Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts

Gloria's Critters: Auf wiedersehen!

Friday, October 8, 2021

 
Ground squirrel photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

And that's the last you'll see of me!



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I don't have a category for this guy

Friday, August 20, 2021

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte


Wildlife? Insect? I refuse to create a category for one creature.

Lee met this guy on a walk this week. He can move pretty fast when he wants to - but he doesn't want to.



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Wayne's Wabbits: Run, Rabbit, Run

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Here comes the farmer with his big shot gun

run rabbit run.

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun

run rabbit run.

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

He'll get by without his rabbit pie,

run rabbit run.


Song lyrics by Flanagan and Allen 1939



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Backyard critters: Have you seen Bambi this morning?

Thursday, July 22, 2021

 
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Have you seen Bambi this morning?

I think he was headed toward Woodway.








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Because you need a chipmunk photo

Saturday, July 10, 2021


Chippy taking a break from calling at the trunk of a Douglas Fir - 28 April 2021 - Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi in Innis Arden.



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Gloria's Critters: Aw, c'mon, Ma, can't you see your way clear to feeding me just one more time? Like that goodie you're holding?

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

(Nope, mother Dougie did not share with her kit, and discouraged further contact. Douglas' Squirrels appear to be loners, and the mothers seem to empty their nests without delay!)



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Gloria's critters: With this pregnancy I'm craving nuts, photog,

Sunday, July 4, 2021

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

so my babies and I, we thank you! (Not often you find a gratitude-spouting Dougie!)

--Gloria Z Nagler




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When the temp reaches 111℉...

Monday, June 28, 2021

Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler


... it's time to lie in a flower pot!

--GZN




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Oscar liked to do a preparatory stretch before snacking...

Friday, June 18, 2021

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

(Readers are advised not to try this at home)



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Wild creatures among us: Long-tailed Weasel - Mustela frenata

Sunday, June 13, 2021

He looks a little worried about having his photo taken.

All photos by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

Susan Leonhardi sent photos of the long-tailed weasels who have been hanging out in her Innis Arden back yard, taken by her daughter Tanis. This was the first report of them locally, but in the last week other people have been seeing them as well.

Note the distinctive black-tipped tail

Susan said  "Who knew that the animals that eat our sweet little chipmunks and bunnies are also very cute. We had a first-time visitor at our home, a Long-Tailed Weasel. I was shocked to see it.   

"My husband witnessed a weasel dragging a baby bunny across the street being followed by the bunny's momma. Both my daughter and I have also seen this new-to-us Weasel within the last few days.

"One day there were two of them." 

He was lured with parmesan cheese for his photo op

According to Washington NatureMapping Program, long tailed weasels are found in every environment in Washington state. The following is from their website.

"Long-Tailed Weasels eat mice, rats, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, shrews, moles, and rabbits. Sometimes they will eat birds, bird eggs, snakes, frogs, and insects. They use tunnels made by other animals to hunt for their food.

Looking for his companion.

"Behavior: Long-Tailed Weasels make loud chirps when they are frightened or ready to attack. They will utter a low trilling sound when participating in a friendly meeting between a male and a female. The same trilling sound also calls baby weasels to their mothers. Weasels can be seen during daytime, but are most active at night.

"Weasels bounce up and down in a running motion with their backs arched like a bridge and their tails held straight out. They also swim expertly and climb trees with particular ease."



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Wayne's Wabbits: new baby

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Hop right in, sit right down
 
Baby wabbit, let your mind roll on
 
Jump right in, sit right down
 
Every Wabbit talkin "Bout a new way of walking"
 
Wabbit do you want to lose your mind?
 
A new baby rabbit joined the backyard crew in late May. He picked this oldie but goodie for theme song.
 
--Wayne's wabbits




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Wild creatures among us: The shy mountain beaver shows his face in Lake Forest Park

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Mountain Beaver in Horizon View Park
Photo copyright Breck Haining


Breck Haining reports that "While walking along the path on the west side of the reservoir toward Horizon View Park I happened across a young Mountain Beaver. This is a photo I took with my smartphone.

"The thing that surprised me most about the this Mountain Beaver was that it seemed to pay no attention to people who were passing. Other Mountain Beavers I have seen hide quickly when they detect someone’s presence. I was able to get fairly close to this one to take the attached photo. Then it scurried away."

This is not the first time that Breck has encountered a mountain beaver in Lake Forest Park.

Mountain Beavers live and travel in burrows - many in Lake Forest Park
Photo copyright Breck Haining 

The following is from an excellent blog post: The Mountain Beaver That is Not a Beaver by Matthew L. Miller

It can be difficult to compare the mountain beaver to other mammals because it’s the sole surviving member of its genus, Aplodontia and its family, Aplodontiidae. Mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa) are a mammal of the Pacific Northwest. 
There are isolated populations along the California coast, at Point Reyes and Point Arenas. There are other populations in the California Sierra. The mountain beaver is also found along coastal forest ranges in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, where it is a common if seldom seen creature.

Miller's article can be read here:

Mountain beavers are rarely seen or photographed
Photo copyright Breck Haining

According to Miller,

Mountain beavers are not beavers. They are not closely related to beavers. They don’t look like beavers. So why the name?

“They actually do chew down trees, but only little saplings for their bark,” says Hopkins (referred to earlier in the article).

