Bi?Bəda?

On Wednesday morning, Monty and Marsha's young eaglet/fledgling was begging for food every forty-five seconds, on average. In my mind, the constant begging indicates the bird is hungry, However, it also implies that it has been eating and is healthy enough to have the strength to be constantly calling.

Last week, the eaglet did not leave the nest. The nest left it.

Unless you have a very clear memory, it can be hard to pick out the spot where something no longer exists. The following photo, from April, should help.

My most sincere thanks to all of you who let me know the nest was gone, especially since, I was out of town at the time. Thanks to Kris, Martin, Ronda, Marina, Susan, Sue, Anthony, and Jain! (If I have overlooked anyone else please forgive me.) It is wonderful to realize how much everyone cares about Monty and Marsha and how they, and their offspring, have become part of our community. A very special Thank You to Martin, Ronda, and Kris who have been very invested and have provided multiple updates and observations regarding the local Bald Eagles!

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Breaking News - Nearby Eagles

Ronda would like everyone to know that Talia and Russ, the Bald Eagles that nest northeast of Yesler Swamp, have successful raised three fledglings this year. They are all, Victoria, Vivian and Vernon, on the wing and doing well! Thank you! Ronda.

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This is virtually the identical perspective, as in the previous photo, but it was taken in the second week of April. The nest was impressive, especially when you think that Monty and Marsha selected and individually removed each cottonwood branch from nearby trees. One at a time, they flew them back to the nest. Essentially, the nest represents hundreds of flights and many, many hours of work.

By the way, in this photo, Monty is standing on Marsha's back. I suspect he was trying to persuade her that additional mating was needed to properly utilize the nest.

Moments later, Monty flew over and landed on the short, broken branch, that gave way when a previous version of the nest fell. This is the same broken branch that is nakedly apparent in the missing nest photo.

This fork in the tree has only two major branches. As a result, the nest looks like a saddle without a cinch (or without a third major support) to help hold it in place. Curiously, Monty and Marsha keep coming back to this tree and as close as possible to the same site. Sadly, their nests keep falling. 

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The posts below provide some history about Monty and Marsha, and their first fallen nest:

• New Neighbors

• Eaglet Troubles

• Lucy Leaves Home

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This nest location does have an excellent view of Union Bay and Montlake Cut but it sure seems like the larger cottonwood, immediately south of this one, might be structurally superior. We will just have to wait and watch to see when and where they build next year's nest.

My understanding is this nest fell a week ago Tuesday. The next day, the young one was seen sitting in the fork where the nest had been. By Thursday, he or she was no longer at the nest site (Thank you, Martin). Kris saw it on the ground on Thursday and then safely up in a tree on Friday. Early on Saturday morning, Marina saw it back on the ground. When I arrived I searched the cottonwood grove around the nest extensively but could not find it.

I did find the parents on top of an old world Cedar tree just southwest of the nest tree. I was just about to give up and head home when I happened to glance at a house across the street.

I was stunned to find the young one sitting on the chimney. I don't remember ever seeing Monty or Marsha, or one of their previous young, on a chimney or even a house. It reinforces the idea that as generations of birds live in the city they may become progressively more at ease with humans and the built environment.

The parents could easily see the young one from their perches in the Cedar tree. He or she was perfectly silent while I watched. I interpreted this as good news. I suspect, it had just been fed, which would explain its unusual silence with the parents nearby. Being perched high in the air reinforced the idea that the young bird could fly. Plus, it implied that its wings were functional and unharmed. Finally, the quiet presence of Monty and Marsha suggested that they fully accepted that this is their offspring, even though it was no longer in the nest, and that most likely they will continue executing their parental duties i.e. feeding and looking after it.

On Sunday, between Martin and I, we watched the young one all afternoon. Martin found it on the east side of the cottonwood grove and it stayed in basically the same small area the whole time.

Our best guess is the young one is just under three months old. At this point, it is or will most likely soon be larger than its parents. As this photo shows, it is fully equipped physically, with an adult-sized beak and talons. It has the tools, but has not yet developed the confidence and skill to secure its own food.

Notice the closed eyelid that is protecting the eye while the talons are nearby. I believe this is the nictitating membrane as opposed to the outer eyelid that matches its nearby feathers. The outer eyelid is partially visible in the last photo at the end of this post.

Often it would call for food. 

