Out of The Mist

Away from the Bay:

In the early morning mist the great egret hunts for food along the lower reaches of Salmon Creek.

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Dedication:

This week's post is dedicated to my brother and his dog. They led me Salmon Creek, in Vancouver, Washington, where they immediately encountered angry ground wasps. After some timely medical assistance they are both doing fine. Without my brother's guidance this week's post would not have happened.

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A great blue heron approaches the egret.

The egret heads upstream for a quieter hunting spot.

Surprisingly, the heron continues to advance towards the egret's prior location, as if the egret was still there.

From downstream, another heron approaches the same location. 

The posture of both birds has an unusual masculine, defensive look.

They seem to resemble weight-lifters, flexing their muscles with their elbows extending out to their sides. If the evolutionary divergence of humans and birds occurred over three hundred million years ago, it is amazing to think how deeply this masculine, posturing must be embedded in both lifeforms.

The second, downstream, heron continues to approach.

The upstream heron reflects the posture and also wades towards the egret's prior location. As the tension rises it is clear why the egret wanted no part of the coming confrontation.

It is interesting how the heron's can tip their beaks in the air and still keep their eyes focused straight ahead. 

The original heron slows its direct advance into a slow, shrinking, circling.

The downstream heron continues forward.

The heron's close to within five or six feet. If they get any closer, a single strike from their opponent, could create a mortal wound.

The circling and posturing... 

...continues for a couple more moments.

Ultimately, the territorial discussion is resolved without bloodshed. The herons part ways, return to their corners, and resume their more usual hunting postures.

Upstream the egret has already resumed its hunting without being involved in all the hair raising posturing.

Further upstream a robin shares its food with other robins with far less concern. 

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!

Larry

The Education of Oz

The distant sounds of crows, circling around some unfortunate soul, guided my kayak as I approached the Union Bay Natural Area. The sight of gadwalls in flight momentarily diverted my attention.

Drawing closer to the crows it became evident that the object of their affection was a young hawk.

Presumably a young male Cooper's Hawk, or possibly a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, who in any case looked no larger than the crows. 

The hawk may even have been smaller, but it made up for its lack of size with its acrobatic maneuvers. The photo is a bit distant, but the hawk's body is flying upside down, with its head twisted right side up. It seems the crow is having second thoughts.

The crow decides to vacate the area.

The chase is on. 

It is somehow reassuring to see a crow being harassed.

Finally, the hawk grew tired of the game.  The hawk flew away to land among among smaller trees and bushes.

To my surprise I noticed that the young hawk was not alone. A relatively mature female Cooper's Hawk sat nearby patiently watching.

Only her head moved as she tracked the movement of potential food sources.

Ultimately she would move enough to expose a band on her leg with the code "2V". Yesterday I learned from Ed Deal that this bird was banded by Martin Muller near her nest at the University of Washington near the end of June. She was still in her juvenile plumage at the time so she is just a second year bird. Not only have her feathers changed, but her eyes have changed color as well.

This younger bird is one of two birds that were following her around. Did you notice the lighter color of this young bird's eyes?

For a brief moment the two young birds were close enough to be photographed together…

...as they watch the female moving among tight branches just a few feet off the ground. 

Note: It is also interesting to compare the striped coloring on the chest of this young bird…

…with the barred coloring on the chest of a mature bird from earlier this summer.

Eventually, one of the young birds tries to help. If you look carefully the female and one of the young birds can be seen moving among the branches. You must admit their camouflage is rather impressive.

It turns out that one of the younger birds had been banded by Martin Muller in Ravenna Park at the end of July. If you look close you can see the code "OZ". 

My assumption is that the two young birds were hatched in the female's nest this spring on the UW Campus and that she is leading them from one location to the next to show them how and where to hunt. Maybe the interlude with the crows was just a bit of impromptu flight training. In any case, it would seem it all contributes to the education of Oz.

On Another Note:

This bird was spotted yesterday, sitting in the sun, at the Union Bay Natural Area. Can you guess what type of bird this is? If so please leave a comment below. Thank you!

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!

Larry

Breaking News | Grebe Update!

While reading last Saturday's post, "In Search of Elegance", Ann Marie Wood wondered if the bird in the story, might be a Clark's Grebe, rather than the closely related and far more common, Western Grebe. 

From what I have read, the Clark's Grebe is more common south and east of Puget Sound, but is relatively rare in Union Bay and western Washington. As a matter of fact, in my earliest Bird Guide, circa 1983, there is no mention of a Clark's Grebe, the distinction between the two types of birds has apparently been found in the last couple of decades.

When consulting newer guides distinctions can be found, related to the color of the feathers around the eyes.

• The eyes of the Western Grebe are surrounded by dark feathers and 
• The eyes of the Clark's are surrounded by white feathers, 

however in the winter, the guides show that both types of birds can have a mix of black and white feathers around the their eyes.  

