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: White-crowned Sparrow—the serenader of parking lots

Monday, May 7, 2012


Puget Sound White-crowned sparrow (PSWS)
Photo by Whitney Hartshorne
By Christine Southwick

In April and May, parking lots are a place of serenading beauty:  one long note, followed by several trilled notes. The White-crowned Sparrow males are claiming territory, each loudly vying for a mate.  Since this species likes open spaces, it has adapted well to human expansion, often being heard in city centers that have trees and shrubs. In the Puget Sound area White-crowned Sparrows are here year-round.  Most are migratory, so like the American Robins, the ones we see in the summer probably are not the same ones we see in the winter.

The female will make her nest near the ground, in low shrubs, even in plants in garden nurseries.  All a seasonally monogamous pair needs is sufficient cover for the nest, and a nearby perch for observation.  The 3-5 nestlings will hop out of the nest 7-10 days after hatching, long before they can fly, since ground nests are so vulnerable to predators. Both parents feed their young, with the male often feeding them exclusively if the female sits on a second brood.

This nest was built in a Shoreline plant nursery on Aurora.
The owners sacrificed a tray of flowers so the birds would not be disturbed during nesting.
Photo by Christine Southwick

Here in the Puget Sound area, the sub-species that breeds here is named the Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow.  You can tell it from the other subspecies by its yellow, not orange, bill, and the back pattern has blackish centers with tan edges. There is a difference in the song too, but I haven’t learned to distinguish between the Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow and the Gambel’s with any accuracy yet. The Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow passes through this area in the winter on its way to California. In the spring and summer, if you see a White-crowned Sparrow in western Washington, it will be a Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow, with very few exceptions.

Parents watching over the nest
Photo by Christine Southwick
During breeding, white-crowned stay in pairs, in the winter they flock as they roam around looking for seeds in weedy patches.  This is another sparrow that has learned to use blackberry brambles for food and winter shelter.

So next time you are shopping, and you hear a long note followed by several others, look at the parking lot trees, or lamp posts.  Chances are you will spot the White-crowned Sparrow in plain view, who is serenading the area, and you will find that you step a little lighter due to music in the parking lot.

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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Gardening with Jennifer - Wildlife In The Garden: The Unsung Heroes, Part 1 - Moles

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

by Jennifer Rotermund

If you’re into wildlife gardening like I am, your garden probably includes an array of native plants that produce berries for the birds, a combination of native and non-native plants that produce flowers for a variety of bees, and you probably even have a plant or two that produce flowers specifically attractive to Hummingbirds. 

There’s at least one bird bath type contraption (or water feature) and any number and shape of bird feeders hanging from tree branches or mounted on posts or stuck to a window positioned just right for you to observe as closely as possible.

Birds - bees - bats - dragonflies - tree frogs
If it's the birds you especially love to have around, you’ve more than likely hung at least one bird house - purchased at the local specialty store, made of untreated wood, and without a landing peg, thank you very much! If bees are your thing, and you’re not already a backyard beekeeper, I’m guessing you’ve studied up on those cute little solitary Mason Bees and know when to clean out their tubes or the box they call home, when to refrigerate them and for how long, and you know just which kind of predatory wasp larvae feeds on them - and are saddened each time that happens. You love bats? There’s a rocket box near the roof line of your house, I’m sure! Lately, I’ve been fantasizing about a small pond in my back yard to keep dragonfly larvae and perhaps (if I’m lucky) encourage some nearby Pacific Treefrog to, well, stay nearby.

Then there’s the category of critters that get a bum rap because they’re known more for the destruction they cause or the havoc they wreak, rather than the benefit they provide. 

Townsend's Mole. Photo by Jerry Kirkhart.
Moles stand out for me as dominating this category. I’ve always thought moles were cute, and before I was a homeowner, I never gave them a second thought. Afterall, who has to worry about mole-hill mounds popping up through a lawn or garden bed when they’re renting a second story apartment? It was when they started to make their presence known in my own front yard that I began to take notice and was interested in becoming better acquainted with this new little neighbor of mine. 

Knowing how infamously difficult it is to rid one’s yard of moles, I set out to see if there was anything beneficial about them - plus I’ve found that its much easier to explain away my neglect to the neighbors, as long as I have an intelligent-sounding justification. 

So I was particularly interested when, at a conference on sustainable lawn care I recently attended, one of the leading local lawn care company owners ended his presentation by saying, “And then there’s the issue of moles. You won’t get rid of them, no matter what you do. So, you might as well get used to them. After all, if you have moles, it means you have good soil!”

