Backyard Wildlife
- Thread starter Canuck from Kansas
- Start date
A first for me this morning after 35 years in the same neighborhood while headed out fishing. I encountered a river otter.
Tried to get a picture but it ran into someone’s yard before I could do so.
My good friend has a Gig Harbor address but lives a good distance from any water. He has sent me multiple videos from his security cameras of otters running through his yard.
I did a bit of research and it noted they can travel good distances over land, which I wasn’t unaware of. Pretty cool to see new critters in the neighborhood.
SF
Tried to get a picture but it ran into someone’s yard before I could do so.
My good friend has a Gig Harbor address but lives a good distance from any water. He has sent me multiple videos from his security cameras of otters running through his yard.
I did a bit of research and it noted they can travel good distances over land, which I wasn’t unaware of. Pretty cool to see new critters in the neighborhood.
SF
I am an Oregon based plant nerd, and there are no natives here like that.
I consulted the plant whisperer and she is of the opinion that it is an escaped cultivar. Especially with the light color on the petals and their frilly appearance. But there are two native irises that you could expect to find in Southwestern Washington: Western blue flag (Iris missouriensis) or Oregon iris (Iris tenax).
Steve
Steve
That's pretty much what I thought about it being an escaped ornamental. To my knowledge its the only non native (other than Himalayan black berry) I've found so far. I'm working on a catalog of natives but might need the whisperers input with less familiar green stuff. Tell her thanks!
Passenger side wildlife? 
Hitchhiker I noticed on my way to work.
Quite an accomplishment.
SF
Hitchhiker I noticed on my way to work.
Quite an accomplishment.
SF
My backyard in Cle elum. First non-mouse visitor to my water hole and camera trap set up of the season. I've had a spring black bear around, but it just wants to knock my camera out of position and chew up my remote flashes rather than stop for a drink and properly pose for a picture. I was glad to get a visitor and nice pose before I lose the flowers from the arrowleaf balsamroot. Activity doesn't usually pick up until the crappy wet weather lets up and we start getting some hot days.
Here's a trail cam photo of the vandal and his damage
Here's a trail cam photo of the vandal and his damage
This is downtown Vancouver however we have one of the tallest fir trees in our back yard. It is a hawk and other raptors perch at the top. Here is a egg stealer making a less than stealthy climb to a nest
Any owl experts around here?
As I was working yesterday, some movement up in a tree across my property caught my eye. It ended up being 3 owls together. I quickly grabbed one of my wife’s cameras and while doing so one flew off but the other delivered a fish to what I assumed was a fledgling? Does the timing work out for that in western Washington? Would an owl be at the fledgling stage this early in the year? It was not a nestling. I saw it making very short flights to different branches before making what appeared to be a little bit of a longer flight deeper into the woods, maybe back to the nest. I assumed the birds I saw were two parents and a slightly smaller fledgling. Pardon the pics. The wife is the wildlife photographer in the family so my attempts to use her mirror less Cannon with the F11 800mm lens on autofocus resulted in clear views of the branch in front of the bird…but not the bird. Unfortunately, she was in a meeting and missed the action!
Food deliver. Some type of fish. I live one lot from Puget Sound and my property borders a very small stream so not sure what it could be.
What I thought was the younger one taking flight.
As I was working yesterday, some movement up in a tree across my property caught my eye. It ended up being 3 owls together. I quickly grabbed one of my wife’s cameras and while doing so one flew off but the other delivered a fish to what I assumed was a fledgling? Does the timing work out for that in western Washington? Would an owl be at the fledgling stage this early in the year? It was not a nestling. I saw it making very short flights to different branches before making what appeared to be a little bit of a longer flight deeper into the woods, maybe back to the nest. I assumed the birds I saw were two parents and a slightly smaller fledgling. Pardon the pics. The wife is the wildlife photographer in the family so my attempts to use her mirror less Cannon with the F11 800mm lens on autofocus resulted in clear views of the branch in front of the bird…but not the bird
. Unfortunately, she was in a meeting and missed the action!Food deliver. Some type of fish. I live one lot from Puget Sound and my property borders a very small stream so not sure what it could be.
What I thought was the younger one taking flight.
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Those are barred owls. I expect that you had two parents and a fledgling (timing is certainly right). I didn't think that barred owls would target fish but here is a YouTube clip with undeniable proof.Any owl experts around here?
As I was working yesterday, some movement up in a tree across my property caught my eye. It ended up being 3 owls together. I quickly grabbed one of my wife’s cameras and while doing so one flew off but the other delivered a fish to what I assumed was a fledgling? Does the timing work out for that in western Washington? Would an owl be at the fledgling stage this early in the year? It was not a nestling. I saw it making very short flights to different branches before making what appeared to be a little bit of a longer flight deeper into the woods, maybe back to the nest. I assumed the birds I saw were two parents and a slightly smaller fledgling. Pardon the pics. The wife is the wildlife photographer in the family so my attempts to use her mirror less Cannon with the F11 800mm lens on autofocus resulted in clear views of the branch in front of the bird…but not the bird
Food deliver? Some type of fish. I live one lot from Puget Sound and my property borders a very small stream so not sure what it could be.
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What I thought was the younger one taking flight.
View attachment 17494
Cool observation.
Steve
