Showing posts sorted by relevance for query for the birds. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query for the birds. Sort by date Show all posts

For the Birds: A Winter Warbler, if you plant for them

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Yellow-rumped Warbler in winter plumage.
Photo by Peggy Bartleson
By Christine Southwick

Hearing an unfamiliar “chip” from several birds, I stopped what I was doing and looked around. 

Imagine my surprise and delight to spot several Yellow-rumped Warblers flying out for bugs and using my suet feeders. 

Hocking for bugs, these little somewhat winter-drab warblers were moving around from tree branch to bush branch, and back, occasionally catching a bug on the wing. 

What a show, after I finally focused my binoculars on a couple. 

I also used the Merlin app to ID their chipping calls to confirm my identification.

Our area has two forms of the Yellow-rumped Warbler: the mostly year-round Audubon Yellow-rumped Warbler, and the mostly passing-through in the winter-time Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler. 

Photo by Yukari Yoshioka at Grace Cole Park
in Lake Forest Park
The Audubon form has a yellow throat, and the Myrtle form has a white throat (easiest distinguisher)

Warblers have two distinct plumages, called “alternate plumage”. 

This adaptation provides them with bright breeding plumage in the spring, and a duller easier-to-hide winter plumage when there is less foliage in which to conceal their yellow markings.

In the spring these brownish warblers with their colored throats and some white on their wings (Audubons usually have more than Myrtles), turn into smart-looking black, charcoal gray with white patches, and bright yellow rumps (which are often hard to see in the winter plumage).

Photo by Yukari Yoshioka at Grace Cole Park
 in Lake Forest Park
Because of their ability to feast on a wide variety of food, these yellow-rumped seem to be holding their own, population-wise, if we humans don’t poison all the bugs they eat.

They eat spruce budworm, bark beetles, weevils, aphids, caterpillars and other larvae. 

In the winter they eat bugs, fruits and berries like juniper and dogwood berries, including being the only birds that can digest wax myrtle berries. 

This is one of the reasons these warblers can stay so much farther north than most other warblers.

Bird baths during the summer
Photo by Chris Southwick
During winter times they also eat weed seeds, and come to feeders that have sunflower seeds, small fruits like raisins and blueberries, peanut butter, and suet.

Pesticides and herbicides are bad for the earth, our own breathing, and for all the birds and amphibians that rely on bugs to survive. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Trends has found a sharp decline in American Robins, which rely on ground bugs and worms.
 
Plant native shrubs for the birds, especially warblers like these yellow-rumped, and put out suet and seeds. Add some liquid water, and your yard will be a welcome oasis year round.



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Help Count Birds for Science during Audubon’s Annual Christmas Bird Count

Monday, December 14, 2015


The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers and people with backyard bird feeders to participate in the longest-running citizen science survey - the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

On Saturday, December 19, birders and nature enthusiasts will take part in this tradition, many rising before dawn to participate.

“This year Pilchuck Audubon is making a special effort to count birds visiting yard bird feeders,” says Rick Taylor, a volunteer with Pilchuck Audubon.   “Recent research has highlighted the importance of suburban habitats and the surprising diversity of bird species that make use of our suburban yards and greenbelts.”

Birders of all ages are welcome to contribute to this fun, nationwide citizen science project, which provides ornithologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during the winter months.

The Edmonds / South Snohomish County CBC is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 15 miles that is centered near Martha Lake in Lynnwood.  This circle covers South Everett, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Kenmore, Maltby, much of Bothell, and the northern portion of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, fall within the 15 mile diameter count circle. Last year, 87 volunteers formed small parties and covered assigned areas, counting every bird they saw.

In addition, 40 people counted the birds seen at their home bird feeders.

To participate by counting birds in your yard and feeders, first confirm that you live within the Edmonds count circle, using this map. Click on the link and when the map is displayed, enter Edmonds in the search box in the upper-right-hand corner of the page. Then zoom out until you see the whole circle. Verify that your home is located within it. (or see map above)

You will also need to follow specific counting directions which, along with additional general information about the Edmonds CBC, can be found on Pilchuck Audubon’s website at: Detailed Instructions for Home Counters. You can also contact Rick Taylor  425-418-8211 or Bob Schmidt 425-273-1579.

Each year, the National Audubon Christmas Bird Count mobilizes over 72,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,400 locations across the Western Hemisphere. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled in Mill Creek will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years.