The similarities end there. They have a short furry tail compared to the beaver’s famous paddle. Mountain beavers don’t build dams; instead they live in tunnels and often use tunnels to move through their forest homes. They need access to a regular supply of fresh water, and they can swim well if necessary, but they prefer their tunnels to the semi-aquatic life of beavers.
 
There have been other reports of mountain beavers in Lake Forest Park, but few photos before this.



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Wayne's Wabbits: Wabbit Supper

Tuesday, May 18, 2021


In his garden, there I see


a scrumptious leaf of broccoli.


I'm going to eat every bite,


then lie down for the night.

--Poem by Ms Oopsy Daisy

--Photographs by Mr. Wayne Pridemore



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Wayne's Wabbits do the bunny hop

Wednesday, April 21, 2021


Put your right foot forward
Put your left foot out
Do the Bunny Hop
Hop Hop Hop


Dance this new creation
It's the new sensation
Do the Bunny Hop
Hop Hop Hop


It was truly a new dance sensation back in 1954. A very simple and popular line dance with teenagers of the time. You could make the floor bounce if the crowd was in sync! My wabbits are still practicing.

-- Text and photos by Wayne Pridemore



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Tiny chipmunks forage in local backyard

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Chipmunk mid-chew at lunch
Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

Calmly munching on seeds, this tiny chipmunk doesn't get distracted by photographers.

Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

A group of chipmunks is called a scurry. Seems appropriate - except at lunchtime. This little one is focused on digging seeds out of the landscaping.

Three chipmunks forage side by side. Definitely a scurry.
Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

Tanis Leonhardi managed to get photos of three chipmunks in her Innis Arden backyard in March and April of this year. 

I took this photo midday of the Chipmunks while they were out. For sure there are three Chipmunks, and there might have been a fourth a part of the group I photographed. Fun to see the family coming out to forage together.

Uh oh Honey, we've been spotted!
Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

These tiny little chipmunks don’t seem to be afraid of us, so we can stand just three to four feet away from them.

Except for this one, who stood at attention before returning to his lunch.


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Training neighbors to restore their watersheds

Sunday, April 4, 2021

CATS past participant Dana Kemmerling (right)

Applications are now being accepted for a program that empowers local community-members with a passion for streams, clean water, and local wildlife. The Community Action Training School (CATS) provides a free series of virtual lectures and field trips. In exchange, participants agree to volunteer on a local watershed improvement project of their choosing.

“We are thrilled to once again be able to work with enthusiastic community members who are excited to make change,” says Sarah Heerhartz, Executive Director of Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group. 
“Protecting and restoring our rivers and natural areas requires so many partners – from national governments to local ones, from nonprofit organizations to responsible businesses. 
"I have seen how passionate neighbors can play a huge role – from restoring their local parks, to holding elected official accountable. This program helps people find the areas they are passionate about, and helps focus that passion on a project that can make a change.”

“Participants have created positive impact on their watersheds through a huge variety of project types. Projects from past sessions of the Community Action Training School included the creation of Students Saving Salmon at Edmonds Woodway High School, community-led restoration events, and translation of interpretive signs in one participant’s local park to the languages most often spoken in her neighborhood.

"In our last cohort, one participant worked with her neighbors to protect an important wetland from development and now she’s a part of the planning commission for her city,” said Kelly Frazee, Education Program Manager of Sound Salmon Solutions.

Field trip on stream restoration

Applications for this free program are due April 12th. You can find out more at the websites of either Sound Salmon Solutions Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, the two organizations who are jointly organizing this program.

“I’ve always cared about salmon. But by participating in the CATS program, I better understood where I could best fit my talents into the road to salmon restoration,” says Dana Kemmerling, past CATS participant. 
“The speakers they brought in covered a range of the issues that are important to my community. Then, I was able to use my enthusiasm— and my marketing experience—to help co-workers and friends become inspired to help rip out blackberries and plant native plants along the Sammamish River.”

This program is funded by the King County Flood Control District, directed by the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum and the Cedar/Sammamish/Lake Washington watersheds.

For more information contact:

Kelly Frazee
Sound Salmon Solutions
kellyf@soundsalmonsolutions.org
http://www.soundsalmonsolutions.org/community-action-training-school

Antonia Jindrich
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
antonia@midsoundfisheries.org
206-949-6690
https://www.midsoundfisheries.org/wria-8-community-action-training-school-webpage/



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Wayne's Wabbit thinks about spring in poetic terms

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

The wabbit thought about spring and the summer to come.

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Spring

Wondrously February withdraws to
warm March with a golden glow
from spring's shining sun sent
down to lead the way
for April's soothing showers
soon to bring fragrant flowers
and dance on May's blossoming bounty.

poem by Barbara R Johnson




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Gloria's Critters: Like a shadow, I am and I am not, thought Dougie

Monday, March 22, 2021

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler

(Dougie's been reading lots of Rumi lately:)



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Wayne's Wabbit

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Early this morning a rabbit creates a wake in the frosty sea of grass.
--Wayne Pridemore


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Chippy's got its cheeks full with bird seed

Monday, March 8, 2021

Photo by Tanis Coralee Leonhardi

Tanis says the chipmunks have been out almost every day the past two weeks. Hope to see little ones soon!

 

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