Showing posts with label ronald bog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ronald bog. Show all posts

New skyline at Ronald Bog

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Photo by Sam Hansen

Thank you to Meridian Park resident Sam Hansen who took this photo and tipped us about the fall of the "eagle tree" into Ronald Bog.

The tree, with yellow leaves, is center in the photo.

Martin de Grazia followed up with an article about the tree Favorite Tree: "Eagle tree" falls at Ronald Bog


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Favorite Tree: "Eagle tree" falls at Ronald Bog

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The "Eagle Tree" standing tall in 2008

Story and photos by Martin DeGrazie

It seems everyone in their life has a favorite tree. As a kid our family had a beautiful large Rainier cherry tree that adorned our front yard.

The tree was visibly leaning. 

As an adult my favorite tree lived across Ronald Bog from us. I learned to look at the tree as soon as I came out of our back door, sometimes missing the eagle right above my head in my own yard. 

I frequently took pictures of the tree, especially when I could capture its reflection in the still waters. 

Eagles built a nest but didn't stay

Birds would always flock to this tree. In 2023 I had mixed emotions when the Eagles started to build a nest in it. I considered purchasing a better camera to take pictures of baby eaglets but I was concerned for the other wildlife on Ronald Bog. I love all the critters in the water and did not want to see them disappear. 

Alas, my concerns were unfounded, as the eagles abandoned the nest. Canadian geese would enter the nest every now and then. This spring they were up there so much, I was afraid they would sit on eggs up there themselves. 

The tree is now lying in the water

This past weekend while I was out of town this beautiful tree fell into the water. 

I can't tell you how many times I looked over there and wondered if it was leaning more. We've had three trees fall into the water from our lot on the other side of Ronald Bog.

The stump was shattered

The silver lining is the tree in the water is a nice landing spot for other critters in the bog. Eagles, otters, turtles and other animals will all use it. But, I will miss it. 

I haven't been to that side of the bog in a long time and I am really impressed at all the new growth trees. They have really shot up. I expect we will see much more wildlife at Ronald Bog in the coming years. The end of an era, but a new one is on the way.


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Ducks on Ice

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

 
Photo by Martin DeGrazia

Someone forgot to tell Ronald Bog about the temperature warming. The bog was still frozen Monday morning, January 22, 2023.

The ducks appear to be a little puzzled.

--Diane Hettrick


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A frozen Ronald Bog

Wednesday, January 17, 2024


Ronald Bog is one of the first places to freeze. This photo by Martin DeGrazia was taken on Saturday, January 13, 2024.


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Birds of Ronald Bog

Thursday, June 8, 2023

 
Photos by Kristine Tsujikawa at Ronald Bog

Kristine Tsujikawa spent some time observing and photographing the birds at Ronald Bog. 

Oddly, reports from both Ronald Bog and Bitter Lake say there are no goslings this year. Even the goose pair that took over the new eagles nest at Ronald Bog and drove off the eagles (with help from a flock of crows) abandoned the nest and had no offspring.

--Diane Hettrick


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Bog Whisperer: Not sure what is going on with the eagle nest...

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Photo by Gary Hansen

Not sure what is going on with the Eagles these days. This morning I saw an Eagle fly up to the nest and quickly retreat when he got there. 

About 15 seconds later I saw an Eagle fly to the nest. 

I had assumed he ran into mother Eagle and left. 

A few hours later my neighbor Gary sent me this photo. A Goose firmly planted in the nest.

--Martin De Grazia


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Eagles at the Bog

Sunday, March 26, 2023

 
Listen! Agree.
Photo by Jan Hansen

This eagle pair recently set up housekeeping at Ronald Bog - the first eagle nest on the Bog.

Share with your community!
Photo by Jan Hansen

There are no fish in Ronald Bog, so these raptors will be open to other prey. If you live near Ronald Bog, keep your pets inside, or very close to you.

The Bog is between I-5 and Meridian, at N 175th in Shoreline.



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Eagle at Ronald Bog: Excuuuuuuuse me!

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Photo by Martin De Grazia

Whatever or whoever you are - this is MY tree and you can take your sorry self elsewhere!



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Bog Whisperer: Kingfisher has trouble deciding on pose

Thursday, December 8, 2022

 
This kingfisher, who was posing for her formal portrait from Martin DeGrazia at Ronald Bog, had a lot of trouble deciding on her pose. Right profile?

How about the left profile? It shows off my lovely brown ekg markings the best, and the white tip on my beak.

How about a 3/4 view - but wait - I don't have my feathers in place yet - Don't use that one! All right, I'm done. Catch me another day.

--Kingfisher

Update: Christine Southwick says that the lovely zigzag band across the chest identifies this kingfisher as a female. Pronouns have been changes accordingly.  - DKH



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Bog Whisperer: Crows on Ice

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

 
Photo by Martin De Grazia

Two days ago there were 4-5 crows walking on the ice at Ronald Bog. (See previous article

They obviously enjoyed it and shared the experience with a large number of their murder. (Really - a murder of crows).