To date over 200 peer-reviewed articles have resulted from analysis done with Christmas Bird Count data. Bird related citizen science efforts are also critical to understanding how birds are responding to a changing climate. This documentation is what enabled Audubon scientists to discover that 314 species of North American birds are threatened by global warming as reported in Audubon’s groundbreaking Birds and Climate Change Study. The tradition of counting birds combined with modern technology and mapping is enabling researchers to make discoveries that were not possible in earlier decades.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of Bird‐Lore – which evolved into Audubon magazine – suggested an alternative to the holiday “side hunt,” in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. This program brings out the best in people and they tend to stay involved for the long run. And so the tradition continues.

The National Audubon Society saves birds and their habitats throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on‐the‐ground conservation. Audubon's state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon's vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization.



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For the Birds: Do Bird Feeders Really Cause Dependency?

Monday, February 7, 2011

Evening Grosbeak. Photo by Christine Southwick
by Christine Southwick

There’s an urban myth that feeding birds will cause them to become dependent and keep them from migrating when they should. This is only a myth!

Bird migration is driven by the amount and degree of sunlight. Food does not change this drive. In fact, good food will help increase the odds that the bird’s migration will be successful.

Successful bird species have evolved by continuously searching for and sampling new and different food varieties in diverse locations. Proof of their programmed vigilance and continued search for new food sources is the fact that birds find new feeders in places where there were none before.

Studies have found that feeding wild birds improves their survival rate, and increases breeding success and clutch sizes. Feeders are treated like a mother lode of fast food—what scientists term a “resource patch,” meaning food is plentiful and easily accessible, like a ripe berry patch or a fruit tree laden with fruit.

Birds need up to 10,000 calories a day—they must find good food for nourishment, and eat it quickly for safety from predation. Feeders can provide both, if they are set up correctly and offer quality seed.

MacGillivray's Warbler. Photo by Christine Southwick
Here in the Puget Sound area, unshelled black-oil sunflowers are a much appreciated food. Mess-free shelled mixes are good too, as long as they don’t have any red millet, and very little white. Saffron seeds are not well received here either. Watch the birds at your feeders. Do they throw a lot of the seed on the ground? If so, change what you are offering. Uneaten seed on the ground will invite guests you would rather not have. Suet, water, and native plantings will draw birds to your feeders. Remember to keep them clean.

One study found that feeders only provide 25% of a bird’s daily intake. With wild habitats shrinking by the day, that 25% of high-energy food, especially during harsh weather, helps even the score, and will often make the difference between their surviving or perishing.

So, enjoy feeding the birds. Besides, it is so fun to watch your regular birds darting back and forth, their bright colors and cute antics bringing cheer to a dreary winter day.

And don’t be surprised when an unexpected avian explorer lands at your feeder to see if your seed should become a part of its food route.

Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager.  She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she's sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

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For the Birds: Spring Really Is Coming….

Friday, March 2, 2018

Bewick’s Wren with ant by Elaine Chuang
By Christine Southwick

Snow, hail, and freezing weather may still be around, but our resident birds have started their breeding processes in response to increased sunlight hours.

Local Anna's Hummingbirds have been starting to build nests for the last two months. I have two females collecting cotton fibers from the nesting material I hang out for that reason.

The males are still fending off other males, but are now feeding at the same time as the females.

The Bewick’s Wrens are now doing pairing rituals. Their lively buzzes and bubbly songs bring such joy to my ears. Plus, these happy notes and little contact sounds help me find the two or three brown little birds with the bright white eyeliner.

Bewick’s Wren singing by Elaine Chuang
Since they are usually climbing low among the bushes and trees, they can be hard to find unless they are making their presence known by their bubbly happy songs, or their scolding “You-are–too-close-to-me” sounds.

The male Bewick’s Wren sings to protect his territory, and to attract a mate. This a full-time effort that he must endeavor to win by excelling melodiously.

And once he has won the affection of this year’s mate, then he has to fashion three to four foundation nests for the female’s approval. Once the female has selected the preferred nest, she will finish it with feathers, hair, leaves and mosses.

Who Me? Bewick’s Wren at successful nestbox
Photo by Elaine Chuang
While the female sits on her 4-6 eggs the male brings food to her, and then stays and helps feed their offspring. Often the female has a second brood, usually with the same male.

These spunky little birds, usually with their tails cocked over their backs, can be found climbing on branches and in the leaves on the ground, looking for their buggy delicacies, especially those tasty spiders and ants.

Anna’s Hummingbird nesting locally
Photo by Doug Parrott
Offering water, and keeping it liquid during freezing weather, is the best way to bring in Bewick’s Wrens and other birds.

Suet is a fast energy boost, and will bring even more birds such as Northern Flickers, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, maybe even a Pileated Woodpecker. Bushtits will flock to a suet feeder, since finding bugs during freezes becomes quite hard.

The nickname Jenny Wren was used in older English nursery rhymes and was even mentioned in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. (FYI: Bewick’s is pronounced like the car - Buick.)




