tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16536843735533890702024-03-13T09:57:03.544-07:00Things I see from homeJaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-55894203413436196102011-09-27T20:05:00.000-07:002011-09-27T21:22:38.105-07:00Fall BeginsThe southeast storms have begun, flocks of birds are flying south, the minkes have mostly disappeared, the chum are running, the days are shorter than they are long and the wood-stove is going. All this, and it's not even October yet. The summer has been filled with fantastic sightings but mostly from places other than home. That said, however, I did see minkes from home on 6 occasions this past summer. Orcas, humpbacks, lags and porpoises also passed by on occasion but not as frequently as the minkes did. <br />A few other noteworthy things happened during the last month. First, the white-crowned sparrows finally fledged 2 chicks on August 24th. I have a feeling there was an earlier failed attempt based on the photos I took of them mating earlier in the summer. Shortly after that, there seemed to be only one sparrow around for the longest time. It would sit in the arbutus tree and sing from dusk till dawn. I figured it had lost it's mate but then in mid August I noticed 2 sparrows. By the 24th there were 4, 2 of which were chicks. The following pictures show one of the parents with food for one of the fledglings and one of the fledglings shortly after it landed in the back of my truck. By early-mid September they were all gone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVVv0FglFd5UuzwL55byaGURpTAJ72w2IER-oVHtPPoXi8sjhQHXR_f-crgTBjiE43ter1dTia8v0WSb6pg5_P13WlfKr8rnfAyTPkaXcRBTpnRCnrICzuiLBAFQBBqZRaahi7GbTt53m/s1600/IMG_3606+mod.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVVv0FglFd5UuzwL55byaGURpTAJ72w2IER-oVHtPPoXi8sjhQHXR_f-crgTBjiE43ter1dTia8v0WSb6pg5_P13WlfKr8rnfAyTPkaXcRBTpnRCnrICzuiLBAFQBBqZRaahi7GbTt53m/s320/IMG_3606+mod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657256357970677906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDAQbMukjR2vCxtVRQbCX1lCby6oaPBtbl3y6m8FiKXr_okjqJxGxmVAHx1ynk3WjDfmZYJCpVqUXuzZHt82rooBkYNZhHHPRQt0u8SsprXRSe2xyk_kSn4Nx9hXr2wjX6gHejimOrxHS/s1600/IMG_3575+mod.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDAQbMukjR2vCxtVRQbCX1lCby6oaPBtbl3y6m8FiKXr_okjqJxGxmVAHx1ynk3WjDfmZYJCpVqUXuzZHt82rooBkYNZhHHPRQt0u8SsprXRSe2xyk_kSn4Nx9hXr2wjX6gHejimOrxHS/s320/IMG_3575+mod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657256356807836354" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Second, on September 24th I caught 3 northwestern garter snakes on Village Island and let them go in my backyard here in Alert Bay. I had been debating whether this was a good idea or not for some time and finally figured it is worth a try as the species already occurs in both places already. The only differences are that the density is much higher at the old village site on village island than it is my backyard and that village island seems to contain different colour morphs while the snakes in my backyard are all mostly brownish. The ones I brought home were a young brown one with a red stripe, a regular coloured brownish all over one and a pure black one that almost looks bluish from certain angles. The red striped snake and the black snake are shown below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAMsxBfFl96PmGmGp9tjHdFMa5y64B6ScBiSGLYcay3hBSgZEN-1WhyXVNkKYPaeBVzpW5qvz1IzvNl9-akGGFjzAwQHTAFOfyerv7fXzRSPBEFLN1Wb2hwq6FgepkWAQ8lvJHuXTfqZ1/s1600/IMG_5069+mod.