It was that last sentence that stuck with me because it occurred to me that the connection between moles and good soil works in two ways: 1) moles are drawn in by (among other things living in the soil) earthworms! Therefore, the presence of moles means you have good life in your soil, which is very beneficial for the health of your plants, and 2) as moles tunnel through the ground, they aerate the soil, pulling organic material down and pushing important minerals up towards the surface and within reach of our plants. Happily, most moles are only interested in worms and insects - not our plants - and are continually mobile (especially in the Spring when male moles are eagerly seeking a mate). If you leave them alone (I simply rake out the unsightly little mole-hills), they’re more likely to move right on through from your yard, to your neighbor’s yard and right on down the street.

The bigger problem is not the moles themselves, but the fact that the tunnels they dig provide direct access for the critters that will eat garden plants - voles, mice, rats, and pocket gophers. But, herein lies the beauty of wildlife gardening! I could throw my hands in the air exasperated by the fact that garden-ownership means I’ll be forever chasing down, trapping, and actively ridding my yard of pests, thanks to the moles, or I could could thank the moles for the beautiful tilling work they do for my soil and for the extra food they bring in for the larger predators who are integral to the health of wildlife in our urban areas. Yes, I have moles in my yard - and I’ve seen an occasional rat or two in my backyard - but the other day, I also witnessed a Falcon (one of several natural predators of moles and other little, furry creatures in our yards) land in my apple tree about 30 feet from the kitchen window through which I watched it scour the ground for live food. 

Perhaps I’m a lazy gardener because I tend to let life be as it wants to be around my yard, but I prefer to think of myself as a gardener working to restore the balance of nature to an area where we humans have worked so hard in the past to suppress it. As far as I’m concerned, the moles are a more than welcome addition to my yard!

Jennifer Rotermund is the owner of Gaiaceous Gardens (an urban farming & wildlife gardening business with a teaching garden/urban farm and certified wildlife habitat located in Shoreline) and is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Habitat Steward.

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For the Birds: The Changing of the Birds

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Varied Thrush, male
The Changing 
   of the Birds
Text and photos by Christine Southwick

Fall is here. Gone are the summer birds. Not until spring will we delight in the songs of the Orange-crowned Warblers and the Yellow Warblers, nor catch the passing notes of the Olive-sided and the Willow Flycatchers.

My heart quickens to hear the first hauntingly beautiful notes of the wintering Varied Thrush. Neighborhood reports of their winter songs are starting to come in. Homeowners with enough native plants and trees generally have these lovely birds until early May.

Fox Sparrow in December with heated bath

There are other birds that come here to winter in our milder winters:

  • Dark-eyed Juncos with their startling-white outer tail feathers flashing as they dart away from intruders come southwestward from Canada and Montana;
  • Fox Sparrows that bred in higher elevations shelter in our woods with salal, or in Himalayan blackberries;
  • American Robins that are here through the winter have come from further north—while the ones that were here during the summer have flown further south.

Snow geese are just starting to arrive from Wrangel Island off the Siberian coast, and will stay in Washington until sometime in April. The Skagit and Frazer deltas with their farmed fields and the native bulrushes support the largest flocks on the West Coast.

Look carefully - it's a
White-throated Sparrow stopped for water

Some shorebirds like the Black Turnstone should be showing up soon to winter here until they leave in April for their Alaskan breeding grounds.

Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed chickadees are year-round residents. Anna Hummingbirds have become year-round residents, and some Townsend’s Warblers now stay through the winters.

Townsend's Warbler in March-one of wintering pair

Many shorebirds (e.g. Whimbrels) and land birds (e.g. White-throated Sparrow) neither winter here, nor breed in our neighborhoods — they use our resources as resting and refueling stops during migration. Migration refueling stops are as important to these birds as their destinations, and can mean the difference between life and death. Without water or the food they need, they may not have the strength to reach their destination and so fall to the ground exhausted never to go again.

Keep liquid water year round, and plant/ keep native trees and plants for shelter and for food. If you really want to help, keep fresh seed all year long. Winter food can make the difference in survival for our resident and wintering birds. Throw away any seeds that get moldy. I have baffles over all my feeders — they slow down the squirrels and keep the seeds drier.


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For the Birds: Water the Birds, not your lawn

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Chestnut-backed Chickadee cooling off. Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick

Your dormant lawn will recover this fall — dehydrated birds may not!

It’s easy to provide water for birds, ranging from ponds, fountains and bird baths down to a plastic plant pot liner placed where you can watch it.

Wilson's Warbler bathing. Photo by Chris Southwick
All you have to do is keep the water reasonably clean, and make sure that the water doesn’t get too hot if you use a shallow bowl that sits in the sun.

Moving water, especially falling water, will attract migrants as they fly near your property and hear the welcome sound of often hard to find water.

They will veer toward your yard, stop, and fill up with much needed water, often saving their lives, especially now that many of their migration drinking stops have become dry. 

Some may even take a quick bath, allowing them to cool down, refresh and take a much-desired rest before continuing on. 

And if your yard offers food by having native plants with bird-enticing bugs or fruits, or bird feeders, many birds will add your yard to their migration rest stops both going and returning.