Here is a quick example of the sound.

As I mentioned in the previous post about this young one. I suspect that its flight feathers may have grown nearly 1/2 inch per day during the last month or so.

Typically, when a young eagle fledges their flight feathers are the longest they will ever be. It will take two years for them to replace the feathers and the replacements will all be shorter.  Apparently, a little extra lift when they are learning to fly helps them make the most dangerous transition of their lives. Essentially, nature gives them "training wheels".

In addition to begging for food, it would occasionally walk about among a limited set of branches, but it did not fly while I was there.

Once, it grabbed a twig on a branch.

I am uncertain whether this behavior displayed hunger, boredom, or just a youthful desire to explore everything. Although, I do remember another young eagle doing a somewhat similar exercise with a pine cone. You may read that story by Clicking Here.

Later in the afternoon, when I thought I heard one of the parents calling nearby. The young one became excited and moved in that direction.

However, it still stayed put. Its feathers seemed a bit askew. I think there are still more gaps between the feathers than what we see with adults. Perhaps, it still needs to do more preening, cleaning, and growing. I suspect the gaps make flight harder, but luckily, not impossible. 

By staying in one general area for many hours I wondered if the young bird was essentially creating a virtual nest site. 

Maybe the nest left the eaglet a little before it was truly ready to fledge.

Bald Eagle development is kind of similar to humans. They learn to fly before becoming independent, like a young person learning to drive before leaving home. 

Surprisingly, Bald Eagle maturity is on a very different schedule. This young eagle will be independent, and hunting for all of its own food, by Winter. It will not be mature (with a white head and tail) for another four and a half to five years. It will not be ready to take a mate, declare a territory, build a nest, and raise young until after it matures.

In the meantime, if you visit the southeast corner of Montlake Cut and follow the sound of the begging calls you might get to see the parents returning with food for their "little" one.

On Sunday, many of the people who passed by asked what we were looking at. A common response, upon seeing a young fledgling eagle for the first time, is, "That's the Baby?"

In honor of the Coast Salish people, on whose land we live, it seems appropriate the call this young one, Bi?Bəda? Which I understand means Little Baby in Lushootseed. 

It sounds like, "BeeBahDah", to me. You can hear it for yourself by Clicking Here.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and Black Birders are welcome!

Sincerely,

Larry

ps: If you have not yet responded to the Arboretum Foundation survey there is still time. Please Click Here and let us know what is important to you. 

(I wish I had remembered to write about how important peace and quiet is in the Arboretum. Hearing the birds sing, the wind in the leaves, and the sound of flowing water is so much more soothing than the sounds of vehicular traffic. I wonder if Lake Washington Blvd could be closed on Sundays? or If we could add more speed bumps? Slower traffic makes much less noise and it is safer for all creatures - including humans!

Also important from nature's perspective, would be writing about the value of fish and access for them via Arboretum Creek, which needs to be removed from the pipe just upstream from the mouth of the creek.

Keystone plants are another great subject to help promote nature and birds. See more below.)

Going Native:

Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. 

I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants. 

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Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope ", explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially during the breeding season. 

Note: Pollinators are also included as Keystone Plants.

This video explains the native keystone plants very nicely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030

The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard: 

Click Here

Additional content available here:

https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf

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In the area below, I am displaying at least one photo each week to help challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms. 

A.

B.

C.

D.

Can you identify these four trees species that are members of the top ten Keystone tree genera in our ecoregion?

Scroll down for the answer.

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They are:

A = Vine Maple - Acer circinatum

B = Pacific Crabapple - Malus fascia

C = Oregon Oak - Quercus garrana

D = Bitter Cherry - Prunus emarginata

Here is their order, by genus, in terms of value to the greatest number of insect species and therefore birds"

Genus:         Insect Species Count:

Quercus                  436

Prunus                    340

Acer                        238

Malus                      237

This information comes from the National Wildlife Federation. Click Here to see the supporting documentation.

Are partially eaten leaves good or bad for trees, butterflies, and birds?

Nature is complex. The more I learn the more my perspective changes. Previously, I thought of partially eaten leaf indicated an invasive insect was damaging a plant or tree. However, given the value of caterpillars to young birds, a few partially eaten leaves might really, be a sign of a functional ecosystem.

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.

In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:

                Larry, Please add me to your personal email list. 

