Wednesday (5/25) the baby chickadees in the nest box near #1 viewing platform of the marsh were getting fed. These were taken with my 100-400L II telephoto zoom. I returned Thursday and Friday with the 500L + 1.4x TC but saw no action.
Wildlife of Edmonds, WA. 2016
- Thread starter Bill Anderson
- Start date
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A spawn of the evil minions of the Dark Lord was walking around the boardwalk Friday (5/27) afternoon. It may have left its nest too soon. Its parents and a robin were raising &*^%$ in the nearby bushes. Taken with the 7D + 24-105L wide angle zoom.
The eyes of baby crows are a spooky pale blue, then change to black as they mature.
Just as I was wondering about the seasonal presence of Caspian terns, two showed up Wednesday night evening for fish off Sunset Ave. Terns prefer to travel in pairs because one good tern deserves another. 
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A bad back and poor lighting have kept me from posting any photos for the past 2+ weeks. Monday afternoon (6/13) started out overcast and my back was feeling better, so Daren and I made the usual rounds in hopes of getting some photos.
A red-wing blackbird fledgling was engaged in serious panhandling at the retention pond at the end of the Pt. Edwards walkway.
A female looking for bugs under the lily pads.
A red-wing blackbird fledgling was engaged in serious panhandling at the retention pond at the end of the Pt. Edwards walkway.
A female looking for bugs under the lily pads.
Later that evening some Caspian terns were looking for fish at high tide off Sunset Ave.
A pair of killdeer have a nest somewhere at the Edmonds playfields and were doing the "crippled bird" act. One bird was doing it in the street, which is not very smart.
Its mate was not in the street. I never did see the nest, but I didn't look very hard as I did not want to get too close.
A pair of killdeer have a nest somewhere at the Edmonds playfields and were doing the "crippled bird" act. One bird was doing it in the street, which is not very smart.
Its mate was not in the street. I never did see the nest, but I didn't look very hard as I did not want to get too close.
Tuesday morning (6/21) I was photographing a train passing below Sunset Ave. when I noticed an osprey diving for a fish in the underwater dive park. I only had the 7D + 24-105L wide angle zoom on me as I had left the 5DIII + 100-400L telephoto zoom in the pickup.
The osprey flew up Sunset Ave. past my red pickup.
The osprey flew up Sunset Ave. past my red pickup.
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The osprey landed on a light fixture on Sunset Ave and began to fillet the fish.
It may have felt threatened by nearby gulls as it flew to the top of a telephone pole on nearby Edmonds St.
The osprey gave a dirty look to a crow that flew by.
The crow felt it best not to provoke the osprey and settled for scraps of fish that had fallen on the driveway below the pole.
It may have felt threatened by nearby gulls as it flew to the top of a telephone pole on nearby Edmonds St.
The osprey gave a dirty look to a crow that flew by.
The crow felt it best not to provoke the osprey and settled for scraps of fish that had fallen on the driveway below the pole.
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From Tuesday morning (8/16/16).
The lone raven continues to hang out in the vicinity of the parking lot at the south end of the Edmonds Marina between Admiral Way and the railroad tracks. Initially I did not see the raven up in the tree, but its calls were quite distinctive.
Unlike earlier this summer, the evil minions of the Dark Lord did not chase or harass the raven. I suspect it is because the crows' babies have all fledged and left the nest.
The raven flew to a telephone pole by the railroad tracks, then returned to the tree.
The lone raven continues to hang out in the vicinity of the parking lot at the south end of the Edmonds Marina between Admiral Way and the railroad tracks. Initially I did not see the raven up in the tree, but its calls were quite distinctive.
Unlike earlier this summer, the evil minions of the Dark Lord did not chase or harass the raven. I suspect it is because the crows' babies have all fledged and left the nest.
The raven flew to a telephone pole by the railroad tracks, then returned to the tree.
My son and I went down to the marsh Monday afternoon (8/22). I knew that photo ops would be limited due to the bright sunshine reflecting off the mud flats, but I took a few shots anyway.
Several tree swallows were flying over the marsh.
These two mystery, finch-like birds were chasing each other before landing on the tree where Wesley usually perches.
Mystery sandpipers. They were too far away for me to identify with the 100-400L zoom and I knew better than to drag out the 500L telephoto under these lighting conditions.
Several tree swallows were flying over the marsh.
These two mystery, finch-like birds were chasing each other before landing on the tree where Wesley usually perches.
Mystery sandpipers. They were too far away for me to identify with the 100-400L zoom and I knew better than to drag out the 500L telephoto under these lighting conditions.