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAMsxBfFl96PmGmGp9tjHdFMa5y64B6ScBiSGLYcay3hBSgZEN-1WhyXVNkKYPaeBVzpW5qvz1IzvNl9-akGGFjzAwQHTAFOfyerv7fXzRSPBEFLN1Wb2hwq6FgepkWAQ8lvJHuXTfqZ1/s320/IMG_5069+mod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657258841177261010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfNd11oyuzS1AcGc1M-sj5G6SboD8iPiB9NCNccyYm7Xt14BFRz2VLCNe-hl1YZccJQunPI1chJd_0V9H7FF4L1t7ywQu7XpikmpiwfUaMnvf-mq6k_if35mOSgyVbEH07KqwGp-fkHcl/s1600/IMG_5066+mod.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfNd11oyuzS1AcGc1M-sj5G6SboD8iPiB9NCNccyYm7Xt14BFRz2VLCNe-hl1YZccJQunPI1chJd_0V9H7FF4L1t7ywQu7XpikmpiwfUaMnvf-mq6k_if35mOSgyVbEH07KqwGp-fkHcl/s320/IMG_5066+mod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657258835906652066" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Third, and lastly, I saw a Pacific Golden Plover from home today. With the tide quite high there was not a lot of real estate left for this bird so it was hanging out on and near the seawall. This is the first time I have seen this species from home. Other migratory species seen today include, Greater white-fronted goose, orange-crowned warbler and savannah sparrow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFxCbvxcXfxVYdb7puq82Nx90y3A70NlR31NkRH1Btre8hIC_1_efFpUImcKagT8yTGs2jvC5s4XYc_ZjVirssjfNRvro3_2sF34lSrLtIt02lMq51pjbqCyPtWHHq5d4slQiHPNMqGSW/s1600/IMG_5153+mod.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFxCbvxcXfxVYdb7puq82Nx90y3A70NlR31NkRH1Btre8hIC_1_efFpUImcKagT8yTGs2jvC5s4XYc_ZjVirssjfNRvro3_2sF34lSrLtIt02lMq51pjbqCyPtWHHq5d4slQiHPNMqGSW/s320/IMG_5153+mod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657260349922728866" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-42361933492998644492011-05-31T20:26:00.000-07:002011-05-31T20:45:25.117-07:00Warblers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMbEM7kOLLRa8fPnudxS-OBVmnvi935dKkBv0zQjVdHgkek57SqfvdQpu9fl1jXou7_PbdRrLRJwexoK-SFKai4wYw9wrkoX5z1AuydWSTdhfqKjHM7FmSfrU_ZHZJyxEhZyBfeHTc2dE/s1600/IMG_7627+modified.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMbEM7kOLLRa8fPnudxS-OBVmnvi935dKkBv0zQjVdHgkek57SqfvdQpu9fl1jXou7_PbdRrLRJwexoK-SFKai4wYw9wrkoX5z1AuydWSTdhfqKjHM7FmSfrU_ZHZJyxEhZyBfeHTc2dE/s320/IMG_7627+modified.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613091881619733586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At one point yesterday from the kitchen I could see the following species in the yard.<br />-American Robin<br />-White-crowned Sparrow<br />-Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />-Yellow Warbler<br />-Wilson's Warbler<br />-Pine Siskin<br />-American Crow<br />-Anna's Hummingbird<br />-Rufous Hummingbird<br />-European Starling<br />It was the first time all year that I'd seen those warbler species and the first time ever that I'd seen a Wilson's warbler from home. Shane was chasing the siskins who were mating while the single Yellow-rumped warbler foraged in the driveway. The hummingbirds only just began feeding at the feeder again. It was the first day I had seen rufous feeding at the feeder all year. Both males and females of both species were seen. The female Anna's dominated the feeder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNCwlkAFPbT74ELWtyPmoOnBxHJrnJkgZypiMqDUPVLPrb3jqQnnJteY9XrO3TJQhNxVK9Azb49aFBCy6JoTnsgafnkPI_o3Wv8rkUG9IWyukO_G_X9ENk7lT5RFk90U6wxHOHHuJfyAV/s1600/IMG_7606+modified.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNCwlkAFPbT74ELWtyPmoOnBxHJrnJkgZypiMqDUPVLPrb3jqQnnJteY9XrO3TJQhNxVK9Azb49aFBCy6JoTnsgafnkPI_o3Wv8rkUG9IWyukO_G_X9ENk7lT5RFk90U6wxHOHHuJfyAV/s320/IMG_7606+modified.