Evening Grosbeak drinking water. Photo by Craig Kerns
A birdbath can be as small as a plate, as long as it is in a safe location from cats and isn’t too deep. 

Birds don’t swim, so a couple of large rocks will allow them to stand, splash and drink. 

My dripper/mister drips down into two ground bird baths, around which I have a decorative metal fence on three sides to discourage wandering cats, and on the back side of this waterfall I planted salmonberries for the same reason.

Migrants like MacGillivray’s Warblers, Western Tanagers, and Swainson’s Thrushes have stopped at my water setups during many of their migrations. Resident birds use my fountains daily, year-round.

Red-breasted Nuthatch drinking at a fountain.
Photo by Craig Kerns
Fountains will attract birds because they can hear and see moving water. 

Fountains recirculate the water, which is good conservation, and offers a pleasant babbling sound. 

They are easy to set up, can be moved if you so desire, and offer beneficial and enjoyable decoration.

A small pond will often attract different birds than a bird bath, especially if there is a small moving element. 

A waterfall or pond is a major investment in work, but oh, the birds it will bring in!

Make your yard a bird magnet. Both you and the birds will be glad you did.

See previous For the Birds articles here



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Shorewood Girls upset Glacier Peak; primed for Hoopapalooza

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Shorewood's Lily Gustafson
Photo by Geoff Vlcek

The Shorewood girls basketball team defeated #8 ranked Glacier Peak Wednesday night, 59-53, in the T-Birds gym.

The win avenged an earlier defeat at the hands of the Grizzlies on December 11, by a nearly identical score of 58-53.

Shorewood benefited from a three-pronged attack, with Jalyn Hizey leading the way with 18 points. Taryn Shelley had 17, while Lily Gustafson chipped in with 13.

The Grizzlies tried their mightiest in the last two minutes to reclaim the lead and sneak out with a win, but the T-Birds kept their composure down the stretch and prevailed in the end.

"I'm really proud of the girls - they earned that one,'" said T-Birds first year Head Coach Mark Haner. "They weathered a good team's run and kept competing."

With the win, the T-Birds served notice that they aren't ready to concede the top two spots in WesCo South 3A to defending state champion Lynnwood and Glacier Peak. With the win the T-Birds are now only a game behind GP for second place.

All of which sets up perfectly for Saturday night's girls Hoopapalooza game that starts at 5pm in the SW gym. (The boys' teams finish off the day-long hoops fest at 7pm)

Shorewood topped the Scots 43-31 when the teams played at Shorecrest on December 16.

Both teams have three top scorers, all of whom offer different talents and skill-sets to help their teams.

Shorecrest's Wurrie Njadoe
Photo by Geoff Vlcek

The Shorecrest Scots feature three of the most unique (and dissimilar) players imaginable.

5' 8" Senior Wurrie Njadoe won four individual 2A state track championships last spring --- the 100 and 200 meter dashes, as well as long jump and high jump. She can outrun anybody on the court for easy lay-ins, and she appears to be on pogo sticks when it comes to skying for rebounds. She'll run track at Kansas State next year.

5' 10 senior Uju Chibuogwu brings great size and strength to the court along with a deft shooting touch from as far away as 25 feet, and court-vision that allows her to throw some of the prettiest passes known to mankind. When she is on her game, she can be unstoppable.

6' 0" sophomore Julia Strand has emerged for the Scots as a bona-fide scoring threat. The sleek forward can drive and slash her way to the basket, scoring points in a variety of creative ways, as shown by her 20 points last Friday in a loss to Lynnwood.

For the Shorewood T-Birds, the aforementioned threesome of senior Lily Gustafson and juniors Hizey and Shelley carry the scoring load.  Hizey, a former Scot, can be a deadly outside shooter who can also drive to the hoop. The 6' 2" Shelley, a WSU-recruit, can bang in the low post as well as square up and face the basket from fifteen feet.  Gustafson, at an even six-feet, has great versatility, can score from anywhere on the court, but is sometimes reluctant to shoot, preferring to pass.

--Frank Workman



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For the Birds: Save the birds - Protect their nests

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Dark-eyed Junco nest with eggs in planter box

By Christine Southwick
Photos by Craig Kerns

Many local birds are now on nests, others are just starting their nests. 

Dark-eyed Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows and other sparrows make their nests on the ground, hidden in clumps of grass, bases of shrubs or ferns, brush piles, or a depression in the ground hidden from view, perhaps by a rock.

Even some warblers like the Wilson’s Warbler build their nests in clumps of tall grass behind the base of a tree or shrub (0-3 feet above the ground). 

Many other birds, not usually found in our yards, also nest on the ground -- Killdeer, MacGillivray’s Warblers, and Townsend’s Solitaires come to mind.