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Thank you!

*******************

The Comment Challenge:

Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse. 

Bottom Line: 
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Sincerely,

Larry

A Parting Shot:

Parental Protection

Last Sunday, as my friend Ronda and I watched, a third mature Osprey attempted to land in Hope and Stewart's nest. My mind spun through one question after another. Was the unknown Osprey trying to get to the defenseless little chick? Was it attempting to steal left-over fish from the nest? Was the visitor a male trying to mate with Hope? Why did the parents allow the visiting Osprey to come so close? The behavior of all three adults seemed unusual. What was happening?

The morning before was much easier to understand. The air had been crisp and cool, while the sun slowly crept above the horizon, behind a band of early morning clouds. Stewart and Hope, were actively improving their nest, just south of the U-Village QFC (in Seattle). In the photo above, Stewart brings up a clump of grass he snagged from the Intramural Activities field a hundred feet below.

Taking turns, Hope would later bring a similar load to the nest. In my experience, adult female Ospreys have a brown "necklace" of speckled spots across the upper chest, while the adult males tend to have a pure white chest. 

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These gender specific identifiers are why the prior pair of Osprey, that nested further to the south in the Union Bay Natural Area, were called Chester and Lacey. You can learn about their trend-setting nesting attempts on Union Bay in these posts:

        - Dancing with Osprey

        - A Symbiotic Hope

        - Something to Celebrate!

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Hope and Stewart would also occasionally break off little, brittle branches from the trees lining the remnant of Ravenna Creek immediately to their west.

Nearly two hours after dawn, their young chick finally seemed to wake up. At least, that is when its little head first became visible above the edge of the nest. Hope promptly provided pieces of fish. Overall, the morning seemed quiet and uneventful. Sunday was different.

When I arrived Stewart was sitting peacefully on the west side of the nest, which is one of his favorite perches. Hope was sitting on our right. Can you see the size difference? Among all of the predatory birds around Union Bay the females tend to be larger than the males. 

A moment later Stewart began calling excitedly and promptly jumped off the light pole and headed east.

He had spotted a passing Bald Eagle and immediately began diving, harassing, and chasing the immature bird away. It takes around five years for Bald Eagles to mature. Up until then, they do not have a mate, a territory, or offspring. Their lives are almost carefree. They do have one all-consuming concern, find food. Stewart clearly did not want his young helpless offspring to be a snack for a hungry eagle.

Stewart wasn't leaving anything to chance. He dove with his talons extended. The eagle twisted around to meet the potential attack.

The eagle tried to circle away but Stewart was smaller and more agile. The diving harassment continued.

Osprey have a wingspan that is nearly 90 percent of the eagle's but they typically weigh less than half as much. (This allows Osprey to lift fairly large fish out of the water, shed the water, and fly away.) It also makes the Osprey faster and far more maneuverable. Clearly, Stewart would not be satisfied until he was sure the eagle was no longer a threat.

If they actually physically engaged, the much larger eagle would almost certainly win. But if Stewart hit the eagle from above he could do some damage. For example, an eagle with a broken wing, would be unable to hunt and (without human intervention) would almost certainly die.  

The constant diving, rolling, and general anxiety was apparently too much for the eagle. It turned and headed north away from the osprey nest. Stewart apparently made the point that the airspace around the nest (i.e. the IMA Fields, the UW Golf Course, and U-Village) are a no-fly-zone for Bald Eagles when he and Hope are raising young.

Less than a hour later, Stewart was on his primary roost preening and cleaning his feathers while Hope was in the nest with the chick.

When the chick stretched its tiny wings, it was obvious that it will be some time, maybe a month or so, before it has grown flight-worthy feathers.

Just before noon the third Osprey approached. It came quite close before the parents reacted. Normally, Stewart notices Osprey at a distance, he (and sometimes Hope) immediately start calling, Stewart usually leaps into the air and approaches the intruder similar to how he went after the Bald Eagle and with a similar outcome. I doubt that both he and Hope missed this bird's approach.

However, this time, Stewart chose to simply fly over to the nest and land on the far side of the chick. Apparently, positioning himself so that he and Hope were on opposite sides of the young one.

They were clearly not happy with the approaching Osprey, but they were not their normally  aggressive selves either, especially Stewart. He could easily have intervened earlier in the Osprey's approach instead of allowing it to within four or five feet.