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613092114393543842" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-43969971218566620512011-05-26T21:59:00.001-07:002011-05-26T22:07:06.187-07:00ShaneDuring the first spring living here I was surprised to see white-crowned sparrows in and around the yard as most field guides show their distribution to end about half way up Vancouver Island. While watching them one day the name Shane popped into my head and it seemed a fitting match for them. I had only ever known 2 Shane's in my life as a boy and they were both really nice kids. Later that same day I found out that one of the Shane's that I had known so many years previous had just been killed in a motorcycle accident.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pFws_t_cEbnbVXl5AhiUUn0uhEWO-6_W-u-Kndgs_f3dwjsTJYSG5qEBdM52Veu6eibSZxML2ZvbWgJ50QaAklOw_CuTX4HtaCAXv-hf2gfjSrW-h_74or8eGRtoph4f0Lj2TosA6dmq/s1600/IMG_9688-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pFws_t_cEbnbVXl5AhiUUn0uhEWO-6_W-u-Kndgs_f3dwjsTJYSG5qEBdM52Veu6eibSZxML2ZvbWgJ50QaAklOw_CuTX4HtaCAXv-hf2gfjSrW-h_74or8eGRtoph4f0Lj2TosA6dmq/s320/IMG_9688-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611257699574056850" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-64769034885847451492011-05-26T21:12:00.000-07:002011-05-26T22:07:36.401-07:00Shane's Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx3zrWRtGXL8XdWyvnypZRl3noljOf4qf7o7IBAXMJSZFJVoRAUp4oJ3DJW3UcoCTwOQ3jTg7-He9-DHcgm0tJCOHQx4JVTn0d5g9AVio2npz5ry-P_PGBhW6BwB9ACPbhAlJ3rzmd5QC/s1600/IMG_1309+modified.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx3zrWRtGXL8XdWyvnypZRl3noljOf4qf7o7IBAXMJSZFJVoRAUp4oJ3DJW3UcoCTwOQ3jTg7-He9-DHcgm0tJCOHQx4JVTn0d5g9AVio2npz5ry-P_PGBhW6BwB9ACPbhAlJ3rzmd5QC/s320/IMG_1309+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611246259288886834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW3Xw6EmpU2agerP8G_ze-BDXpYF8CWiL6DdWjX34OeGH5iVEQB8zg3LpR8JkuSnQ9ZA-oXGfvJp23VlwGfmSyiz-5gmcTWF5JsYRIDbvR-MKHpv7EqfcGBMXxEWIhGOJ1JWt7CzN2MFI/s1600/IMG_1300-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW3Xw6EmpU2agerP8G_ze-BDXpYF8CWiL6DdWjX34OeGH5iVEQB8zg3LpR8JkuSnQ9ZA-oXGfvJp23VlwGfmSyiz-5gmcTWF5JsYRIDbvR-MKHpv7EqfcGBMXxEWIhGOJ1JWt7CzN2MFI/s320/IMG_1300-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611246264360976722" /></a><br />Shane continues to come back to the yard every spring after being absent from late summer onwards. He becomes increasingly tame as time goes on. Last year, Shane and Shane nested in the hedge next to the fence and had 2 broods. The first was fledged on May 29th and the second on July 28th. On one occasion I was able to watch from 10 feet away as Shane gathered insects from the garden and fed them to a fledging hiding amongst the plants. If you closely in the photos you can see Shane with insects in his beak in one frame and the gape of fledgling with adult Shane off to the side in the next frame.