Hope's Challenge

This is Hope the female Osprey from the new nesting pair on the IMA light pole. The nest is on the south side of N.E. 45th St. directly across from the QFC in U-Village. It felt rather odd to hear the rumbling of buses and delivery trucks, along with honking horns and screeching brakes while I was taking these photos. However, perhaps the close proximity is just a step on our path towards achieving greater harmony with nature.

This is Hope's mate, Stewart, returning to defend the nest. Male ospreys generally have pure white chests, while the females, like Hope, usually have a necklace of dark spots strung across their chest. 

I believe this is Stewart and Hope's first true nesting attempt. Last year, they got a few dead branches to stick up among the lights but it was too little and too late to lay eggs and incubate. This year, even though the actual dimensions of the nest are somewhat hidden it appears to be of adequate size. If we assume Stewart has a wingspan of at least five feet then we can estimate that the nest is probably five or six feet across from east to west.

Given that the older and original Union Bay Osprey pair, Chester and Lacey, have chosen not to lay eggs this year, our only chance for local Osprey hatchlings rests with Stewart and Hope. Among those observing their progress, the tension is high and questions abound. 

Are the two young Osprey adequately skilled to be parents? Will they be able to chase away all the potential predatory birds, which would like to consume their eggs? Can they capture enough fish to feed themselves and their young? Will the local Bald Eagles allow them to keep a sufficient supply of the food they catch? Have their young hatched out already? On my July 4th photo expedition, I was hoping to answer some of these questions.

Earlier in the day, near Monty and Marsha's eagle nest on Montlake Cut, I met a young woman who suggested that Osprey have tufts on the back of their heads. It wasn't until I was taking this photo and saw how the wind pushed Stewart's feathers up that I realized what she was talking about. Suddenly, her comment made total sense. The mind is a funny thing, I have seen those upstanding feathers many times, but that particular view just wasn't in my default mental picture of an Osprey.

This photo shows Stewart leaving to hunt for fish. As he flew south towards Union Bay it was interesting to note how low he flew. He wasn't down near ground level, but he was often below the tops of the Cottonwood trees which lined the sides of his selected flight path. I wondered if this was an attempt to remain out of the sight of Talia and Russ, the Bald Eagles which have historically 'owned' the north side of Union Bay. The old saying, 'Out-of-sight, out-of-mind' may literally apply.

When Stewart returned from his hunting trip, his approach was hidden from me, but it appeared that he left food in the nest for Hope and possibly hatchlings as well.

Afterward, he walked out to his usual roosting spot on the east end of the light pole.

Once he was situated he began grooming himself. 

Moments later, the grooming stopped as Stewart burst off the light pole and began chasing a crow, which had apparently flown too close to the nest. It looked as those Stewart might chase the crow for a considerable distance until reinforcements showed up.

It was almost as if Stewart realized that with a growing crowd of crows his protective effort could be maximized at the nest. He immediately changed course and returned to the light pole.

During this episode, Hope stayed low down on the west side of the nest. You can just barely see the top of her head in this photo. 

For a few minutes, Stewart faced north, in the direction of the disappearing Crows.

Once he was sure the threat was gone, he turned in his usual direction and faced south towards Union Bay and the closest Bald Eagle nest.

With Stewart was back at the nest, Hope began gathering additional sticks.

Curiously, the closest dead trees, with upper branches which she could potentially break, were the same trees where I found the three North Flickers in last week's post.

The nesting instinct must have really kicked-in for Hope as she made numerous trips... 

...back and forth. Sometimes with a stick and sometimes without. Not every attempt was successful, but she never stayed away from the nest for long.

Curiously, similar to how Stewart almost always ended up on the east end of the light pole, Hope always landed to the west. From there, she would walk or hop her way back to the nest.

She did not limit herself to placing just the sticks she brought back, at times she appeared to be rearranging other furniture as well.

The most exciting moment was when she spotted a distant dark bird passing high overhead. I did not notice a white head or tail and really only saw a glimpse of the bird as it disappeared in the distance. Without any size perspective, I assumed it was an American Crow. 

Later, while looking at Hope's photos I noticed how every feather on her body seemed to be spread out and virtually standing at attention. She was really excited. Although I could not hear her call over the sound of the traffic, her mouth was open and I suspect she was vocalizing her displeasure as well.

