On Thursday morning just before dawn I went searching for subjects to photograph. Ultimately, the sunshine and I found this great blue heron. This week’s post is about the creatures and thoughts we found along the way. See the photos on:
Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature illuminates the city!
Larry
A Spotted Towhee and an American Robin may look a bit alike, however they are actually quite different. They differ in their size, colors, sounds, feeding habits and even what they indicate about your yard. See the photos and learn more about Towhees on:
Have a great day on Union Bay – where nature lives in the city!
Larry
See more of the right-handed egret that took a left turn and ended up in Portage Bay on:
Have a great day on Portage Bay…where nature also lives in the city!
Larry
If you have been out to Foster Island since the windstorm on Tuesday you may have noticed this topless cottonwood tree. I have come to suspect that a female pileated woodpecker may have been roosting in the tree. In any case, she has certainly been renovating a new shelter. See the photos and read the story on:
Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature finds refuge in the city!
Larry
This week’s post covers an encounter with a flock of waxwings. The beautiful birds are already preparing for spring. Find out how on:
Have a great day on Union Bay…where we share our city with the birds!
Larry
This week’s post covers cedar waxwings. They were photographed eating berries near to Montlake Cut. Have you ever wondered why they are called waxwings? Are you curious what they have to do with, “The Point of No Return.” See the photos and learn more on:
Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!
Larry
Have you noticed which type of young duckling is most common on Union Bay these days? The mallards seem to have been pushed out of first place, at least for the last week or so. Although I am sure the mallards have long since secured their 1st place position for annual reproduction. You can see more at:
Events in and around Montlake for the week of June 11th – 18th. Click the event name to get all the details.
Friday, June 13th
Saturday, June 14th
– 8:00 pm, Graham Visitor CenterSunday, June 15th
Tuesday, June 17th
Ongoing
– Wednesdays, 11:00am
Wednesday, June 11th
Tuesday, June 17th
Is it time to move to Assisted Living or Memory Care? – 4:30 pm, Aegis Living – 2200 E MadisonVisit our neighborhood calendar to keep track of upcoming events. All registered users of Montlake.net are authorized to submit events via our Post Your Event tool.
The South Portage Bay Habitat, located where 15th Avenue East dead-ends into the Portage Bay wetlands, is now complete. The park will have a dedication ceremony on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 3:00 pm. All Montlake neighbors are invited to attend. The last addition to this wonderful pocket park is several large boulders showing the artwork of Barbara Earl Thomas. The stones depict crows, one of the many bird species that inhabit our neighborhood parks.
The habitat is connected to the Montlake Community Center grounds on the west edge of the parking lot. A trail travels through the wetlands to 15th Avenue East and the entrance to the habitat.
A fleet of neighborhood workers have transformed this former blackberry vine-covered lot into a scenic spot for the neighborhood to enjoy.
With the help of grants from the city and a huge amount of sweat and time from numerous helpers, there is now a trail to the water, native plantings, a small patch of lawn and a bench.
There is hardly a blackberry bush in sight. The habitat provides a view of Portage Bay that is scenic and changes with the seasons.
I find it quite calming to sit and watch the water, boats, water lilies, ducks and other birds and know that I‟m a long way from the traffic congestion on the 520 viaduct over head.
Montlake residents owe a huge THANK YOU to all the workers who have donated their time and effort to bring us this nice addition to our neighborhood.
Interlaken Park’s Tall Trees
A dozen kinds of trees planted in Interlaken Park are taller than any of their peers known elsewhere in Seattle. The felicitous combination of dense forest, rich soil, and many years of growth, brings about this result. Some of these lofty trees are the tallest of their kind known in the entire state. I last measured the following trees in 2004 or 2005, when updating my book Trees of Seattle. In early December I intend to revisit and remeasure them. Anyone desirous of accompanying me on this expedition, please contact me.
After the remeasurements, I volunteer to lead a free tree tour for Montlakers on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 19th, beginning at 2:00, meeting at the trailhead off 22nd near Boyer. If you cannot attend the Sunday tour, but are curious as to the tree height increases, I will post them on my website, in my Articles section.
Here are the trees cited in my book:
110 feet White Birch
74 feet Yellow Birch
101 feet Mazzard Cherry (this fell)
84 feet China-Fir
90 feet Smoothleaf Elm
50+ feet Cultivated Hazel
90 feet Norway Maple
92 feet Red Maple
115 feet Eastern White Pine
96 feet Hybrid Planetree
165 feet Coast Redwood (photo below)
70 feet Pussy Willow
Arthur Lee Jacobson
(206) 328-TREE (8733)
alj@consultant.com
http://www.arthurleej.com