Red-breasted Nuthatch with bug

If you are working in your yard right now, it is vitally important that you protect birds and their nests from disturbances either by you or your dogs and cats. 

When walking your dogs, please keep them on leashes, especially in parks

Canine noses will find unseen nests and disturb and often destroy them by stepping on the eggs and even the parent. 

 For the same reason, cats must also be controlled.

Watch where you clear weeds, especially when weed-whacking. Be alert for a startled low-flying bird, or a bird making alarm calls. Stop, and maybe leave that area wilder than usual. The rewards will be great.

Black-capped Chickadee with grub

Resist the easy application of herbicides and pesticides. 

Herbicides kill weeds in your lawns and curbs plus beneficial creatures like worms, beetles and spiders. 

Pesticides kill almost all bugs, including good bugs like bees and butterflies, plus all the caterpillars and grubs that birds feed their babies. 

This puts all birds in danger of dying from those strong, deadly, labor-reducing products, and makes it harder for the parents to find enough bugs for themselves and their offspring.

A neighbor found a dead adult bird on eggs when she was cleaning out a nest box and asked me what could have caused its death. 

Since usually only healthy birds lay eggs, and this bird didn’t appear injured, I told her that bird may have eaten a bug that had been sprayed, and died from pesticide poisoning, thus killing her and her unhatched eggs.

Golden-crowned Kinglets fledged less than a week (by gape)

Save Birds -- remove weeds and bugs by hand instead.

Which would you rather have -- pristine lawns and plants that have been poisoned and that don’t supply nutrition for birds and their young?

...or yards with flying, singing birds, that are feeding their young and taking care of most of the local bugs?




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For the Birds: Feed your local wintering birds

Friday, December 21, 2012

By Christine Southwick

Bushtits in Vancouver-- photo by Lyn Topinka

Wintering birds may mostly be able to endure our cold and wet winters, but you can make their little lives easier by supplying seeds, fruits, and suet. Additionally they need drinking water, which can be hard to find during freezing temperatures.

Fox Sparrow using heated bath in my yard
Photo by Christine Southwick

Sudden drops in temperature or windy winter storms can challenge the survival of a bird without a good fat layer. At times like these, it is especially helpful to have feeders so that birds can find food quickly and easily. Black oil sunflower seeds and suet are great high-energy heat-producing calories.

See a bird all fluffed up? It’s trying to stay warm by creating air pockets with its feathers. You can help keep them warm by creating brush piles, and having evergreen bushes for them to hunker down away from the chilling winds and some of that Northwest dampness.

Sparrow eating yard Snowberry fruits
Photo by Scott Carpenter

Feeders should be filled throughout the winter, since constant rain can be just as chilling as cold. Watch for clumping, which means the seed is starting to spoil. Throw that seed out since mold can make birds sick, then wash the feeder with a 10% solution of bleach. Don’t want to wash feeders? One option is to buy cheap tube feeders, and put out less each day, so that most of it is eaten every day, or if you are too busy to fuss with daily refilling, put a squirrel baffle over the top of the feeder. That will keep most of the rain from getting into the feeders, and slow down the squirrels too. Then when the feeder starts getting dirty, throw it away, and replace with another cheapie,

Bewick's Wren nestled in porch shelter created by Christine Southwick
Photo by Christine Southwick

Remember your hummer friends too: In cold weather, full hummingbird feeders don’t freeze above 28°F. Colder than 28F, bring feeders in after dark, and put out again at first light. If it stays cold during the day, tape a hand-warmer against the bottom of the feeder, or use non-LED Christmas lights. Anna’s hummingbirds feed well into dusk, and come back at early dawn. They need to fill up to survive winter over-night, and tank up in the morning to replenish their energy levels.

So, when the days are short, and the nights are long, the wild food has been mostly consumed, and insects are scarce. Heat your bird bath, give your yard birds food, and provide shelter from winter weather, and more of your birds will live to see their next Spring.


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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Garden Guy: Autumn tasks in the garden

Monday, November 14, 2022

Photo courtesy simplysmartgardening.com
By Bruce Bennett

I don’t usually write Tasks-of-the-Month type articles. But, with this year’s unusual weather, more questions concerning tasks for the end of our most recent gardening season have been asked of me and we shall follow that path of discussion this month. 

My short answer to most inquiries for the last two months has been, “Yes, gardening for this season is nearly over AND there are still several tasks which can be completed now in order to make your initial spring gardening efforts easier to manage.

First, clean-up garden debris. This is especially true for a vegetable garden. The remnants of herbaceous plants, leaves, stalks, etc., should be removed and added to the compost pile. If the plant was diseased or infested, put it in the yard waste container for removal. Our home compost piles simply do not generate enough of their own heat to destroy all overwintering insects and pathogens. After cleaning the beds, spread some (1”-3”) of compost on the area and let it fuel next spring’s growth. Time permitting, digging-in this amendment will help to loosen the soil for next planting cycle.