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUF-249RiYWvhSD-mUaHXVYB3w-Woa7bpyGMAs1VMQ9yLJQ4V6CiVDkdE7PSiVDU8VW_jN4BGSVCeaSqp9VcuQA-jx3eFb601BGNprbWjlDxxziuxdUcZ8YPX1wOZLQq30HoVLYpqPLLG/s1600/IMG_7305-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUF-249RiYWvhSD-mUaHXVYB3w-Woa7bpyGMAs1VMQ9yLJQ4V6CiVDkdE7PSiVDU8VW_jN4BGSVCeaSqp9VcuQA-jx3eFb601BGNprbWjlDxxziuxdUcZ8YPX1wOZLQq30HoVLYpqPLLG/s320/IMG_7305-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611246275166856082" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUPOVY3l-Ah74yWfS378iu3nWajFAKx1pU84CjwJiV5yKeZ_Ygm8jAWdZvucrGAhOJLh-5GQjbagDeYdTUYRG9F1Oc1O0mbZdP-5dGq2rgXn4T_AwUXIAZ5vgtvw6-Q0QRGnM5SzH1syD/s1600/IMG_7311-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUPOVY3l-Ah74yWfS378iu3nWajFAKx1pU84CjwJiV5yKeZ_Ygm8jAWdZvucrGAhOJLh-5GQjbagDeYdTUYRG9F1Oc1O0mbZdP-5dGq2rgXn4T_AwUXIAZ5vgtvw6-Q0QRGnM5SzH1syD/s320/IMG_7311-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611246275876028034" /></a> <br />This year, Shane returned on April 24th along with some Golden-crowned sparrows who did not stay for too long. Sightings were sporadic until just recently when yesterday I witnessed Shane gathering nesting material in the backyard. Today, Shane and Shane were mating in the front yard. (see photos) It is interesting to note that things are happening much later for them this year likely in relation to the cooler weather than usual that we've been having here. As the Pugetensis sub-species of White-crowned Sparrow affectionately referred to as Shane is a common sight from home I expect more blogs on the topic will be published in the future.Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-58086719812857011592011-05-21T09:18:00.000-07:002011-05-21T09:25:15.950-07:00Whimbrels<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jwee8rIIOlohoekEo8paTJ2U6PPs4l6twtue9ssCW-8zfPcFDnPdynS7vEdvVUcSguAy4XAfkMG_LCWu950B0S5W-EUwDzM4CDhP4Ww44pEee5X-r4sWShxDe1rZBGpHZJMx_eDwTrBi/s1600/IMG_2157.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jwee8rIIOlohoekEo8paTJ2U6PPs4l6twtue9ssCW-8zfPcFDnPdynS7vEdvVUcSguAy4XAfkMG_LCWu950B0S5W-EUwDzM4CDhP4Ww44pEee5X-r4sWShxDe1rZBGpHZJMx_eDwTrBi/s320/IMG_2157.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609206131905748146" /></a><br />2 Whimbrels flew past today and then landed on the beach out front. They got chased by some crows then landed again. 1 foraged while the other watched the sky nervously. They then flew off to the north. This is the first time I have seen Whimbrels from home. They have been added to the list below. (Photo from past sighting off Stephenson Islands)Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-21557028798483060192011-05-02T09:30:00.000-07:002011-05-02T10:10:07.319-07:00Spring Migration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT-B7HE9GaGxKVnW11djlI98pFsjkheEWLUa4F65BOZ2rq58APsbHBmRz4GSnodPoYBwQutThnXbujvFqiBRB7Na1DLHHizd43JIziujhlFmdR6R15JQqg4e6Ayz36NoVnJNWSU3HCB7m/s1600/IMG_6491+modified.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT-B7HE9GaGxKVnW11djlI98pFsjkheEWLUa4F65BOZ2rq58APsbHBmRz4GSnodPoYBwQutThnXbujvFqiBRB7Na1DLHHizd43JIziujhlFmdR6R15JQqg4e6Ayz36NoVnJNWSU3HCB7m/s320/IMG_6491+modified.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602166583337601602" /></a><br />During the last week of April many migrants returned to their summer home and/or passed by mine on the way. Species seen for the first time this year during the last week were:<br /><br />White-crowned Sparrow (Pugetensis)<br />Golden-crowned Sparrow<br />Savannah Sparrow<br />House Finch<br />Orange-crowned Warbler<br />Minke Whale<br /><br />Other migratory species seen near home but not from home include: <br /><br />Rufous Hummingbird<br />Violet-green Swallow<br />Bonaparte's Gull<br />Humpback WhaleJaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-54729754729009087892011-04-26T21:43:00.001-07:002011-04-26T21:50:25.429-07:00MinkSpotted a mink from the living room so went down to the beach to take some photos. The little animal was quite approachable as it hunted among the rocks for eels. It got mobbed by a crow on a couple different occasions but eventually carried on with it's hunt and managed to catch an eel half the length of it's body. It disappeared under a rock pile with it to feed in peace at which point I left.