When I looked closer at my one marginal photo of the disappearing bird I realized that just under the dark tail I could see large yellow feet. The talons of a young Bald Eagle. Hope chased after the bird until it was safely away from her nest.

Then, she immediately returned. As Ronda, another avid Osprey watcher, mentioned, 'If there was nothing in the nest she most likely would not be so intent on defending it.' I suspect that Hope's eggs have hatched and the young are still too small to be seen in such a high nest. Still, many of the questions from the beginning of this post now appear to have answers.

Are the two young Osprey adequately skilled to be parents? They appear to be making every effort with energy and enthusiasm. Quite possibly, yes.

Will they be able to chase away all the potential predatory birds which would like to consume their eggs or young? They are certainly trying and there appear to be a lot fewer eagles in the vicinity of their nest than compared with Chester and Lacey's nesting platform closer to Union Bay. 

Can they capture enough fish to feed themselves and their young? So far the adults both look happy and healthy, but this question will not be fully answered until their young are able to leave the nest and begin to hunt for themselves.

Will the local Bald Eagles allow them to keep a sufficient supply of the food they catch? Same answer as above.

Have their young hatched out already? I do not have proof positive, but it does appear that Hope is no longer sitting down in the middle of the nest like she did for the last month or so. I suspect this indicates that one or more of the young have hatched.

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

Friends of Arboretum Creek:

One of the biggest challenges for Osprey is their supply of fish. I have never seen an Osprey eat anything else. I really do not think they have any viable alternatives. Not only must they contend with Bald Eagles stealing the fish they catch. They must compete with River Otters, Double-crested Cormorants, Common Mergansers and Great Blue Herons. Plus, there are smaller birds, Belted Kingfishers, Green Herons, Hooded Mergansers and Pied-billed Grebes, etc., which reduce the supply of small fish before the fish can get large enough to feed Osprey.

One of the best things we can do for Osprey, and all of these other fish-eating birds, which are found around Union Bay, is positively increasing fish habitat. There are two obvious methods to increase habitat in the city. Either increase the quality of existing water, e.g. less pollution, lower temperature, better cover or increase the quantity of water and therefore the volume of habitat. For the last couple of years my friend Dave Galvin and I have been working on a restoration concept which we hope will do both.

On Monday, July 15th, we will be hosting the first community meeting for Friends of Arboretum Creek. The meeting will be:

•  5 to 7 pm
• Tatiuchi Room 
• Japanese Garden,
• 1075 Lake Washington Blvd East, 

In addition to sharing what we have learned about revitalizing Arboretum Creek, we will be discussing our upcoming design grant request, looking for community input, explaining how your voice can make a difference and sharing refreshments. Please reserve the time on your calendar! There will be additional information in the next post.

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

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

Larry

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to 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. (If natives 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 intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

Is this a native tree? The diameters of the fully mature leaves are approximately 3 or 4 inches.

Scroll down for the answer.

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

Vine Maple: When I was a young my grandfather worked in a sawmill in Oregon. When we were out in the woods one day, I remember asking him what type of tree this was. He responded as a lumberman, "Ah, that's just that old weed Vine Maple". It does not grow tall enough or straight enough to be used as lumber. However, the Native Americans used it to weave baskets and I find it to be one of the most beautiful trees in the understory of our Pacific Northwest forests. Often the brilliant green leaves of this native tree are temporarily illuminated by flickering shafts of sunlight penetrating the shadows between our native Douglas Fir and the Western Hemlock trees.

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

The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional workaround is to set up my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net

The Challenges of Youth

As we step into summer we can see and hear young birds all around us. The calls of juvenile crows lack the crisp, occasional 'Caw' of the adults. Their young voices are considerably more gentle and soft. However, there is no mistaking their repetitive and persistent 'cAhh, cAhh, cAhh' for anything other than begging.

Even if young crows never made a sound their pink gape, at the corners of their mouths, and their abnormally pale and reflective irises would give themselves away.

Young Northern Flickers provide both visual and auditory clues as well. This one was repetitively begging with a soft and gentle version of an adult's 'Clear, Clear, Clear' call.

Visually, the clues to this bird's youth include the short, white line of its gape and the faint, almost rusty red, color of its malar stripe. Adult male Northern Flickers, in the local Red-shafted subspecies, have a much more strikingly, vibrant red color on their cheeks, which we will see in following photos.

The persistent begging of the young woodpecker attracted this adult American Crow who settled onto the light directly above the young flicker's head. 