The two mystery birds are really bugging me. I looked through some bird books and the closest I came up was the pine siskin, but the bills of the birds in my photos look too dark and they have no striping on their breasts. Here is another photo if it will help identify birds.
I posted a link to the photos on Tweeters. So far there have been two votes for the American goldfinch, our state bird.
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My shots from Tuesday (8/23) evening's golden hour at the Edmonds Marsh with the 5DIII + 100-400L II telephoto zoom. Due to the harsh horizontal sunlight, I was shooting in Tv mode at 1/1000, f/5.6 (camera default setting) using -2/3 exposure compensation.
A kingfisher was perched in a tree above Willow Creek on the far south side of the marsh. It began chattering loudly, so I was on the alert for some avian action.
The kingfisher began chasing a bird across the marsh. I assumed it was another kingfisher, as I see this often during mating season and when the birds are settling territorial disputes. I followed my usual policy of "shoot first and ask questions later."
While I was shooting, I discovered that the kingfisher was not chasing another of its species but a small juvenile raptor, probably a Cooper's hawk.
The kingfisher broke off pursuit about halfway across the marsh.
A swallow briefly took up the chase.
A kingfisher was perched in a tree above Willow Creek on the far south side of the marsh. It began chattering loudly, so I was on the alert for some avian action.
The kingfisher began chasing a bird across the marsh. I assumed it was another kingfisher, as I see this often during mating season and when the birds are settling territorial disputes. I followed my usual policy of "shoot first and ask questions later."
While I was shooting, I discovered that the kingfisher was not chasing another of its species but a small juvenile raptor, probably a Cooper's hawk.
The kingfisher broke off pursuit about halfway across the marsh.
A swallow briefly took up the chase.
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The hawk continued north across the marsh, headed for the hedge behind the boardwalk.
The hawk flew across the boardwalk, then made a sharp right turn and headed towards the trees east of the #2 viewing platform. It flew past a family standing on the boardwalk. By now the hawk was in the shade, but things were happening too fast for me to adjust the exposure compensation from -2/3 back to 0. I did some post processing to lighten up these two shots.
It continued past an observer on the #2 viewing platform.
The hawk was back in the sunlight when it disappeared into the trees.
The hawk flew across the boardwalk, then made a sharp right turn and headed towards the trees east of the #2 viewing platform. It flew past a family standing on the boardwalk. By now the hawk was in the shade, but things were happening too fast for me to adjust the exposure compensation from -2/3 back to 0. I did some post processing to lighten up these two shots.
It continued past an observer on the #2 viewing platform.
The hawk was back in the sunlight when it disappeared into the trees.
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The past two years (2014 and 2015) I have seen merlin fledglings hunting dragonflies at the Edmonds marsh in late summer-early autumn. Wednesday afternoon (8/31) I photographed what I thought (hoped?) was a merlin fledgling at the marsh.
When I examined my photos at home, I began to wonder if the "merlin" was on fact a kestrel.
Local raptor expert Bud Anderson confirmed that the bird was a female kestrel. It is only the second time I have seen a kestrel in Edmonds. My other sighting was a male at the marsh a year or two ago. I suspect both birds were just passing through town.
An evil minion of the Dark Lord began chasing the kestrel, which I last saw heading toward the Sound.
Note: Bud Anderson will be giving a talk on raptors at Bird Fest.
http://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com/index.php/schedule-for-event
When I examined my photos at home, I began to wonder if the "merlin" was on fact a kestrel.
Local raptor expert Bud Anderson confirmed that the bird was a female kestrel. It is only the second time I have seen a kestrel in Edmonds. My other sighting was a male at the marsh a year or two ago. I suspect both birds were just passing through town.
An evil minion of the Dark Lord began chasing the kestrel, which I last saw heading toward the Sound.
Note: Bud Anderson will be giving a talk on raptors at Bird Fest.
http://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com/index.php/schedule-for-event
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Sunday (9/4) my son Daren and I went down to the waterfront to check out the newly reopened fishing pier. The pier has been closed all summer for extensive rebuilding. We caught two of the marina's resident kingfishers (probably Don and Katy) chasing each other.
Katy flew over to the salmon sculptors. That is not snow on the rocks. Gulls took advantage of people being kept off the marina during construction to roost on the marina's north breakwater.
Katy welcomes everyone back to the fishing pier.
Katy flew over to the salmon sculptors. That is not snow on the rocks. Gulls took advantage of people being kept off the marina during construction to roost on the marina's north breakwater.
Katy welcomes everyone back to the fishing pier.
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