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljWhLm9bIVwk0r1IgMgrqj__JcPtrsbjcD_NrhVMvsV_dSHXy6ouVcryXQN8LsjUm50t_EM1GL_iIPtCMGEGMhK_5VeX0aaJt8U1QXRznvP1_E6Skh1744aIXeNBShyphenhyphenvuxmpLLjtuBdQR/s1600/IMG_6538+modified.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljWhLm9bIVwk0r1IgMgrqj__JcPtrsbjcD_NrhVMvsV_dSHXy6ouVcryXQN8LsjUm50t_EM1GL_iIPtCMGEGMhK_5VeX0aaJt8U1QXRznvP1_E6Skh1744aIXeNBShyphenhyphenvuxmpLLjtuBdQR/s320/IMG_6538+modified.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600120930732929682" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-32144285231506126072011-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:002011-04-18T19:33:27.880-07:00California sea lionDuring the last month both transient and offshore killer whales were reported to have swam past the Bay. I was away so did not see them. It is nice to be home now though. Today, I observed the first California sea lion I have seen from home. It swam past close to shore headed west and has been added to the list below. As seen in the photograph the sagittal crest is a give away to the species. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I_7UP15x83lHbfUldPCjVhdiUVfcx8Rry5iMq5E9yyD06Ece8gNUPHAaIaqPqe61UO95-BL1ACr6dWKYOpIf-xbxtSPdpiS__mUGUf-7AG7BKCqWACD_K4eweTmMPaqu1L5MG67sx1jy/s1600/IMG_6513+mod.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I_7UP15x83lHbfUldPCjVhdiUVfcx8Rry5iMq5E9yyD06Ece8gNUPHAaIaqPqe61UO95-BL1ACr6dWKYOpIf-xbxtSPdpiS__mUGUf-7AG7BKCqWACD_K4eweTmMPaqu1L5MG67sx1jy/s320/IMG_6513+mod.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597116966715670146" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-14042241270701166902011-03-09T22:25:00.001-08:002011-04-27T20:24:39.216-07:00March 6thBald Eagles are pretty common around home this time of year. It's not uncommon to see over 20 at a time soaring high in a thermal or feeding on a bait ball. For some reason on March 6th however things were a little more busy than usual and a little physically closer to home than regular. At one point I counted 50 from the backyard. They were quite active coming and going from the trees and made for some excellent photo opportunities.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2OYhRMmXCCVefxGB2MoDC5XOeKbKIWGRS_6QSjBaeYZPyhyW0PGjLzSTcRbZDHlC-ksKK2YKBMsGNlVYCfJYlXqtb5-M2niuILS8BChFimojTUnG2vcn2NVGacmoqTdDIxFvXNedWHVm/s1600/IMG_5779+modified+ds.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2OYhRMmXCCVefxGB2MoDC5XOeKbKIWGRS_6QSjBaeYZPyhyW0PGjLzSTcRbZDHlC-ksKK2YKBMsGNlVYCfJYlXqtb5-M2niuILS8BChFimojTUnG2vcn2NVGacmoqTdDIxFvXNedWHVm/s320/IMG_5779+modified+ds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582338115844674050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qV8gK-tJmB3eNqo3JKmBQvfLeJ6wqY7DIGZosmtrko2n9BH6Xe4TkAvMpyL0Ig_mers9Jy0EjZH_SPYZSFybhh4fldVxMZIjs8SS8qz1gRX1v8PO9q-rH9QpU0Alu0MvVXVaUPRMCwwk/s1600/IMG_5774+modified+ds.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qV8gK-tJmB3eNqo3JKmBQvfLeJ6wqY7DIGZosmtrko2n9BH6Xe4TkAvMpyL0Ig_mers9Jy0EjZH_SPYZSFybhh4fldVxMZIjs8SS8qz1gRX1v8PO9q-rH9QpU0Alu0MvVXVaUPRMCwwk/s320/IMG_5774+modified+ds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582338112454370690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lLz_8WWyJajS09kLFZV1NMmMRQyQgCWXzni-pq3gVFYrAdNoPJ1RKpKb7M8B9uAFj3CEn-tM0wocJdmoLyUlYUdaI0MoAcLU-CoE5nnRzf05Am2G5XjcDbGpPObTO7IouVfeeMQQopJf/s1600/IMG_5732+modified+ds.