The approaching Osprey had its legs extended as if attempting to land, although its talons were not open as I would expect if it was attempting to attack or snatch something out of the nest. Hope, on the left, seems to react the most strongly.

Finally, both of the parents spread their wings. Apparently, trying to hide the location of the young chick.

The process was repeated multiple times.

 The third Osprey would circle away and then approach the nest again.

Sometimes, it would hover above their heads, as if searching, before circling around again.

Surprisingly, neither parent left the nest to chase the Osprey during these interactions. After the third adult gave up and flew away to the south Hope left the nest and followed it. But it was not an aggressive, close up harassment of the Osprey. It was as if she was tailing it from a distance just to make sure it did not circle back again.

I do not have a definitive explanation for the behavior of the third Osprey. However, one idea that I wonder about is whether it might have been a second year bird that migrated north this Spring for the first time. Possibly, it has not yet found a mate or a territory. (I understand that Osprey typically spend their first two winters in the south before attempting their first return migration to their originating, northern breeding grounds.) Perhaps, this Osprey might even be one of the young that hatched in this nest in 2021. I wonder if that might explain the parent's almost lackadaisical response to its approach?

The good news is that the parents continue to go out of their way to care for their young bird. This is Hope returning to the nest yesterday morning.

Imagine the heat in the nest when we have cloudless days with the sun constantly beating down. The young bird is unable to fly and so it has no access to water. Its only source of moisture is in the fish that the parents provide. Plus, on the top of the light pole there are no overhead branches providing shade and protection from the sun.

Hope landed on the far side of the nest. Then promptly and carefully walked around the young bird.

It appeared quite intentional when she ended up on the southeast side of the nest, with her wings partially spread, turning herself into a parental umbrella.

Moments later Stewart returned to the nest, demonstrating his devotion as well. I suspect he brought food, although given the angles involved I could not be positive.

During the next month or so, if you visit the IMA field just south of QFC, (binoculars suggested) you can watch the development of the young Osprey and the constant care provided by the parents. Hopefully, their vigilance will be rewarded with the young bird fledging and finding its way in the world.

In case you did not read their exciting fledgling story from last year, you may want to check out:

        - A Gordian Knot

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and Black Birders are welcome!

Sincerely,

Larry

ps: If you have not yet responded to the Arboretum Foundation survey there is still time. Please Click Here and let us know what is important to you. 

(I wish I had remembered to write about how important peace and quiet is in the Arboretum. Hearing the birds sing, the wind in the leaves, and the sound of flowing water is so much more soothing than the sounds of vehicular traffic. I wonder if Lake Washington Blvd could be closed on Sundays? or If we could add more speed bumps? Slower traffic makes much less noise and it is safer for all creatures - including humans!)

Going Native:

Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. 

I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants. 

*************** 

My friend Elaine Chuang shared several resources (that were new to me) from the January 2022 Washington Ornithological Society meeting. By the way, Elaine credits Vicki King for researching and supplying this information. Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy in the book "Nature's Best Hope " explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially during the breeding season. 

Note: Tallamy also includes those plants that support pollinating bees and bugs as Keystone Plants.

Here are some relevant links.

A video all about native keystone plants for wildlife:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030

Resources for adding keystone native plants to your yard. 

https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf

This updated collection includes a variety of new and different books, perspectives, and interactions between plants, birds, and insects. Thank you to Vicki King for continuing to collect all of these exceptionally helpful works. Also, thank you to each of the individuals who contributed.

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In the area below it is my intention to display at least one photo each week to help challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms. 

What type of plant has these flowers? Is it native to our area? 

(This photo was taken in the Arboretum during the last week of June.)

Scroll down for the answer.

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Orange Trumpet Honeysuckle: Yes. It is a native plant and, surprising for me at least, a climbing vine. The first time I saw one I was positive it was too beautiful and exotic looking to be a native flower, but it is! The flowers are obviously adapted for pollination from hummingbirds and the fruit that follows is attractive to a number of native birds. I have some starting on a trellis but I am considering adding some on my Vine Maple.

Click on the name of the plant to learn more.

*****************

The Email Challenge:

Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.

In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:

                Larry, Please add me to your personal email list. 

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Thank you!

*******************

The Comment Challenge:

Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse. 

Bottom Line: 
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Sincerely,

Larry