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Huge win for Shorewood football breaks 17 year losing streak

Sunday, September 9, 2018

TBird and Cheer celebrate the team

WesCo South 3A Football
9-7-18 at Shoreline Stadium
Shorewood 38 - Meadowdale 7

As the student section began to count down the final seconds of the game – 5.4.3.2.1 – a momentary silence fell across Shoreline Stadium as heads turned to look at the scoreboard and the reality of the night sunk in.

The final score was not a mirage and it was not the expected outcome – the 17-year losing streak was over – Shorewood Thunderbirds 38 – Meadowdale Mavericks 7.

Shorewood dominated the game and secured their first WesCo league victory since 2014 and now sat 2-0 for the first time since 1998. Suffice to say – with two solid outings to start the 2018 season, optimism is running high for the remainder of the year.

#3 Robert Banks piles up the yards
Senior Robert Banks led an explosive running attack – slicing and dicing through the Maverick defensive for three touchdowns. Banks ran with an intensity and hunger seldom seen on the turf at Shoreline Stadium. Each time he touched the ball – it had the potential for a score.

The T-bird offensive line, even though outmatched upfront size wise – battled on each play – showing a level of grit and desire to ensure the T-bird spread running and passing attack had the time and the creases to play to the running backs' slashing and quick cutting running style.

#15 Kody Carpenter wraps Meadowdale ball carrier

Further, the offensive effort was led by a mature and poised Senior David Snell at QB. In situations where Snell might have panicked last year, he stood tall in the pocket and made focused and accurate passes to a very sure handed T-bird receiving corp. With the addition of Senior Jaro Rouse - who is an absolute rocket on a pair of cleats – Shorewood finally has a consistent deep threat which will give opposing defenses pause.

On the defensive side of the ball the T-birds showed mental toughness and a bend but don’t break attitude, holding the Mavericks to zero points in the red-zone three times. Employing a new 3-3-5 defense, the T-birds swarmed to the point of attack and played sideline to sideline.

#5 Joseph Williamson returns a kick for a big gain
 
Even in situations where the Mavericks found success on the ground – attacking the center of the defense, the T-birds rallied to the cause and demonstrated a resiliency not seen by the Shorewood Green and Blue in ages. Hard hits were the name of the game and at the end of the night Meadowdale knew the effort put forth was not a fluke.

Said Head Coach Brandon Torrey: "I'm proud of the way the team played together and for one another."

Shorewood (1-0/2-0) plays Snohomish (0-0/0-2) next Friday 7pm, September 14, 2018 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish.

#2 Jaro Rouse breaks up the pass


Scores

Senior Kevin Hirohata and the team
celebrate with fans
Scoring summary

SHW -- Robert Banks 88-yard run (Alex Lim Kick), 1st.
SHW -- Robert Banks 6-yard run, 2nd.
SHW -- 27-yard field goal (Alex Lim Kick), 2nd.
MEA -- Nate Hebert 5-yard run(Carlos Abad Kick), 2nd.
SHW -- Jaro Rouse 52-yard pass from David Snell, 2nd.
SHW -- Robert Banks 11-yard run, 3rd.
SHW -- Ibrahim Benzina 44-yard run, 3rd.


--Text by Aaron Burt
--Photos by Lisa Hirohata



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For the Birds: American Robin - the early bird gets the worm

Sunday, March 18, 2012

American Robins enjoying bathPhoto by Christine Southwick
By Christine Southwick

American Robins start singing just before dawn, and are seen running across the lawn early in the morning, suddenly stopping and tilting their heads looking, not hearing, for those tasty worms. Even though we see robins all the time, chances are they aren’t the same ones. Most here in the winter go further north to breed, and the ones who breed here probably came from Oregon or California. Even its name, Turdus Migratorius, recognizes this songbird’s short-distance movements.

Juvenile American Robin
Photo by Christine Southwick

Robins are one of the first birds most people learn to recognize, and their size is often used as a reference, as in, “Larger than a chickadee, smaller than a robin.” When you really look at robins, you’ll see that they are a pretty bird, with black stripes on a white throat, and white feathers around the eyes. Females are paler than males, and juveniles have spots on their buff breasts.

Robins are social and feed in small flocks, with larger flocks at night, and when migrating. In addition to worms, they eat volumes of beetle grubs and caterpillars. Robins watch vigilantly for predators like cats or hawks, and you can often see a robin on guard duty while others are bathing.

Robins and, unfortunately, parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds, benefit from the opened forests and forest edges created by human expansion. Cowbirds don’t make nests, but place their eggs in others nests to be raised by their new hosts. Robins have learned to reject those eggs.