Leave the seed heads for the birds
Photo courtesy extension.unh.edu
In the perennial beds, leave the stems of flowers in the garden as well as some leaf litter on the ground. The stems and leaves provide habitat for overwintering beneficial insects, amphibians and reptiles. Again, if there were issues with disease, this plant debris should be thrown away. 

Also, remember to leave the seed heads of grasses and perennials for your winter birds (think Echinacea and berry-bearing plants). Sanitation is always the best and least costly way to reduce next year’s disease problems.

For soil-level planting beds, now would be good time to edge beds. The rain will have softened the soil to make the job easier. Doing it now, in the slow-season, will alleviate the chore from the busy springtime. When the weather warms again, all that will need to be done is a final bed early-season clean-up and, if needed, the addition of a fresh layer of mulch and, I suppose, the addition of some new plantings you saw at the NW Flower and Garden Show. When edging, use a square tipped shovel. This will give you a nice, clean cut.

Bulbs can still be planted
Photo courtesy americanmeadows.com
Remember to take advantage of end-of-season sales that may still be going on in favorite garden centers. Seeds may have a lower germination rate, but will still grow quite nicely. 

In our USDA Zone 8, bulbs can still be planted. Inspect them for firmness before planting. Do not allow them to touch when in the ground. Crocus, alliums, tulips and hyacinths are especially easy to survive a late fall planting. Same spring color impacts with a smaller outlay of cash.

Because our ground hardly ever freezes or does so to a very shallow depth, shrubs and trees can still be planted and actually do better than if planted in spring. Roots have a longer bit of time to develop before stressful weather affects them. Remember not to install the plant any deeper in the ground than it was in its growing container. 

If planting an individual specimen, backfill with the native soil that you took out of the hole. However, if you are planting an entire bed with multiple plants, adding a couple of inches of topdressing compost to the bed and working it in as plants are installed is an easy initial slow-release fertilizer process. 

Keep these newly planted perennials, shrubs and trees watered until the winter rains take over the skies. Often, the death of an autumn- planted shrub or tree is due to our lack of watering, not problems with the plant itself. A general rule of thumb is that the plant needs one inch of water per week, either through rainfall, or garden hose.

Cover your fish pond with netting
Photo courtesy pondexperts.ca
If you have a garden pond that contains fish and water plants, covering the area with netting may be a good task autumn. 

The netting will keep leaves out of the water as well as also keeping blue herons and raccoons from a robust smorgasbord. Once the pond lilies and other plant cover is gone, there is little to protect the fish. Think about adding a tarp over just a portion of the pond.

Hopefully, all your tender plants have been dug up. If not, elephant ears, cannas, callas, etc. should be dug up and stored in a cool, dry location for the winter. 

Tropical plants, like hibiscus, citrus, Norfolk Island pine, and other houseplants should be inside by the end September. 

When bringing them in for the winter, check them for insects. Mealy bugs, aphids and scale like to come in where it’s warm. Particularly check in the leaf axils, stems of the plants and surface of the planting mix. Use an insecticidal soap or an all-seasons oil spray for houseplants before bringing them in. Once they are inside, check them, at least, monthly.

Keep a garden journal
Photo by thisismygarden.com
And in your down time this November, make notes as to what was successful in the garden and what was a failure. Determine whether the failures were due to weather, bad placement, or just improper care. 

Question the successes – did the plants do well because of the rain? Or the sun? Or the attention given to those particular plants? This will help in planning for next year’s garden, whether it’s the vegetable garden, perennial garden, containers, or shrubs and trees. 

Keeping a garden journal becomes a great tool throughout the gardening season in those successes and failures. It is the first reference book used when ordering seeds and choosing plants for next season’s garden.∂∂∂Ć’So there’s lots that still needs to be done before calling the garden season over. 

Outside chores abound, from planting, edging, cutting back and turning compost, to preparing for indoor gardening – growing holiday plants and forcing bulbs. 

Preparing for the holiday decorations becomes a "top of the list" as we approach the end of the month. Enjoy all things gardening, grow plants and enjoy the month of Thanksgiving! Happy gardening all!

Garden Guy Bruce Bennett
Contributing columnist, Bruce Bennett, is a Master Gardener, garden designer and lecturer. 

If you have questions concerning this article and your own landscape or care to suggest a gardening topic for a future column, contact Bruce at gardenguy4u@gmail.com.



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Piano Time hits the right notes with visitors and home town players

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

NW Melodies by Marcia Lippert
in place at Goodwill

Once again Piano Time was a big hit! The third year of this “street piano” adventure brought artists, musicians and community together for an interactive experience. Eleven artist-decorated pianos were placed around Shoreline, cared for by adjoining businesses and neighbors and enthusiastically played by thousands of Shoreline residents and visitors throughout the month of August.