Crows are known to play. They will drop fir cones at the peak of a roof and chase them as they roll down. I'm waiting for a photo of them will little sticks, hitting cones across the ice. 

--Diane Hettrick



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Bog Whisperer: Snow birds of Shoreline

Monday, December 5, 2022

Photo by Martin De Grazia
The snow, ice, and cold weather gave Bog Whisperer Martin De Grazia a chance to see the Bog Birds in different ways.

For example, this flock of geese, unconcerned about the snow on their backs - and they're not even Snow Geese!

Photo by Martin De Grazia
The Bog is actually quite shallow and often freezes over in cold weather. The crows don't usually spend time on lakes, so this is a novelty for them (and us!) They seem to be co-existing just fine with the killdeer in the background, who look a little puzzled at the icy footing.

Photo by Martin De Grazia
The heron sits in his usual tree, unperturbed by the snow clinging to the bark. I have to admit that when I first looked at the photo in a thumbnail version, I didn't see the bird. Even now, his feathers look much like the bark of his tree.

Martin says that the otters love the ice, swimming under it and popping up through the thin crust. Their dens have underwater entrances, so they are quite comfortable in this weather.

Ronald Bog is between I-5 and Meridian Ave N, with the entrance to the park on N 175th.

--Diane Hettrick



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Cormorants at the Bog

Saturday, November 26, 2022

 
Photo by Martin De Grazia

Suddenly Ronald Bog seems to be full of birds. Maybe it's the rain and change of weather. These are cormorants. We have a lot in the area. Besides the Bog there is a cormorant nesting tree by Echo Lake. Cormorants are often seen at Lake Washington and Puget Sound.

Christine Southwick wrote an article about them in her For the Birds column which we previously published: Cormorants, the Fishing Birds.

--Diane Hettrick



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Bog Whisperer: Where's Waldo (otter)?

Sunday, November 20, 2022

 
Photo by Martin De Grazia

A random pile of old logs and brush at water's edge at Ronald Bog. But wait! Wild creatures are there, checking out the photographer. Can you find them both?

Ronald Bog park entrance is on N 175th St between Meridian and I-5.




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Mr. Whiskers at Ronald Bog

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

 
Photo by Martin De Grazia

Mr. Whiskers came out of the water to say hello and pose nicely for Martin De Grazia. If crows can recognize individual people I don't see any reason why river otters can't do the same. And they all know the Bog Whisperer.

--Diane Hettrick



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Bog Whisperer: A gaggle of goslings

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

 
Photo by Martin De Grazia

It's summer at Ronald Bog and Bog Whisperer Martin De Grazia is there with his camera to document the action.

The baby goslings have grown into teenagers but they still stick together in a gaggle.



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Bog Whisperer: New visitor to the area - a Green-Winged Teal duck

Friday, February 25, 2022

A pair of green-winged Teal ducks at Ronald Bog
Photo by Martin DeGrazia
The ducks are Green-Winged Teals. I don't think I have ever come across one of these before. If I had known what I was photographing I would have taken more pictures of them.

--Martin DeGrazia

Green-Winged Teal duck at Ronald Bog
Photo by Martin DeGrazia

The green is vivid on the male. I went through my photos and I've never heard of these before. I found a few other unpublished photos of unusual ducks, which I will start publishing. We have a lot of the brown ducks and the wood ducks.

I saw duck decoys long before I ever saw a photo of an actual wood duck. I was shocked. I had always assumed that the lurid coloring was some fetish that duck hunters used to lure ducks and not a representation of an actual bird.

--Diane Hettrick



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Ronald Bog: Birds on the freezing bog

Monday, December 27, 2021

Cold feet

Shallow Ronald Bog is usually the first to freeze over. The birds that frequent the bog adapt - walking on the ice, sitting / swimming in partially frozen water - and I'm not sure what's going on with the submerged bird with its long neck out of the water.

Photos are by Martin De Grazia.


A family of mallard ducks appear to be half in and half out of the frozen Ronald Bog.


Possibly the first photo of the Bog Ness Monster.

--DKH




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Ronald Bog: the eagle and the otter

Thursday, December 23, 2021

 
Photo by Martin DeGrazia

Checking in at Ronald Bog. 

Martin DeGrazia reports that "Two of my favorite visitors have come by in the last week. The eagle and the otter."

Photo by Martin DeGrazia

Your editor keeps wanting to sing "The Holly and the Ivy." Maybe someone can write new words to the song.

Thank you Susan Prince for this poem!

Sung to the tune of, "The Holly and the Ivy"

The eagle and the otter,
Made their presence known.
Of all the creatures in the bog,
the eagle bears the crown.

Anyone else?


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At the Bog: Northern Shovelers (birds - not construction workers)

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Photo by Martin De Grazia

 At Ronald Bog today, some mallards and Northern Shovelers.

Photo by Martin De Grazia

Resting in the grass.

Just a note: never feed waterfowl. Let them find their own food in the Bog and elsewhere.



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Get off my lawn!

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Photo by Martin DeGrazia

If the turtle had a cane, he'd be waving it.



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