Female gathering mud for nest
Photo by Christine Southwick

The female makes the nest, coating it with mud and grass before laying three to five blue eggs. Jays, crows, squirrels and snakes like their eggs. Both parents loudly and boldly protect their eggs and their fledglings until they can forage on their own. Even so, less than 25 % of each year’s broods survive to see their first November. Cats, hawks, window strikes and pesticides that poison the worms and berries Robins eat, take their tolls. The average lifespan of American Robins is two years, but some live to 10-13 years.

The early bird gets the worm - American Robin with worm
Photo by Christine Southwick

When you hear cheery morning singing, look for the early bird running across your lawn, stopping to grab a worm. Robins also love berries, and fruits, so plant a Serviceberry tree, and add a shallow bird bath, and you will be rewarded with American Robins.


Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she is sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

For previous For the Birds columns, click on the link under the Features section on the main webpage.



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Notes from Shoreline council meeting August 2, 2021

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
August 2, 2021

Notes by Pam Cross

Mayor Hall called the remote meeting to order at 7:00pm.
All councilmembers were present.

Proclamation
I, Will Hall, Mayor of the City of Shoreline, on behalf of the Shoreline City Council, do hereby proclaim August 3, 2021, as APPRECIATE YOUR NEIGHBORS NIGHT in the City of Shoreline, and encourage all Shoreline residents to connect with your neighbors in a safe way to enhance community safety and connectedness.

Approval of the Agenda
Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.

Report of the City Manager Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 UPDATE

Unfortunately new cases are trending upwards again. This is attributed to the Delta variant which is more contagious than the previous variants.





It’s time to CELEBRATE SHORELINE!


Second annual CAN CASTLE CONTEST through August 16.


SHORELINE WALKS
This week the walk is around the Richmond Highlands neighborhood. For details go to shorelinewa.gov/shorelinewalks

Public reminders
The Planning Commission will hold a remote meeting on Thursday, Aug 5 at 7:00pm

Council Reports

Councilmember Robertson: I attended No. King Co. Coalition on Homelessness. This is the new name replacing the Shelter Task Force. We will hear from them next week, but I just want to share that a memorandum of agreement (MOA) is being composed that will be brought to Council for consideration in the not too distant future.

Public Comment

Regarding ACTION ITEM 7 (a): this is the first time before Council so speakers will have an opportunity to make comments on this item following the staff report.

Kathleen Russell, Shoreline, Save Shoreline Trees
I am correcting my comment of May 24 about the width of sidewalks. ADA sidewalks are approved at 4’ wide. Shoreline states in single family residential sidewalks should be 6’. We question the need for 6’ sidewalks. The City needs to delay 6’ width for 5th Ave NE to allow for public comment to save significant trees.

Martha Diesner, Shoreline, Echo Lake Waterfront Condos HOA
Regarding the 198th affordable housing for 100+ adjacent to our condominiums, I support this venture but balk at removing the trees.

Jackie Kurle, Shoreline
Regarding the enhanced shelter, I just want to underscore the need for ongoing support and monitoring of activities. I hope it's the best case scenario where the residents find a successful experience and the community also shares the same success.

Nancy Morris, Shoreline
I encourage everyone to watch a replay of “Urban Forests and Birds That Need Them” which is about birds and the importance of trees to saving birds.

Action Item 7(a) Action on the Purchase of Property Located at 19827 25th Avenue NE, Identified as King County Tax Parcel No. 042604-9030-07; and Authorizing the City Manager to Take the Necessary Steps to Complete the Property Purchase

Nathan Daum, Economic Development Program Manager made the presentation

This a motion to approve the purchase and sale contract for 19827 25th Avenue NE, a 20,000-square-foot parcel adjacent to Brugger’s Bog Park. It is included as one of the five parks identified for expansion in the Proposition No. 1 Park Bond Measure that will be before voters on the fall 2021 ballot.


This is the first time before Council, so will hear public comment after the staff report.



The proposed Brugger’s Bog expansion would allow for the development of park amenities outside of the park’s wetland and stream buffers.

Financial impact
The negotiated purchase price is $1,140,000.
Additional post acquisition costs of $16,000 to $153,000 or more are dependent on the condition of the duplex located on the property and potential interim use of it as a rental property.

The City has an interim funding source. Bond Anticipation Notes (BAN), totaling $7,748,735 are available for park property purchases. If used for this purchase, the funds would have to be repaid in late 2022. The fall 2021 bond measure (if approved by voters) would be used. If it is not approved, other City funds would have to be used such as Park Impact Fees, reprogramming of General Capital Revenues, CFT (Conservation Futures) Grant Funding, or General Fund balance.

PUBLIC COMMENT
None

DISCUSSION
Motion and second to approve purchase of property

This is a very important part of the City’s vision for Brugger’s Park that is currently underutilized.