Pianos were generously donated to the cause, artists were selected from a Call for Artists, a collaborative committee of City staff, musicians, artists, Prosser Piano staff and community set the plan in motion, and numerous local businesses enthusiastically agreed to participate to make this all-August project a success. In addition Piano Time was supported in part by Prosser Piano, GBC International Bank and a generous 4Culture Group Arts Award.

If you didn’t get to see all the pianos you can find images on the Public Art page of the City’s website. 

Sports and Tunes on Backyard Birds
By Susan Pope at Paramount Park


Each piano had a “note book” attached and collected comments from both pianists and performers – children, teens, adults, seniors, beginners to professionals. The comments were wildly enthusiastic with many wishing the pianos could remain in place indefinitely and definitely supported their return in 2015.

Piano Time 2014 celebrated with bookend concerts at Arts al Fresco on August 7 with three pianos in play, and the Michael Stegner and Friends trio in the City Hall courtyard concert on August 27. Along with noon and evening concerts in the parks, musical theater outdoors at City Hall, new Gallery and Sculpture Stroll exhibit openings, plus chalk art on the trail, this was definitely an art-filled summer to remember.

Piano Time 2014 Notebook Quotes:

  • We’re so glad you do this every year!
  • I love this piano idea. Thank you Shoreline!
  • I love the fact you can just be walking by and see someone playing a piano on the street at any time of day/night! This is such an amazing idea!
  • Love tangrams. Such cool art.
  • What a great way to make our neighborhoods fun & vibrant! Thank you for doing this!
  • Thank you to everyone who made public music possible!
  • My friend is moving to college tomorrow and this is our last hurrah.
  • I love that you provide a piano for those who are without.
  • This piano is awesome. I don’t have a piano at home, or get to practice very often. Thanks a lot!
  • What a great idea to bring the piano out, help influence kids to do something good.
  • My 3-year-old loves this piano.
  • These pianos are fantastic and I love seeing them all around Shoreline.
  •  I look forward to seeing these pianos again sometime. Then I can share my pieces with the world and fill the parks with wonderful songs by Beethoven, Bach, Chopin and Mozart. Please keep doing this and thank you for giving others who don’t have an opportunity to play the chance to play.
Infinite Arrangements by Elise Koncsek
at Gateway Plaza

  • Great to hear Mason play in the sunshine on a bike ride!!!
  • Thank you for doing this art project. I look forward to this sunny month with pianos all year long.  I love not having to pack gear around. The pianos are just there already. Thank you for all the effort moving, setup, creation lots of work. I go find a new piano each day and do some morning music for all to hear. These pianos add beauty to the gray drab suburban landscape. I cover any pianos I see when it rains trying to help them last for years to come. Thank you.
  • Love this idea! Had a woman sit on a bench and play her harmonica along with the piano! Art rules!
  • Back to re-live our first date.
  • To be honest I gave this up a long time ago. I wish I hadn’t done that. I wish I could play Canon in D major again, one more time.
  • This is great. Maybe attach a beginner song book so visitors can play.
  • We came all the way from San Ramon, CA to play this piano.
  • Thanks Shoreline! From a composer
  • Played two jazz standards. Love this idea!
  • Came from Portland to Seattle for fun, but got a lot more than we hoped. Wonderful idea!
  • We love this interactive art installation!
  • We drove out from Buckley for these!
  • Thank you for a moment of grace and pleasure in music.
  • Yay! Happy to find this piano at my favorite grocery store. Stopping here on my route for a treat. It’s great to find it in the early morning so I could play part of the Impossible Dream that I remember (when no one is listening). Kinda shy player.
  • It felt peaceful playing piano by the “ocean”.
  • Whoever dolled up the piano did a great job. Thanks, Shoreline.
  • We played and played. We loved it so much! We had so much fun!
Backyard Birds
By Susan Pope

  • A very nice lady taught me “doe a dear” and she is going to teach me lessons! Can you believe it! I cannot believe what a piano can do to a person! Thank you ever so much!
  • I am 41 and enjoy this piano every time I come to the park The piano is so sweet and pretty that must be played with love. Thanks for bringing it here so we can share it.
  • Thank you so much, we enjoyed this late-night musical performance opportunity.
  • Love this piano. The backyard birds are beautiful. We have found 5 so far. Such fun  - like a treasure hunt. Enjoy playing outside.
  • Thank you for making our vacation special.
  • Thank you for providing this piano. My daughter absolutely loved it. Best thing ever.
  • The birds on this piano make me wanna fly.
  • Thanks so much for sharing this piano. It makes for a long line of happy kids and endless music, a great addition to a sunny day.
  • We love this project. Keep up the great community work!
  • I love the birds and flowers. The tone of the piano is amazingly good considering it lives outside. I have played piano for 68 years and am glad to see people still enjoy it.
  • I want the piano here forever!!!
  • My daughter loved playing the piano! I think lessons will be in her future! Thanks for inspiring a young musician. Piano is absolutely gorgeous!
  • I like the imaginative decoupage effects! I’ll come back to play this one.
Fancy Footwork by Kelly Lyles
The Park at Town Center

