill. A free run on the beach. My friend and I began to scan the distant Sea Lions with our cameras. As I looked for Loon silhouettes a rush of air pierced the waters surface just yards off shore leaving a column of mist over the back of a whale

A whale was surfacing for air as it passed. I was stunned. I have seen so few whales I stood there for a few moments forgetting that I had a camera in hand.

And then it was gone.

I called my grandson back over to where we were standing and told him to watch for the whale to come up again. We had no clue as to how far it would go before coming back up. It's direction and speed seemed to be constant for the five breathes it had taken during our first sighting. A few moments later it came up about one hundred yards further along it's course.  Luckily it was still very close.

At the time I saw the whale I had no clue as to what kind  it was. After looking at the photos and on line resources my wife and I concluded it was a Gray Whale. My best guess as to it's size....twenty-five to  thirty feet long.  It was moving about walking speed, rather a slow and mellow pace.

The near land mass in the back ground is the Southern tip of Ketron Island and the far is McNeil Island. As the whale entered the channel between Ketron Island and Solo Point the Sea Lions further out on the gravel barge buoy began to bark wildly.

As the whale slipped under the surface for the last time a Sea Lion surface right on it's tail. The Sea Lion snorted when it saw us on the shore, then followed the whale for another hundred yards then turned toward the buoy where the flotilla was still barking.

There were no Loons there that day but it was great!  I called it in to a State Whale Hotline and reported the location and time. I received an e-mail the next day telling me that this whale hade been seen in the area for the week prior. I have been checking their web site and see that a young Gray Whale is still orbiting the lower reaches and islands of the area.

Gray Whales give birth to their young in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico then migrate to Alaskan waters to feed during the Summer. In the Fall as they migrate South back to Mexico some of the offspring from the previous year that have been driven off by their mothers take the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland. This path is dangerous for the inexperienced juveniles.  The narrow waters and islands of the Southern reaches of the Salish Sea do not lead back to the open ocean. The urge to travel south takes the young whales up to a hundred miles inland. They will not eat until next summer when they go back to Alaska so food is not a problem. They can however waste too much energy finding their way back to the ocean and decrease their odds of surviving their first year along. Not all of them find their way back out.

All we can do is wish them the best and a safe trip.

Today

"You can't always get what you want...."

You Can't Always Get What You Want

If you have not figured it out by now, I spend a lot of time watching Bald Eagles. The pair that nest on the creek near by are seldom "up close". That along with the weather I can see them far more often then I can "observe" them.

Last January the Salmon run was in full swing. Plenty of salmon had slipped past the gauntlet of nets across the mouth of the creek. The Eagles had caught so many of them by this point the shoreline was spotted with gulls and ducks eating the leftovers from the days before.

I never saw the Eagle coming (neither did the salmon) but I sure did hear it hit.

The water in front of me exploded as an eagle that had silently made it's decision on which fish looked best, left it's perch high above and skillfully made it's approach on it's unsuspecting prey. The glide and snatch did not happen quite as the eagle had planned. The fish was a little bigger then it had appeared from that high perch. The talons sunk deep in to the head of the salmon and as the eagle followed through the salmon did not come out of the water and the eagle went in.

I brought the camera up to my eye as the eagle jumped clear of the water. The auto focus took forever to decide what it was going to do, by then the eagle had gotten this far...

(click on each photo to enlarge) 

The salmon was thrashing violently and the eagle was flapping it's wings wildly trying to keep it's balance as well as it's grip on the fish's head.

The struggle up to this point has only been two or three seconds since leaving the water and it looks as if the eagle thinks it can take a breather. The fish was losing momentum and a calm fell over the two of them.

The commotion had already begun to attract the scavengers. Even with all of the partially eaten fish along the water's edge everyone would like fresh fish if they can get it.

The moment of stillness was broken by the fish. It began a series of even more violet and directed thrashes that incrementally drug the eagle down the slippery slope to the water.

The eagle saw the water coming and fought the fish to a second standstill.

One last burst of energy on the fish's part and a reality check for the eagle and it was over. The eagle stood there. It was very quite, the gulls that had begun to swarm noisily melted away silently.

After a brief rest the wet and tired eagle walked in to the water and stood there for a few seconds scanning all around as well as it's own feet. Then with out a sound it took off and flew back to it's high perch to recover.

I made my way back to the car and lit it up. The radio came on.

I am sure we can all agree the eagle never heard of the Rolling Stones but how poetic is that?