No additional discussion

VOTE
Passes unanimously

Study Item 8(a) Discussing Ordinance No. 939 - Authorizing a Non-Exclusive Franchise to Zayo Group, LLC to Construct, Maintain, Operate, Replace, and Repair a Telecommunications System Over, Along, Under, and Through Designated Public Rights-of-way in the City of Shoreline

Their fiber cable runs underground the length of Aurora Avenue N. as a “pass through.” Its network is described as a “ring” that spans around 250 route miles in the Puget Sound region stretching from Mukilteo in the north to Tacoma in the south, with routes throughout downtown Seattle and around Lake Washington. Zayo will provide no voice, cable, video, residential or end user services in Shoreline.

Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst made the presentation

Utilities are required to have a right of way franchise with the City. The current 10-year franchise expires September 9, 2021. Franchise negotiations were completed promptly and in good faith. Terms are almost identical to the previous agreement. It grants a 10-year exclusive franchise to Zayo and it covers construction and maintenance, and includes how Zayo can work in the City’s right of way. The indemnification language has been updated. Liquidated Damages language is consistent with other City granted franchises.

The City reviewed the applicant’s past service record, the nature and location of the proposed facilities and services, and whether the proposal would serve public needs. We also considered that the applicant has substantially complied with the material terms of the franchise, and have been satisfied with the quality of the applicant’s service, response to customer complaints, and billing practices. We recognize that the applicant has the financial, legal and technical ability, and their proposal is reasonable to meet the future community needs.

DISCUSSION

My understanding of Zayo is that they don’t serve end users like us, but primarily large firms with high bandwidth needs. As a City, we don’t get anything out of this. But it's a public service providing high spotted internet to different industries, and I think we should do it.

Are there plans to include Shoreline in the future?
  • Reply: Some of their customers are out of Redmond and other very large industries that they don’t necessarily disclose due to the sensitivity of providing the kind of service they’re providing. But you know the names of the large companies in and around town that they’re providing service for. Universities are also oftentimes some of their customers so I don’t know if there are any plans due to the size of the entities they serve.
Councilmembers agreed to see this on the Consent Calendar Aug 16.

Study Item 8(b) Discussion of Resolution No.482 - Amending the Employee Handbook

Don Moritz, Human Resources Director made the presentation.

Proposed updates to the Employee Handbook include, among others, “housekeeping” changes, clarifications, inclusion of Juneteenth (June 19) as an officially recognized City paid holiday, and modification of select practices to be consistent between the represented and non-represented employee policies.

DISCUSSION
Appreciate making the changes as they come up instead of a scheduled update every couple of years.

With updating our employee handbook, we try to stay on top of benefits in order to make sure we get the best people.

Wishing a happy and healthy retirement to Don Moritz

Councilmembers agreed to see this on the Consent Calendar Aug 16.

MEETING ADJOURNED



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Help count birds for science during Audubon’s Annual Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, December 12, 2021

The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers and people with backyard bird feeders to participate in the longest-running citizen science survey - the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). On Saturday, December 18, 2021 birders and nature enthusiasts will take part in this century long project.

Birders of all ages are welcome to contribute to this fun, nationwide citizen science project, which provides ornithologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during the winter months. 


The Edmonds / South Snohomish County CBC is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 15 miles that is centered near Martha Lake in Lynnwood.
If you live inside the red circle, you are invited to participate in the Bird Count.
Enlargeable map here

This circle covers South Everett, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrance, Maltby and much of Bothell, as well as all or part of several neighborhoods in Shoreline, the northern part of Lake Forest Park and Kenmore.

In 2019 a record 107 people counted birds at feeders at 81 locations. The feeder counters detected 3,889 birds belonging to 51 species. This accounted for 11% of the birds detected on the count. 

The feeder counters found 100% of the California Quail, 73% of the Band-tailed Pigeons, 52% of the Anna Hummingbirds, 50% of the Barred Owls, 51% of the Chestnut-backed Chickadees, 65% of the Bushtits, 67% of the Red-breasted Nuthatches, 67% of the White-throated Sparrows, 50% of the Orange-crowned Warblers, and 58% of the Townsend’s Warblers.

To see photos of these local birds, check out the For the Birds columns written by Christine Southwick here. Or you can use the search box in the first column to look for a specific bird here: http://www.ShorelineAreaNews.com.

Overall, the feeder counters had a significant positive impact on the success of the count. Complete results of 2019 local CBC can be found on the Pilchuck Audubon Website here.

To participate by counting birds in your yard and feeders confirm that you live within the count circle, using this zoomable map on the Pilchuck Audubon website. Instructions and the reporting form are found on the same page as the map. You can also contact Rick Taylor at cbc.waed@pilchuckaudubon.com

Data compiled in South Snohomish and Northern King County area will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years.

Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more at www.audubon.org and follow @audubonsociety.



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For the Birds: Western Grebe- the “Swan Grebe”

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Western Grebe with fish
Photo by Doug Parrott
By Christine Southwick

I don’t know about you, but when the weather is bleak and drizzling, I seem to end up near the water—Lake Washington, Carkeek Park, the Locks, or one of the many other choices nearby. I usually find Western Grebes, with their long white throat and black neck, in these, their wintering waters.

Western Grebes breed inland on open lakes and marshes which have edges of emergent vegetation (rooted water plants that stick up into the air). That’s why we only see their flocks locally from September thru March or April when they migrate to saltwater and open lakes along the Pacific Coast. Western Grebes feed almost exclusively on fish, and their neck structure has evolved to enable these grebes to move their long thin yellowish-olive bills like spears, or grab fish with clamp-like strength. Another adaptation—they eat large quantities of soft body feathers, and even feed them to their newly-hatched young, to protect their digestive tracts from sharp fish bones.

Western Grebe
Photo by Doug Parrott

Sometimes nicknamed the “Swan Grebe”, Western Grebes are known for their distinctive mating dance, called rushing: they run in unison, side by side on top of the water with their long necks gracefully stretched forward.

Both male and female use plant materials from under the water to build the floating nest, and both incubate the three-to-four eggs. Upon hatching, the non-striped young immediately leave the nest, and begin riding on their parent’s back. These water birds have legs far back on their body for swimming, not walking on land, and therefore are highly affected by the health of the bodies of water in which they live and swim. Rain run-offs with garden pesticides, oil spills, fishing nets and lines are real hazards to the Western Grebes that use our local waters for about six months of the year. 

Western Grebe
Photo by Doug Parrott

Even though there are plenty of Western Grebes right now, there is concern that their population is rapidly declining near the edges of their range, especially in British Columbia (winter), Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin (some of their summer breeding grounds).

During our winter season, scan the waters for Western Grebes.  Their blacks will be grayer, but their long necks supporting their black heads with white below their eyes will still take your breath away, and make you glad you looked for these elegant grebes.


Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she is sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

For previous For the Birds columns, click on the link under the Features section on the main webpage.


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For the Birds: So Many Birds—So Many Bird Festivals

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Snow geese
Photo by Doug Parrott

So Many Birds—So Many Bird Festivals
By Christine Southwick

Did you know that Washington is on the migration routes of Snow Geese; Trumpeter Swans;  Bald Eagles; Sandhill Cranes; hundreds of thousands of shorebirds; many raptors such as Peregrine Falcons and Northern Saw-whet Owls; and is part of the Pacific Flyway for many of North America’s songbirds?

To celebrate these amazingly beautiful displays of survival adaptations, Washington State has at least eight annual bird festivals.

Right now hundreds of Bald Eagles can be seen on the Skagit River eating the salmon which have died after spawning their next generation of salmon. You can see them by just driving up the Skagit River to the town of Concrete. Every weekend in January, Concrete has the Skagit Eagle Festival activities.

On the Skagit flats, around the Mt. Vernon area, there are thousands of Snow Geese, with some Trumpeter Swans mixed in. The Port Susan Snow Goose Festival is February 23-24. 

Bald Eagle dines on fish
Photo by Patricia Damron

The first weekend of April there are two bird fests: The Othello  Sandhill Crane Festival, where you can watch Sandhill Cranes perform their mating dance; or you can go to Sequim to the Olympic Peninsula Bird Fest and see the migrating song birds that use the Olympic Peninsula.

Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to feed and rest in the Grays Harbor Estuary on their migration northward.  This spectacular event, the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival, is April 26-28. Our beaches and mudflats areas are vitally important feeding grounds for these long-distance migrators, and this festival helps maintain healthy resting/feeding coastal areas.

May 16-19th, Leavenworth holds their bird festival, the Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, This is a great opportunity to see higher elevation birds.

September 6-8th, Edmonds has the Puget Sound Bird Fest which watches birds on their southward bound migrations. And further down the Washington coast, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has its fall migration bird fest in October.  

This bird will be in the backyard count
Migrating Golden-crowned Kinglet stopping for bath
Photo by Christine Southwick

And this year, during the Great Backyard Bird Count, February 15-18th, the Puget Sound Bird Observatory (PSBO) will be leading a “progressive backyard bird count, which will be great fun and let you see how other birders encourage birds into their yards.

International Migratory Bird Day, May 11th, PSBO will be leading a local activity to celebrate the  2013I” Life Cycle of Migratory Birds: Conservation Across the Americas.”