  • I’ve really enjoyed the pianos around the area. At first I didn’t play at the library park too often because of the seven or eight missing keys, but it was great at the end of the month to have the keys fixed. But anyway, I hope this program continues for many more years. I love playing these pianos and listening to the different styles of music that comes with each musical passerby. So again, thank you Shoreline.
  • Loved being here – very healing for some old fears and made new happy memories in their place. Wonderful 55th birthday gift.
  • I’ve been playing piano since I was 3 years old. It’s brought me around the US, to Germany with Macklemore and even earned a Grammy nomination with Macklemore from playing “Same Love” on The Heist. It’s amazing what music can do for people and where it can bring you. I encourage people to follow their joy in music and let it inspire, heal and uplift you!! Josh Rawlings 
  • Music is, at the best of times, an expression of heartfelt emotion to be used as an extension of oneself. At the worst of times it is a plague – nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps actions such as these will allow us to cleanse from ourselves the impurity of insincere music. I truly hope so. Good luck, music lovers.
  • Had so much fun playing a duet with Mom.
  • Possibly my favorite piano ever!! I played 2 jazz standards. Four missing keys made it tough.
  • Thank you so much for Piano Time. I was so excited Sky gets to host this beautiful flower piano this year! The action on the keys feels really nice. I am cashier at Sky and also a pianist on the side. Love to play the music that makes people happy!
  • Yea! Mom and I enjoyed finding and playing on all the colorful pianos last year—so happy to see them again! Thank you!
  • So happy to see the piano on display! So good to take part in this fun event.
Wonderland by Heather Carr

  • This is a great idea! I hope that if they are not already in Seattle they can get them too.
  • I played these jazz standards for a flowery piano: Days of Wine and Roses, Poinciana, Red Roses for a Blue Lady
  • Thank you 1000 times plus. This is amazing!
  • What a wonderful idea—becoming a tradition, perhaps Goldberg variations are beyond me, but casual chord changes sound good on … does this piano have a name? Alice?
  • Beautiful tonal quality!...I wish they had something like this in San Diego, California!... visiting family here!
  • I’m jealous of everyone for playing so well. I Just tapped some keys, remembering old tunes. (6 days later) Back again! I’ll play a little more, try to get better. It’s cooler out here than in my house!
  • This piano is beautiful and it’s sunny out and August in Seattle, right here writing in this silly piano book, right now is perfect.
  • My granddaughter loves to sit down and play her nice pieces before entering the store. Nice thing!
  • We just love the pianos! Thank you Shoreline for such a fun and interactive art project! We always meet the nicest and most interesting people at the pianos. Kudos to you!
  • We drove up from Bonney Lake WA. What a wonderful way to bring such creative minds together for something that looks and sounds so great!


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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Gulls

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Photo courtesy PAWS
Natural behavior

Gulls, often referred to as "seagulls," are a group of birds belonging to the family Laridae. According to Seattle Audubon's Bird Web, "The family Laridae is made up of birds closely associated with water. Distributed throughout the world, representatives of this family nest on every continent, including Antarctica.

Clutch size is generally small, varying from one to four eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs and help feed the young. The young typically hatch covered with down and stay in the nest for a few days, after which they leave the nest but stay nearby. Most, especially in Washington, raise a single brood a year. This group is known for its elaborate displays in the air and on the ground."

There are more than a dozen gull species in Washington State. They are especially numerous on the outer coast and on the shores of Puget Sound, but many can be found further inland on lakes, ponds and along rivers.

Gull diets vary, but fish, crustaceans, mollusks, other aquatic invertebrates and dead animals comprise a large part of the diet of most species. Many gull species are very tolerant of human activity and congregate in large numbers on pilings, breakwaters, roofs of buildings, and other human-created structures near water.

Solving and preventing conflicts

Photo by Shane Adams
Most conflicts with gulls involve their roosting where they are not wanted. Gulls are relatively large birds and their droppings are not insignificant. Even a few gulls perching regularly on the roof of a house can add a layer of undesirable whitewash to the roof in a fairly short period of time.

Gulls are also very vocal, and when gathered in large numbers they are capable of disturbing the sleep, or general peace and quiet for humans.

Eliminate roosting sites

Photo by Chas Redmond
The most effective way to avoid conflicts with gulls is to eliminate roosting sites, or make your property unappealing to the birds. If your property is near the water, this can be a challenge.