It is interesting to note the varying lengths of the crow's outer coverts. The bird is obviously molting. The shorter and darker feathers are the new ones. The older and browner feathers show the fading effects of extensive sunlight exposure.

Immediately, the young Northern Flicker scrunched itself down, as if it was trying to become one with the wood. Under the circumstances, the effectiveness of the deception was probably minimal. 

By the way, a variation on the first photo shows the flicker also has a hint of a faint reddish 'v' on the back of its head. This red coloring will also turn bright with time. Surprisingly, this feature is inherited from the locally less common, yellow-shafted subspecies of the Northern Flicker.

Maybe, the crow decided the young woodpecker was too large and healthy to make an easy meal or maybe it was encouraged to leave by the pair of Bald Eagles who suddenly began circling and calling overhead.

Quickly, the young flicker scurried to the far end of the crossbar. No doubt he was hoping, the surrounding foliage would provide some visual protection from the sharp-eyed eagles. The flicker's apparent attachment to the crossbar made me wonder about its ability to fly. Was it stuck on the telephone pole, while alternating between begging for food and advertising itself as an easy meal?

A few days later, I came across another young flicker that clearly knew how to fly. When I first noticed the bird it was perched in a tree with what were apparently two other members of its family. It followed its father's lead and flew down to the grass in front of me.

This young bird does not have any reddish tinges on its head so we can be assured it is a female. It has already lost its light-colored gape, so you may wonder, How can we be certain of its youth?

I was convinced by the adult male, when it choose to feed the young bird. 

The process was repeated multiple times. The adult was apparently collecting small ants and then regurgitating them deep into the inner recesses of its offspring. It is scary how close the sharp tip of the young bird's bill comes to the eye of the adult.

Notice how brightly the adult's malar stripe stands out compared to the young male in the earlier photos

After a few minutes, the third flicker also flew down from the tree. The 'v' on this bird's head was significantly more obvious. The genes from the yellow-shafted subspecies are apparently surprisingly well-spread among our local Northern Flickers.

From the fence top, the young male flew down to join the adult. The red on this bird is nearly a bright as the malar stripe on the adult behind it. None the less, I am assuming it was a juvenile bird because of the way it followed after the adult.

Curiously, the adult male did not exhibit a 'v' on the back of his head. However, the young male, which I am assuming to be his offspring, does have the 'v'. If my assumptions are correct then I am left to wonder, How did this genetic code get passed along? Could the adult male pass on a recessive gene that is expressed in its offspring? Could the mother pass on a male gene that is not displayed in females? or If neither of these are possible, Does the situation imply that the genetic father might have been different than the male who apparently fed and helped raise this younger male?

Ultimately, the young male watched the adult go on about its way without sharing. The adult seemed to be saying, 'Its time for you to find your own'. The adult's behavior seemed to reinforce the belief that this was a young male nearing maturity.

After the Eagles moved on, I returned to check on the young Northern Flicker hiding on the crossbar. He was sitting pretty, and quiet, still fairly well hidden back in the foliage. Survival is a curiously difficult challenge for the young. They want to call out to their parents, to encourage being fed, but they don't want to attract too much predatory attention. They don't want to expose their lack of flight skills but at the same time, they need to be practicing flying. Flying allows them to stay close to an adult which not only optimizes the efficiency of the parental gravy train but it also provides the youth with repetitive examples of an adult's predatory awareness plus they also learn how and where to find food.

Achieving maturity requires a delicate balance between a healthy appetite, learning new skills and adequate caution. The harsh truth is only those who successfully navigate the path between these competing demands will be able to pass on their genetic inheritance. Once again, I am amazed by the similarity of the challenges faced by all life on earth.          

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

Larry

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to 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. (If natives 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 intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

Are the butterfly and flower native or not?

Scroll down for the answer.

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

Western Tiger Swallowtail: The butterfly is native. Surprisingly, the most common plant that I have seen this specie utilizing lately is the invasive Himalayan Blackberry, as shown in the photo. Click on the red highlighted link (and then scroll down) to learn how to identify this invasive blackberry as opposed to the native blackberries which we want to retain and encourage.

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

The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional workaround is to set up my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net

Signs Of Change

Yesterday, as Marsha flew north across Montlake Cut, it may have looked just like hundreds of other flights she has made. She landed in the old-world Cedars just north of the University of Washington (UW) Waterfront Activities Center (WAC). 