Protect the prairies, farmlands, watering holes, forests and coastal beaches, and you will be helping these birds. Go to our local festivals and you will be helping our economy.



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For the Birds: Snowy Owls—Have you seen one this year?

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Snowy Owls
By Christine Southwick


Snowy Owl at Edmonds by Doug Parrot

Snowy Owls are large, round-headed, mostly white owls (females and juvies have some dark scalloping), with yellow eyes, black beak, and thickly feathered feet. Being tundra natives, these birds perch where they can see in all directions. When Snowy Owls sojourn into Washington, they prefer open shorelines and salt marshes, often resting on beached logs. Usually you need scopes or strong binoculars to see them well. This year there are reports of a couple of Snowy Owls being on the roofs of one-story houses in Ballard. One was recently photographed in Edmonds.

Juvenile Snowy Owl resting on beached log by Larry Engles

Snowy Owls don’t winter in Washington every year— they may not come for five–to-ten year periods. When they do come in heavy numbers, that year is considered an “irruptive year”. If a smaller number of Snowys come the following year, it is called an “echo year”. Basically, these birds fly here for better hunting. The jury is still out as to whether it is due to “an extra low number of lemmings”, or to “too many young birds without good territories to support them”. Most of the Snowy Owls that travel south for food are young males. They will usually stay until mid-March, when they return north.

Snowy Owl yawning by John Riegsecker

These majestic predators mainly live and breed above the 60th parallel. Days stays mostly daylight in the summer, and mostly dark in the winter, so these owls have adapted to hunting both days and nights. While they are in the lower 48 states, they more often hunt at night. Their preferred prey are lemmings, but they are adaptive hunters and will take moles, voles, rats, ducks, ptarmigan, shorebirds, and even fish.

Pair of Snowy Owls by John Riegsecker
Their nesting sites require good visibility, accessible hunting areas, and lack of snow on a mound or boulder. The larger female, lays from five-to-eight eggs (14 in high lemming years) two days apart. The young leave the nest about 25 days after hatching—a month before they can fly. Both parents are fiercely protective, and may drive arctic foxes and wolves away from their territory when intruders are still a half mile from the nest. Since Snowy Owls don’t hunt near their own nests, and keep their nest-zone predator-free, Snow Geese have learned to nest near a Snowy Owl nest to improve the Snowy Goose’s clutch success.

Adult Snowys have few enemies, with habitat loss being their greatest threat. They aren’t used to many people so don’t crowd them—let them hunt and grow strong.

Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she is sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

For previous For the Birds columns, click the link under the Features section on the main webpage.


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For the Birds: Suet Saves Birds

Thursday, October 22, 2020

 

Red-breasted Nuthatch with a beakful of suet
Photo by Craig Kerns


By Christine Southwick
Townsend's Warbler in heart-shaped suet holder
Photo by Craig Kerns



Suet helps birds stay healthy and warm during our damp and often cold fall and winter months by supplying much needed healthy calories to sustain their body heat and needed energy levels.

Birds love suet and almost all of our local birds will eat it all year long. 

Hang one of the suet feeders where you can watch our resident Black-capped and Chestnut-backed chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Bewick’s Wrens, Bushtits, and Flickers, Downy, Hairy, and Pileated woodpeckers partake of this delicious and nutritious feast. 

Migrating and summer birds, like Black-headed Grosbeaks and Yellow-rumped Warblers will also peck away at these delectable treats.

Male Pileated Woodpecker
on tail-prop suet holder
Photo by Craig Kerns


Most suet comes in squares called cakes, but some are shaped into cylinders which allows different types of feeders. 

Feeders can really be your choice; simple metal cages, wooden or recycled-material prop-tail containers, or my favorite, metal-roofed containers. 

Roofs over suet cakes and cylinders prevent our wet climate from soaking the suet and provide some cover for the birds while they are eating, plus the added bonus of restricting unwanted visitors like starlings.

Suet comes in many flavors, and some birds seem to develop a preference. 

It really doesn’t matter which variety you feed them, as long as the suet has high fat and protein, and during breeding and molting season, calcium. 

Cheap suet often has filler seed that many birds don’t like — red millet is one most birds in this area won’t eat. 

Suet is easy to buy. It can be found in grocery stores, hardware stores, and specialty stores like Wild Birds Unlimited in Lake Forest Park.

Black-headed Grosbeak eating in cylinder
Photo by Craig Kerns


Squirrels like suet too, so suet placement can be important to restrict their access, or you could use suet that has red pepper in it. 

Birds will gladly eat red pepper seeds but squirrels and mammals in general avoid it.

During a sudden cold snap, suet will make the difference between some birds surviving or not, so think about hanging more than one suet feeder.

