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Nisqually NWR: More soras. This has been a wonderful spring for seeing elusive marsh birds at Nisqually NWR. You know them; the birds that are uncommonly heard and even less commonly seen even though you know that they have to be there in the marsh. But this spring, sightings of American...

Oystercatchers use their bills like chisels to remove limpets from rocks or cut the adductor muscle of an oyster or mussel. They don't typically use their bills to probe into the sediment like a whimbrel would. On a beach, especially one with soft sediments, like sand or mud, there are...

As predicted, the first fawn of the season trotted past my window this afternoon. The tiny fawn and its mom were moving too quickly for me to shoot pics from my office window, but I managed to click a few pictures from my bedroom window as the fawn and the doe trotted toward the creek near our...

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR & McLane Creek Nature Area. Part 6: Woodpeckers. On a bird walk, I have my hearing focused on any sign of life: a ripple in a pond, a flash in my peripheral vision, a scratching sound in the undergrowth, or an unnatural “drum” sound in the trees. The later is...

As most know, the Galapagos finches (and mockingbirds) played a large role in Charles Darwin's investigations of evolution via natural selection. But another bird, the domestic pigeon (aka rock dove), was also a critical link in his insights and evidence. This research formed part of Darwin's...

Like @CanoeGuy, My property is a deer superhighway, including dining options, rest rooms, and motels, for the local deer population. They carve trails through the yard to bare earth, treat the vegetation like fast-food restaurants, leave piles of scat, and nap in quiet nooks and crannies...

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Part 5: Wrens. Wrens can be SOOO frustrating. They seem to be always aware of your presence. You hear a wren sing or call from deep in the underbrush. The bird will pop into sight for a millisecond and then disappear into undergrowth again...

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Part 4: Sparrows and finches. We had just begun a recent visit when we saw two small birds fly into a big leaf maple. The tree was covered with clusters (racemes) of lime-green flowers. The birds were a male and female house finch...

After moving full-time to Washington in 2007, I started a tradition of camping and fishing for several days along the whole length of the Humes Ranch section in late August / early September. For me it served as a final opportunity to clear my mind and relax before the start of another school...

Several other interesting aspects of their biology. 1) The first ocean sunfishes were described with the scientific name Mola mola in the late 18th century. The word "mola" is derived from the Latin word for millstone due to its round body and its sandpaper-like skin due to mineralized dermal...

Another child left behind.... Steve

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Mammals II: muskrat. I saw my first muskrats at Nisqually one day last summer; they were slurping down duckweed. This spring, I have been fortunate to see them (at least three separate individuals) on three trips. The active individuals...

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Mammals I: American mink. When I’m birding, I am listening to every sound, even the lightest rustle of dry leaves. I’m looking for any motion in my peripheral vision. Any little ripple in a canal draws my attention. I feel like an...

When I started birding, I followed the practice of other experienced birders who would made the "pish, pish, pish" alarm sound to elicit mobbing by smaller birds, such as wrens or chickadees. With the advent of Merlin and other similar software programs, you have the ability to play back...

Jays are great mimics. And it is deliberate manipulation as you said. Merlin does make ID mistakes as it recently indicated that I had a pigeon guillemot in my yard... While within a half mile of the very south Sound, I just don't believe it. Still, Merlin generally does an amazing job of...

What a creative individual!!! I really appreciate that he shared his art and perspective with us. He will be missed. Steve

As a gradual student at U.C.S.B., a friend and I did a late afternoon dive off the coast of Santa Barbara. I had been researching cottids / sculpins in the PNW and I was very interested to see the types of sculpins were common here in Southern California. I caught a gorgeous 6" "sculpin" -...

Those birds that you labelled as "new?" are very likely right now. Steve

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Part 4: Sparrows and finches. We had just begun a recent visit when we saw two birds fly into a big leaf maple. The tree was covered with clusters (racemes) of lime-green flowers. The birds were a male and female house finch. They were...

Billie Frank Jr. - Nisqually NWR, early-mid April. Part 3: Warblers. We are in a narrow window where the deciduous trees are just starting to produce their canopy of leaves. The big leaf maples are decorated with dangling clusters (racemes) of fragrant, nectar-rich flowers. I’ve been spoiled...