Wildlife of Edmonds, WA. 2015

[Bill Anderson]

New year, new thread.

If anyone is interested in tracking our Edmonds area wildlife, here is my Edmonds Wildlife thread for 2013:
http://www.pnwphotos.com/forum/showthread.php?7934-Wildlife-of-Edmonds-WA

and 2014:
http://www.pnwphotos.com/forum/showthread.php?9587-Wldlife-of-Edmonds-WA-2014

New Year's Day I did all my birding from my back yard as I wanted to watch some bowl games. No problem, as the jay family is always lurking nearby, waiting for a handout. They are the perfect models, as they will work for peanuts. I shot these at -1 exposure compensation due to the low, bright, winter sun reflecting off the jays' feathers.


I believe there are five jays in the family. Even though one will call the others to dinner, it is still first come, first serve.


Dexter, the Anna's hummer who guards my backyard, is a regular visitor to the hummingbird feeders on my second story back deck since the onset of cold weather. I bring the feeders inside at night to keep them from freezing. Dexter will fly up to the deck to watch me hang them up the next morning.

Here is Dexter hovering around the feeder in the afternoon.




And here he is getting ready to bed down for the night. I don't know why, but he was extremely noisy as he perched in my rhodie bush. Maybe a rival male was nearby. His constant, rapid chatter sounded like a telegraph key. This is a good spot for him to go into his nightly hibernation, as it will receive the first rays of sunshine the next morning when the sun clears the tops of the tall Doug firs in Pine Ridge Park at the end of our court.

 

[squirl033]

that first jay looks like a potential candidate for the Heimlich maneuver... i can't imagine he actually swallowed that whole thing!

 

[Bill Anderson]

that first jay looks like a potential candidate for the Heimlich maneuver... i can't imagine he actually swallowed that whole thing!

The jays have developed a technique for flying off with two peanuts at once. They will swallow the first peanut and pick up the second one to carry away in their mouths. The crows, on the other hand, can only fly off with a single peanut at a time.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Saturday (1/3) could have been titled "A Tale of Three Hummers."

Dexter chilling out (probably quite literally) in "his" rhodie bush in my backyard.


Weslie hanging out on the fence behind the #1 viewing platform of the marsh. He took off after I snapped this photo and flew straight down the boardwalk directly at us, then veered off a short distance from us.


McInroe hanging out in a tree beside the #3 viewing platform of the marsh.


While it was a slow bird day, hummers weren't the only avian action. There were a few killdeer in the marsh. Yes, that is ice behind the bird.


Some small birds, including this black-capped chickadee, were in the trees along the marsh walkway.

 

[Terry O]

Odd, I seem to have the same shots

 

[Bill Anderson]

A flock of pine siskins invaded the marsh Tuesday (1/6) afternoon.



The flock would land on a single tree to feed.

 

[Terry O]

Nice shots, Bill - I shoulda turned around

 

[Bill Anderson]

I call them "pig" siskins because they will plant themselves at my bird feeders and not budge until they have cleaned them out. They will also threaten other birds that try to land and feed.

 

[Bill Anderson]

The Brant are back. Thursday afternoon (1/8) my son and I saw a small flock on the beach at Brackett's Landing North.
http://www.edmondswa.gov/government...monds-city-parks/bracketts-landing-north.html



A few more arrived as we stood on the jetty.




Most of the flock was scared off by a passing train.




The few that remained later took flight when a juvie bald eagle flew over the area.

 

[Terry O]

Wonder if they are just early, or just passing though. Seems like they are ahead of schedule if they are here for a while.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Friday (1/9) I found an interesting variety of birds while visiting several disparate Edmonds locations/environs, all within a mile radius and view of each other.

Willow Creek Fish Hatchery:
My nemesis birds, the ruby-crowned kinglet and its cousin, the golden-crowned kinglet, were continuing their mission of teasing me with flashes of brilliance but no clear, pinpoint in-focus shots.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Pt. Edwards: From the fish hatchery I drove slowly up Pine St. while keeping an eye on noted raptor perches such as the telephone poles, lamp posts, and the Pt. Edwards eagles' family tree. I noticed something perched on the eagles' family tree. My first thought was that it was the Pt. Edwards merlin.


I parked and walked back to the tree. Yes, it was the Pt. Edwards' merlin, who remained perched on the tree for quite some time. The morning overcast did not make for good lighting.






Public Fishing Pier: The next stop after lunch was the fishing pier with Terry and my son Daren.

A pigeon guillemot in non-breeding plumage was bathing itself fairly close to the fishing pier.

 

[Bill Anderson]

More shots from the fishing pier.

A small flock of black scoters flew past the pier.


A common murre was a ways off, but I got it with the long end of my 100-400L zoom.


A rhinocerous auklet was much closer.


Sunset Avenue: A ringed-neck duck was swimming off Sunset Ave. I have photographed this species several times in the fresh water of Sprague Lake at Mini Park in nearby Lynnwood, but I think this was the first time I have photographed it in Edmonds in the salt water of Puget Sound.

 

[Terry O]

I especially like the ring-neck shot, Bill. A nice grouping of species for the day too!

 

[nancyjwagner]

I've really enjoyed your posts on the birding forum, Bill, and since I keep coming over here to see what photos you've been getting, I joined. So, thank you for introducing me to this forum!

 

[Bill Anderson]

Nancy: welcome to the photo forum. Do you photograph birds?

 

[nancyjwagner]

Thanks, Bill, for the welcome! I do photograph birds along with other wildlife. Sure have enjoyed your photos.

 

[photographmemories]

Welcome to the forum Nancy! You have some great photography on your site!



Chad

 

[Bill Anderson]

Nancy: welcome to the photo forum. Do you photograph birds?

I feel like a real idiot as I did not know you are a professional photographer. Thanks for putting a link to your website on your signature line. Those are beautiful photos on your website.

People see my large, white Canon lenses and ask if I am a professional photographer. I tell them I have the best of both worlds: A professional's expenses and an amateur's income.

 

[nancyjwagner]

Thanks, Chad, you've got some great photos on your site, really enjoyed checking them out!