No doubt Monty called out to greet her as she arrived. Sitting on top of the cedar trees provides them an unobstructed view of Union Bay and many potential food sources such as fish, ducks, herons, and geese. 

By the way, I have heard from multiple sources that, earlier this Spring, Bald Eagles raided the Great Blue Heron colony on the UW Campus. Apparently, they have put the colony out of business, at least for this year. Eagles have to eat and adults raising young are under a great deal of pressure. 

I certainly hope the herons return and attempt to recolonize and raise young on the campus, next year.

Since early May, I believe the eaglets have grown from hardball-sized eggs to nearly as large as their parents. The Center for Conservation Biology provides a nice summary of research which says that by six weeks of age, the eaglets they studied, weighed ninety percent of their mother's weight. (Click Here to read for yourself.) I am estimating that our Montlake Cut eaglets may now be six or seven weeks old.

This photo, from earlier in the week, may be one of the last times we see Marsha apparently sitting down in the nest, at least during the current breeding season. The young eagles are simply getting too big and dangerous for the adults to remain within reach. 

The parents will still deliver food but I do not think they need to provide much in the way of protection or warmth. The young eagles are now a significant danger to virtually any creature which is foolish enough to spend time in the nest. Also, I suspect they can now generate and retain all the heat they need - at least as long as the parental gravy-train continues.

One obvious sign of juvenile development is their change of focus. Instead of sitting down in the nest, while looking up and watching for the parents to bring food, the young are now becoming much more observant of the world below.

I wonder if they are watching the boats passing through The Cut or gazing at the sunbathers lounging on the opposite shore. They might be watching the Crows, Gulls or Terns as they fly by or observing the tasty young Canada Geese following their parents around on the water below. 

Actually, I suspect their primary focus should be watching for fish migrating through The Cut. Historically, there were abundant upstream spawning grounds in the Lake Washington watershed back before The Cut completely changed the drainage. By the way, I found these spawning maps, for local Chinook, Sockeye, Coho and Kokanee, extremely interesting.

This was the first time I remember seeing one of the eaglets actually noticing my existence. In the future, no doubt this same piercing look will strike fear in the hearts of many creatures, just prior to their untimely demise.

As the curtain of leaves closes on the south side of the nest the young eagles are clearly focusing down on the world of water to the north.

I suspect that during the next few weeks we will see the young move out onto this northern branch while exercising their wings. The process is aptly called, 'branching.' It hopefully culminates with a successful flight. I am guessing the first one will fledge sometime around the end of July. Click Here to read about the fledging process.

During the next six or seven weeks, if you see one of the young eagles on the ground, and especially if they are unable to fly, please do not approach them. I would recommend keeping people and pets away while immediately calling the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynnwood at:

425.787.2500

They can provide you guidance regarding the appropriate next step(s).

The reason Marsha's flight across The Cut stood out to me was because it was preceded by one of her young spreading its wings and beginning to flap. Marsha immediately left the nest and headed north. Yesterday, was the first time this year, that I observed one of the young eagles executing their strength-building exercise. Marsha's reaction seemed like a significant change to me.

Even with their wings spread the young, dark eagles can be hard to see in the dappled shadows. The movement is easier to observe in person. In this photo, both juveniles are still in the nest. One is sitting to the left of the branch while the other is behind the main trunk with its wings open and visible on both sides. It will be interesting to see when they leave the nest for the first time.

Here, the northern juvenile takes a turn at flapping. 

Hopefully, by mid-Summer, they will have learned to fly. Doing so in a timely manner is critical because by Fall they will need to have learned to hunt on their own. 

Surprisingly, the most visible sign of eaglet development cannot be seen by peering through the cottonwood leaves and searching the nest for the movement of young eagles.

Their most obvious sign of development is the changing behavior of their parents. Monty and Marsha have dramatically increased time spent at their non-breeding roost, just north of the WAC. In the future, maybe we will remember this moment of change because it coincided so closely with the Summer Solstice.

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

Larry

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to 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. (If natives 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 intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

Is this a native or non-native plant?

Scroll down for the answer.

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

Spiraea (or Hardhack): This is a native plant. I suspect the bumblebee is a Yellow-faced Bumblebee, but apparently, there are a few other species that look very similar.

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

The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional workaround is to set up my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net