  • If the birds are simply using the peak of a roof, deterrents such as bird spikes can be installed to make the perch less desirable.
  • If they are utilizing an area that is too extensive to be covered by spikes, try visual deterrents, sonic emitters or other annoyance tactics such as spraying the birds with a hose when they try to land.
  • CAUTION: Avoid using gels or other sticky and tacky products that are advertised as bird repellents. More often than not, the birds do not see these greasy substances until they land on them. PAWS receives birds every year who suffer tremendously because their feathers have become coated after landing in these substances.
Do not attract gulls

Photo from Creative Commons
In addition to eliminating roosting sites, don't intentionally or unintentionally attract gulls.
  • Never purposely feed gulls. Putting out bread, French fries or other human foods for gulls is not only unhealthy for the birds, but it attracts them in large numbers. Birds who get used to being fed in an area will frequent that area, likely roosting on nearby roofs or structures.
  • Deny gulls access to unnatural food sources on your property, such as your garbage. Gulls do not generally knock over garbage cans, but they may pick through an uncovered can or take advantage of a can that has been knocked over by a dog or other animal.
  • Secure trash can lids further with a bungee cord or chain, or store in a locked shed.
  • Do not put food of any kind in open compost piles.
  • Bury food in an underground composter or put it into a lidded worm box (read more about composting from Seattle Tilth).
If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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Shorewood boys’ basketball season ends with 59-54 tournament loss to Meadowdale

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Shorewood boys’ basketball season came to an end Wednesday with a 59-54 loss to Meadowdale in a Northwest District 3A tournament game on the Mavericks’ home court.
 
The Thunderbirds finished their season with an 11-12 record after going 7-7 in Wesco 3A play.
 
Our NewsPartner, The Seattle Times lists 6-8 sophomore center Josh Hawkinson as the team’s leading scorer with an average of 12.0 points per game for 22 reported games.
 
Meadowdale (12-11 overall, 8-6 Wesco 3A) will meet Mountlake Terrace (12-11 overall, 9-5 Wesco 3A) for the District’s No. 3 berth in State-3A-tournament play in a 6 p.m. Saturday game at Mountlake Terrace High School.
 
Meadowdale and Mountlake Terrace will meet for third place in the District tournament Saturday just before the District championship game between Glacier Peak (20-3, 14-0 Wesco 3A) and Mount Vernon (13-9, 6-7 Northwest 3A-2A-1A). Glacier Peak, Mount Vernon and the winner of the third-place game will advance to the regional round of State-3A-tournament play Feb 25-26.
 
In Shorewood’s 59-54 loss to Meadowdale, the Thunderbirds led 29-28 at halftime, but the Mavericks outscored them by three points in the third quarter and three more in the fourth. Semir Kadiric led the T-birds with 15 points; Hawkinson scored 14; and Taylor Freeman added 10. 

Our NewsPartner, MyEdmonds News said this:

“Great penetration in the second half was critical to the Meadowdale Mavericks’ success vs. a tough Shorewood Thunderbirds team in a loser-out 3A District 1 playoff game Wednesday. The last time the two teams met, Shorewood scored a buzzer beater to win 53-52.
“The first quarter set the tone for the very back-and-forth game. Though there were turnovers, there weren’t many breakaways – or easy layups — for either side, and the players had to fight tooth-and-nail to get baskets. Taylor Freeman of the T-Birds was putting on a display early, scoring eight of Shorewood’s 16 first-quarter points, including two three-pointers. Thanks to Freeman, the T-Birds jumped out to a 16-9 lead on a 9-0 run. Then the Mavs had a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 16 at the end of the quarter. Three of those points came on a buzzer-beating three.
   

“The Mavs couldn’t sustain the momentum through the second period. After the T-Birds missed three shots, they got four offensive rebounds in a row until Peter Berquist finally hit a layin. While the Mavs got breakaways, they weren’t often able to finish. Meadowdale also shot just 20 percent (5 for 25) from the three-point line. They were down 29-28 at halftime.
 

“After being down 29-28 at halftime, Meadowdale started heating up in the third quarter. Dooley began scoring consistently after only getting two points in the first, and the entire offense followed suit. The Mavs would take a 41-39 lead to the fourth though. 
"In the fourth, the Mavs continued to apply pressure to the T-Birds, who weren’t hitting the big shots. With 1:06 left, Meadowdale was up by one and Dooley took it to the hoop, getting fouled and converting a three-point play. Earlier in the season, the Mavs would have problems with free throw shots, but not in this game. Linton would make three of four late in the game to help seal the victory.”
At Meadowdale 59, Shorewood 54
Shorewood      16 13 10 15 — 54
 
Meadowdale   16 12 13 18 — 59

Shorewood Scoring
Points
Ben Andrews
6
Peter Berquist
6
Duncan Hendrickson
2
Semir Kadiric
15
Josh Hawkinson
14
Taylor Freeman
10
Anxhelous Pere
1
Gage Carroll
0

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