Then grab your favorite hot beverage, sit by the window and watch the fun as the birds grab beaks full of delicious suet that you have provided for them.



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For the Birds: Fall and Winter Birds

Monday, October 9, 2023

Fox sparrow in leaves
Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

Migrant birds such as Western Tanagers, most of our warblers and flycatchers, plus our Osprey have flown southward heading to areas with winter food and warmth.

Because of our habitat-providing trees, this area has a good variety of resident birds, plus some that fly here to winter in our milder climate.

Year-round birds are easier to see in the winter perhaps because there are fewer leaves, or because they are drawn to bird feeders, suet, and liquid water in times of cold.

Two warblers who have adapted to our wet winter weather are the Townsend Warbler and the Yellow-rumped Warbler. They are a welcome splash of color during our grayer days.

Townsend's Warbler by Craig Kerns
Two migrating birds that will be arriving soon are the Varied Thrush and the Fox Sparrow.

Indeed, I have been hearing Varied Thrushes for the last two weeks, which seems early for this area. Maybe it was too dry for their mountain bugs…

Fox Sparrows could be arriving anytime now. They particularly like habitat with Himalayan Blackberries. 

These blackberry vines provide shelter from predators, protection from much of the cold weather, especially if we have snow (usually there is reduced or little snow on the ground under blackberry brambles), and there is always food such as bugs, spiders and leftover berries for them to forage.

Spotted Towhee by Christine Southwick
Our resident birds like the Spotted Towhee, the Song Sparrows and the Bewick’s Wrens all search through leaves to find their delectable life-saving bug meals. 

It is important for conservation-minded neighbors to keep areas of fallen leaves until spring cleaning.

When I first started attracting birds into my yard, I looked to other yards that had Spotted Towhees and found those birds foraging through leaves. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler on suet
by Christine Southwick
Once I started raking leaves off my grass onto my dormant flowerbeds, I had towhees and wrens and sparrows.

Suet and water kept liquid are two other life-sustaining commodities you can provide for birds.

Suet supplies much needed protein, especially when bugs can be scarce during cold weather. Chickadees, Juncos, Bushtits, Hairy, Downy, Pileated woodpeckers, and Flickers will all come to suet feeders. Townsend Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers will also eat suet.


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For the Birds: Seasonal Changes a Happening Thing

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Dark-eyed Junco female feeding juvie
Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

The Merlins nesting in Shoreline are now flying about and making lots of noise. 

The Kenmore Heronry is empty until next spring. 

The Osprey nests in Shoreline will soon be abandoned until next April, with the adults leaving for Central or South America. 

The juveniles will follow soon thereafter, finding their own way and meals.

And right now, environmentally-friendly yards have lots of hard-to-identify juvenile birds. Most juvenile birds look different from adults due to camouflage to help ensure their survival.

Here are three birds that I can offer tips to help you identify them.

Dark-eyed Junco showing white tail feathers
Photo by Craig Kerns
Many people had Dark-eyed Juncos nesting in their flower pots, or hiding underneath ferns and in tall weeds (their nests are very well made, pretty even). 

The youngsters of these Oregon Juncos, our local subspecies, are striped brown and don’t have their distinctive head-coloring yet. 

The best way to tell these flittering ground birds is to look for their outer white tail feathers. 

When you see one of these confusing brown-jobbies watch for a flash of white in their tail as they fly away.

It is usually obvious, and is what birders call a “diagnostic clue”. 

If you see that flash of white, then it is a junco.

Juncos usually have two-three broods a year, and our local birds should be on their last brood. Both parents feed their offspring. I have found that males usually are feeding the youngsters from the first brood or two while the female is on the next clutch of eggs.

Spotted Towhee - first stage

Spotted Towhee second stage
Photo by Craig Kerns

Spotted Towhees
are hard to identify their first six months. When Spotted Towhees first leave the nest, they look like over-sized Song Sparrows with tail feathers and wings that are too dark, with some spots instead of varying shades of brown on their backs. 

About three-four weeks after they have fledged, their breast and lower body feathers start molting into that distinctive orange-red color of adult Spotted Towhees, but their dark-brownish flight feathers will not change until they do their first full-feather-replacing molt next spring.

Juvie Song Sparrow
Photo by Craig Kerns
That brings me to the next confusing brown ground bird—the Song Sparrow

Juvenile Song Sparrows don’t have distinctive streaking on their heads, nor do they have their distinctive breast spot. 

They are mostly just variations of brown with shading. If you have ruled out the other two juveniles, and a bird scurries on the ground through bushes, it is probably a Song Sparrow.

Offer food and water. Both the parents and the youngsters can use that extra protein and hydration.

Previous For the Birds columns can be seen here.


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