For comparison, here is a photo of what is clearly a Western Grebe, taken yesterday morning, southwest of the Union Bay Natural Area.

The guides also mentioned the birds can be distinguished by:

• The calls they make (which I have never heard), 
• and the color of their bills.

A National Geographic Guide, circa 2002, says:

• The bill of the Western Grebe is yellow-green and
• The bill of the Clark's Grebe is orange.

While a Sibley Guide, circa 2003, says:

• The bill of the Western Grebe is dusky yellow and
• The bill of the Clark's Grebe is bright-yellow to orange-yellow.

Ann Marie suggested we ask for expert advice. I agreed.  

This afternoon Ann Marie's powers of observation were proven correct. This email from Connie Sidles explains:

Dear Larry, 

I've been meaning for a long time to thank you for posting your lovely photos of Union Bay, and for describing the birds you find there. But your shots of the Clark's Grebe (present today, along with three Westerns) gave me the nudge I needed to email you my thanks.

Your photos were key in identifying the Clark's. I asked Dennis Paulson to take a look at them on your blog, and he thinks they are definitely Clark's. He noted that even in yellow light, the dark orange at the base of the bill was typical of Clark's. Without your amazing skill at taking these pin-sharp photos, that detail would have been missed. I certainly couldn't see it in the field!
Anyway, thank you, dear Larry, for sharing this great bird with all of us. It is only the second time in all the 119 years of record-keeping that Clark's has been found. The only other record occurred in July 1989, when Kevin Aanerud heard two calling. I never thought I would be privileged to actually see a Clark's at the Fill myself, but thanks to you, I have. 

- Connie 

Here is a close up of the bird in question, which helps make the orange coloring obvious.

Here is another Western Grebe, from a couple of years ago. Now that Dennis has pointed it out, the dusky-green color is clearly different from the orange-yellow above.

Thank you to all the folks who offered guidance on this issue, in particular, to Ann Marie, Connie and especially Dennis Paulson for contributing to my birding education. 

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!

Larry

In Search of Elegance

Sunday morning, just after dawn, I passed under 520 and paddled into Otter Gap. Three different times last winter I spotted otters in the area between Marsh and Foster Islands. 

On Sunday, a single bird with no visible signs of locomotion, silently circled in serpentine figure eights between the islands.

Oddly, the bird appeared alert, aware and completely relaxed all at the same time.

With its beak tucked out of sight, its head positioned at mid-ship, and its paddling taking place below the water's surface, this bird and western grebes in general, always remind me of...

...toy boats. It almost seemed as if this bird's movement was supplied by a rubber band attached to a little plastic propeller. Undisturbed, the bird circled left and right, clearly aware of my presence, but unperturbed.

Occasionally while grooming, its beak would become visible, making it hard to maintain the toy boat illusion.

When another boater and his dog appeared nearby, the grebe came to attention and moved out of their way, but did not leave the area.

I have only seen western grebes on Union Bay during the cooler months and never more than three birds at once. If memory serves me right, in the book, "In the Life of a City Marsh", the authors imply that 65 years ago western grebes were much more plentiful here. Maybe when our water pollution is reduced, by the new 520 bridge, the number of wintering western grebes will increase. I hope so.

Western grebes are a challenge to photograph. For one thing their dark and light color pattern makes it difficult to get a good exposure without losing the detail in the white or the dark areas. But even more challenging is trying to capture the elegance of the bird.

All grebes have their feet at the south end of their body, which can look awkward, and when looking them square in the face their elegance is not always obvious. Still there is something magically elegant that is readily apparent in person.

Complementing the bird with a colorful background is nice but it still does not quite convey the feeling.

Focusing on the vibrant red eyes can help.

Adding a reflection does not hurt, but still there is something missing.

Oddly, it may be that less is more.

It almost seems like more of their elegance is apparent when the dark colors of the bird blend into the background. In the photo above, the striking triangular shape of the white head and yellow bill seem to pop off the page a bit.

Still, that does not quite convey their beauty.

Maybe it is more the twist of the neck that makes them look so elegant.

It is very hard to say.

 Ultimately...

…one simply must admit….

…the beauty of life and...

…the joy and the vibrance... 

…can simply not be captured in a photograph. No matter how I try to entice you, the beauty and elegance of western grebes, and nature in general, can only truly be experienced first hand.

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city! 

Larry

Grebe Update:

Click here to find out if the bird above is truly a Western Grebe or a Clark's Grebe.

520 Update:

By the way, starting on Monday, the north end of Foster Island will be closed for the next month.

Sadly, progress has already begun. The good news is it looks like the area being cleared, for 520 expansion, is the most narrow portion of Foster Island, immediately north of the existing freeway. Actually, I guess it is not free any more, so technically, it is no longer a freeway.