If you were to select a single bird specie as your role model, Which would you choose? Predators like hawks, eagles and falcons tend to be mascots for our sports teams, but do they really model the behavior we would like to see in ourselves and our offspring? We have chosen the raucous and slow Great Blue Heron as our Seattle City bird. Does that make it our local role model? How about the American Goldfinch, our state bird? This week’s post is about none of these. Read the story at:Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!
Larry
If you have been spending time on Union Bay lately you may have noticed some large wooden boxes appearing at the water’s edge. This is not exactly an attempt to lower the average cost of housing in Seattle.
It is an attempt to provide nest sites for one of our more colorful and unique ducks. Learn more in this week’s post:
The yellow warbler makes me think of sunshine and warmth.
The otter and the carp remind me of the cold, wet and muddy depths of Union Bay. This week’s post has some of both. I hope you enjoy it!
Have you been watching the battle for Foster Island. The native lifeforms are fighting to survive an onslaught of alien invaders. It can be challenging to keep track of who is who. Sadly, the team colors for both sides are generally green with an occasional flash of yellow, orange or brown. See the latest updates on:
Who is native and who is not?
This week’s post follows the interactions between a band bullies and a red-tailed hawk. I found I was a bit surprised by the turn of events. Read the story and see the photos on:
This duck’s specialized bill, and its shoveling function, make the bird’s name easy to remember. Determining its gender requires a closer look. Learn the easy keys to identifying our four most common ducks by species and gender. Visit this week’s ‘Sitting Duck’ post on:
It is always wonderful to come across an old friend after an extended absence. Sometimes, we have to hold our tongues when we notice that time has not been exactly friendly. I am thankful my friends provide me the same courtesy.
This week’s post covers a fairly peaceful encounter with a young green heron near the bridge to Foster Island. You might even learn to discern a young female from a male. I hope you enjoy the post!
This week’s post shows how different creatures and birds are dealing with the heat. I think they are similar to humans in that some like the heat and some do not. By the way this dragonfly (from Duck Bay) is called an ______ – ______ Skimmer. The photo gives you an obvious hint regarding how to fill in the blank parts of its name. The full name and many other photos are included in this week’s post on:
What species of local Puget Sound bird has a red mouth? Does it only eat a single species of fish? Where have all the male mallards gone? Which Union Bay predator weighs in at about 6 ounces? See the photos in this week’s post on: