Patriots, Pilgrims & Perennials

As we approach Thanksgiving some birds have left Union Bay for the winter, some are new arrivals and some have been here all year round. Do you know which are which? This week's challenge is to look at each of the photos and decide if the bird is likely to be seen on The Fourth of July, on Thanksgiving Day or both. To help with your classification you can sort the birds into three groups:

• Patriots. 
• Pilgrims &
• Perennials. 

Note: Because the independent minded bird can be seen anywhere at anytime there could be exceptions when a Pilgrim was seen on July 4th or a Patriot on Thanksgiving Day. However in this quiz we are looking for the patterns not the exceptions. Good Luck! 

A Female Gadwall with her Chicks:

A Young Barn Swallow:

 A Male Wood Duck:

Male Hooded Merganser:

Eurasian Wigeon:

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet:

White-Crowned Sparrow:

Golden-Crowned Kinglet:

Flycatcher:

Cliff Swallow at the Nest:

Northern Pintail:

Male Red-Winged Blackbird:

American Crow:

Female Pileated Woodpecker:

Male Northern Flicker:

Male Downy Woodpecker near the Nest:

Trumpeter Swans (and maybe Tundra too):

Male Common Mergansers:

Bald Eagles (Eva and Albert at the Nest):

Osprey:

Peregrine Falcon:

(Thank you to Tom Talbott Jr for the use of this photo and to Barbara Deihl for arranging permission.) 

Canada Goose with Goslings:

Tree Swallows:

Male Northern Shoveler:

The Answers:

Gadwall - Perennial
Barn Swallow - Patriot
Wood Duck - Perennial
Hooded Merganser - Pilgrim
Eurasian Wigeon - Pilgrim

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet - Pilgrim

White-Crowned Sparrow - Perennial

Golden-Crowned Kinglet - Pilgrim (Not a sparrow)*

Flycatcher - Patriot, A reader* suggested this might be a Western Wood-Pewee (it would still be a summer time bird). Apparently I am still learning the differences between these birds. The Pewee looks browner while the flycatchers are more greenish. I apologize for not being conclusive on this one.

Cliff Swallow - Patriot
Northern Pintail - Pilgrim
Red-Winged Blackbird - Perennial
American Crow - Perennial
Pileated Woodpecker - Perennial (It has been a couple months since my last siting.)
Northern Flicker - Perennial
Downy Woodpecker - Perennial
Trumpeter Swan - Pilgrim
Common Mergansers - Pilgrim
Bald Eagles - Perennial (However they do seem to take vacations.) 
Osprey - Patriot
Peregrine Falcon - Perennial (Not a Merlin)*
Canada Goose - Perennial
Tree Swallow: Patriot
Northern Shoveler - Pilgrim

Patriots = 5
Perennial = 11
Pilgrims = 8

The Pilgrims are highlighted to help remind you that these are newly arriving birds you may currently be able to find. In spite of the freezing temperatures at night these "pilgrims" have come south to enjoy our nice warm winter weather.

*Thank you to Harsi Parker for catching my oversights!

I hope you have enjoyed the challenge. Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city!

Larry

PS: By the way Connie Sidles sent an email to say she has published a new book "Fill of Joy" which could make a nice Christmas gift. You can find out more at her website:

In The Balance

This turtle seemed to want to remind us of how precariously we are balanced. It is now our actions that determine the fate of life on this planet.

Some creatures strike a chord in hearts...

...and make us fiercely protective.

Some strike a more humorous note.

Some more common creatures we take for granted and generally just ignore them. Can you guess what bird this is?

If we stop and pay attention we see that even the common creatures can have moments of beauty and elegance. Life is beauty. I would guess that ninety five percent of art attempts to reflect the beauty of life.

The last two photos were a Canada Goose and an American Coot. Honestly, I seldom take a second look at either one. But when the sun came out on Monday both birds took the opportunity to preen a bit and they each had some moments.

As the coot stretched not only was it elegantly balanced...

...but you could also see that its foot is lobed instead of webbed.

Here are a couple more shots of the coot.

But it is was the Canada Geese that were truly the "Bathing Beauties".

Twisting and turning they churned up the water. 

They even turned themselves upside down (or downside up) while attempting to clean all the right spots.

(This photo provides an easy view of how a webbed foot is different from the lobbed foot of the coot.)

While the splashing and thrashing was fun it was actually the drying of the wings that showed off the majesty of the Canada Geese..

This goose looks a bit like it is conducting a symphony, don't you think?

Particularly in the dark days of November appreciating the beauty of life should help inspire us to protect and nurture. Someday our children will thank us for the life and beauty we save.

Larry

PS: My friend Laurence took some interesting goose photos while in Kauai. If you would like to compare the Canada Goose to the Hawaiian Nene, Click Here.

A Conservation Catalyst

Woody Wheeler loves nature, the environment, birds...

...and having fun! 

Woody is devoted to bringing people and nature together for the mutual benefit of both, he is truly a Conservation Catalyst. On October 13th I was lucky enough to get to accompany Woody as he led a band of birders on a bird count. 

Woody has been doing monthly bird counts with Jim Corson...

... and the "Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail at Sandpoint" FOBGTS for three years. 

Jim and the FOBGTS are replacing invasive, nonnative plants with native vegetation 

along a couple of miles of the Burke Gilman (from Metropolitan Market on 40th N.E. to N.E. 65th near Sandpoint). The goal of the bird counts is to provide objective evidence that shows an increase in native birds. Woody says, "Thus far, both the number of species and individuals has increased, but very gradually.  We are testing the hypothesis that restoration of the trail will result in greater bird species diversity and overall numbers."

Once on the trail Woody led the group to six predetermined locations where we all remained perfectly quiet for five minutes. During this time we searched the native plants & trees for birds. The total count for this October bird count walk was 27 different species of birds. 

The varieties included Sparrows, Starlings, Robins an Crows that we all see daily but in addition there we're birds that we don't see or hear nearly so often. In particular it was amazing to listen as Woody was able to identify many birds by their call alone. (Woody completed the Master Birder class with Seattle Audubon, the Cornell Bird Biology course and Ornithology at the University of Washington. This plus his years of experience  and sense of humor make every moment spent with Woody a delightful, educational experience.) Woody pointed out the difference between the sound of a Pacific Wren and a Bewick's Wren.

Woody noticed a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee as well as the more common Black-Capped Chickadee. While I was trying to find and photograph a single Anna's Hummingbird Woody would point out 2 or 3 different hummingbirds all within view at the same time. 

Watching a Downy Woodpecker work its way up and down a tree was another delight along the way.

Still this Golden-Crowned Kinglet was truly the "highlight" of the walk for me.

The good news is tomorrow is once again the second Sunday of the month. If I understood correctly on the second Sunday of each month at 9 am Woody leads another bird counting walk on the Burke Gilman. They depart just south of the Metropolitan Market on 40th Avenue N.E. and aim to be back around 11 am. If you would like to meet and accompany Woody on another one of his entertaining and educational bird counts, tomorrow is your chance. Jim and Woody have confirmed tomorrow's walk.

Update:

Hi Larry,

     Woody will be leading the group tomorrow (Ed. 11/10/13).  You can sign up at: http://seattle.cedar.greencitypartnerships.org/event/3770/    Time is 9AM-11AM, same place.

Hope to see you! 

Jim Corson

More about Woody:

What is you favorite songbird? I don't limit myself to just one but I do especially enjoy the sound of a Canyon Wren  and the song of a HermitThrush.

What is one of your favorite birding spots? Big Bend National Park  and the Davis Mountains State Park  in Texas.

When did you first get interested in birds? In elementary school I was on patrol duty when I noticed a flock of Cedar Waxwing's feeding in an apple tree. The apples were getting a bit old and fermented so the rather "happy" Waxwings were bit intoxicated which made for a very entertaining experience. 

Has your work experience been focused on birds? No, not just birds. Early on I worked in Glacier National Park and got a degree in Wildlife Biology. Over the years I have worked with The Nature Conservancy, Seattle Parks Foundation and The Audubon Society.

Where do you work today? I work as a Conservation Catalyst which means I lead interpretive nature and birding trips (locally and abroad), give presentations about Yellowstone, Natural History and Ecology, teach classes and provide environmental consulting.

Could you give us an example of environmental consulting? Sure, working with the Friends of North Creek Forest in Bothell.

Have a great day on Union Bay...or on the Burke-Gilman Trail!

Larry Hubbell


Odds and Ends:

Just in from Nathan Ramsey on the 520 bridge.

Hi Larry,

I mentioned in a comment on your blog recently that I saw both eagles on one of their normal lamp posts.  Well today on the way home I saw them together again, and managed to get a picture of it!  See attached.  It was 3:54pm on Friday 11/8/13.  It's an...iphone picture, but proof they are around together and the nearby construction doesn't seem to cause them to pay any mind, at least for now.  As I was approaching, one of them was sitting on the lamp post.  Then I noticed some LARGE wings very close by, and watched as the second eagle landed on the lamp post right next to the other.  The picture was probably taken about 5 seconds later!

I enjoy reading the blog and seeing your great pictures, keep it up!

Nathan Ramsey

Sammamish