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Birds of the Salish Sea: Part 2: Cormorants. There are 40ish species of cormorants (likely derived from the Latin corvus marinus = “ravens” of the “sea”) and shags (which refers to the crest that some species have in the breeding season) in the family Phalacrocoracidae. All cormorants dive to...

Birds of the Salish Sea: Part 1: Alcids. The pictures here are primarily from a wildlife tour of the Cattle Pass area (south end of Lopez and San Juan Islands) that my wife, my brother-in-law, and I did in late July and a puffin-cruise out of Port Townsend to Smith Island in early September. We...

In one of Larson's anthologies (my wife and I have a VERY thorough collection), he mentions that he received a very unhappy message from the Jane Goodall organization when this comic was first published. He was concerned that he had offended someone whom he greatly admired. But he was later...

As summer winds down, adult dragonflies and damselflies will reach the ends of their life spasn. These master hunters of the air may soon be gone, but their equally voracious offspring will be terrorizing aquatic communities through the winter until it is their time to emerge next spring and...

Mt. Rainier NP pollinators. One of the highlights of living in the PNW is the summer flush of wildflowers in the subalpine and alpine meadows of Mt. Rainier National Park These include one of my favorite groups of plants, the louseworts in the genus Pedicularis, such as this bird’s beak...

While I was visiting family on Lopez Island this summer, I heard a VERY upset male robin repeatedly calling. I thought that there must be a hawk or an owl close to its nest. Armed with binocs and camera, I scanned the lower branches of the Douglas first near the robin and picked out a barred owl...

Great report. I'm so happy that you guys made a marginal day work out so well. Until next year... Steve

Tuna trip, Westport, 16 September 2025. This would be my third, and final, tuna trip of the season. The trips on Sunday had been cancelled, but the conditions had improved enough that we could head out with Chance as captain and Victor as deckhand. The other three anglers were experienced...

Yes, I believe that they were Bonaparte's gulls still in breeding plumage. These images are from Semiahmoo this spring. In non-breeding plumage, the head is white with a dark dot at the "ear" (see left individual). The larger gull is a glaucous-winged gull. Steve

I did not, but I believe that @JayB dropped off his catch for processing by Merino's. I did purchase a full bucket of shaved ice from them for $3 to keep the loins and bellies cold. Steve

Tuna trip, 11 September 2025. It was time for tuna trip 2 of 3. The forecast was reasonable: waves up to 4 feet and winds less than 10 knots. It was primarily overcast all day, but comfortable. After passing by the bar, Chance (our captain) set a course to the southwest and we zoomed southwest...

Tuna, 2 September 2025. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It was certainly a schizophrenic day. The team left the foggy dock at Westport shortly after 6AM. The fishers were @jasmillo, @SilverFly , Silverfly’s BIL, and me. After picking up two brails of live anchovies...

Yes, I agree with the ID of spotted sandpiper in non-breeding / juvenile plumage. According to All About Birds, another possiblity might be a solitary sandpiper. But a solitary sandpiper in non-breeding plumage would have white spots at the tips of its feathers and its bill is dark. As in...

Hi MM, That is an excellent update. I hadn't floated the Satsop in a decade. Your current information shows just how much a dynamic river can change in that time. Steve

Hi Steven, My friends and I have floated the Satsop several times in our pontoon boats, typically during the chum / coho runs of October. Over the years, we have drifted from Shaffer State Park to the Chehalis, albeit not in one go. A typical float might be from the Hwy. 12 boat launch (at the...

The US Forest Service actually has a site where you can sift through garnet-bearing gravels in a sluice box to search for them. They provide the gravels and you can keep what you find. It is called the Emerald Creek Garnet Area near St. Maries, Idaho. Access is by reservation. Steve

A few posts ago, I shared some pictures of the bigger bucks in the local population. These bucks are the major leagues. A few days ago, two spike bucks, Double A quality?, posed in the yard. The bigger of the two has quite long spikes. The smaller spike buck has been through some stuff as he...

I've broken one each of the last two summers... Typically, I was trying to lift a tuna too soon into gaffing range. Steve

It is a time of abundance at Nisqually NWR. Ripe berries and fruits, like those of this black hawthorn or this Himalayan blackberry, are everywhere. Both resident bird species and migratory species are exploiting this abundance. On a recent visit, I hadn’t even opened the door of my truck when...

Bright white snowberries are quite visible against the green leaves. Because the berries are high in saponins (soap-like compounds) they are not commonly eaten. Because saponins can disrupt fish gills and impair oxygen absorption, tribal fishers have added crushed extracts from plants rich...