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lLz_8WWyJajS09kLFZV1NMmMRQyQgCWXzni-pq3gVFYrAdNoPJ1RKpKb7M8B9uAFj3CEn-tM0wocJdmoLyUlYUdaI0MoAcLU-CoE5nnRzf05Am2G5XjcDbGpPObTO7IouVfeeMQQopJf/s320/IMG_5732+modified+ds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582338098216692786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkcI9PZtcu0RKGVknUEQYbpsh8YgkCLvUXbl6LttSS_Q9FZ1tnSpj_ccoQvaQP9LthdB3UXuLhv8sMTwLKTT8dYBhXJJu5vXx-aKIF2dnVMrzhpUawKcUBa5D4SN7TKfHRjmwrKna_zyB/s1600/IMG_5738+modified+ds.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkcI9PZtcu0RKGVknUEQYbpsh8YgkCLvUXbl6LttSS_Q9FZ1tnSpj_ccoQvaQP9LthdB3UXuLhv8sMTwLKTT8dYBhXJJu5vXx-aKIF2dnVMrzhpUawKcUBa5D4SN7TKfHRjmwrKna_zyB/s320/IMG_5738+modified+ds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582338104086814274" /></a>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-15650374810530811372011-03-05T21:47:00.000-08:002011-03-05T21:58:21.661-08:00TodayYesterday it blew 40+ knots and rained. Today was flat calm and sunny. Haven't looked much for wildlife, especially birds but have seen the following today.<div><br /><div>-Anna's Hummingbirds</div><div>-Common Ravens</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vZJrRNneZSWbKPCVB0bjr47ii8NC9qAPisBovJ0wkpcb0LIhzLbZGnUJ2U3ww8IRVcUe5qMVyT-7qFU9cdnMTXDERwcyzDsilKEkZBB0-wRpxRMdmLUQMzHkJ7GooGdQdvXeGZPJ8f9e/s320/IMG_5585+modified+ds.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580842129531803762" /><div>-Northwestern Crows</div><div>-Trumpeter Swans</div><div>-Mew Gulls</div><div>-Glaucous-winged Gulls</div><div>-Surf Scoters</div><div>-White-winged Scoters</div><div>-Buffleheads</div><div>-Red-breasted Mergansers</div><div>-Harlequin Ducks</div><div>-Bald Eagles</div></div><div>-Spotted Towhee</div><div>-Varied Thrush</div><div>-Red Crossbills</div><div>-Dall's Porpoises</div><div>-Transient Killer Whales</div><div>-River Otter (yesterday)</div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-57080347365125372872011-02-26T18:39:00.000-08:002011-02-26T21:12:10.852-08:00Past sightings of other animals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSdrBiyss22eo5L1j1EZrT3AhVp4Ez8ydxkFxdTA0g2TlrP4KjO_vzOAO4vvljaxZ-LIYlTdBdN32x-xXl5ogFkuZaEBAWf2PUwVkbfOy5ORGw36QN9tQV6SqEjOSendcf9I8wiWa2aEV/s1600/IMG_1236+modified.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSdrBiyss22eo5L1j1EZrT3AhVp4Ez8ydxkFxdTA0g2TlrP4KjO_vzOAO4vvljaxZ-LIYlTdBdN32x-xXl5ogFkuZaEBAWf2PUwVkbfOy5ORGw36QN9tQV6SqEjOSendcf9I8wiWa2aEV/s320/IMG_1236+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578232749738374306" /></a>Western Red-backed Salamander<div>Northwestern Garter Snake</div><div>Domestic Lowland Carp (in the pond)</div><div>Pacific Salmon (jumping)</div><div>Pacific Herring (in Bald Eagle talons)</div><div>Crescent Gunnel (in a Great Blue Heron's mouth)</div><div>Giant Pacific Octopus (in a Steller sea lion's mouth)</div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-826831548178983242011-02-26T17:48:00.000-08:002011-05-31T20:46:20.983-07:00Past Bird Sightings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeIYZWQj5Y6FC3sCf-KTcOk072MHgPoIA8cUdinvmRXQQfAejUpn9OpKJRVt5hxCuvVcG7_kgK_C-PsLxssg8AeJ3I62Fs7jD5kI7AaUDMHbNmv7ymybklgmcDenStgKdUvLcgD6unnlt/s1600/IMG_8928+modified+-.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeIYZWQj5Y6FC3sCf-KTcOk072MHgPoIA8cUdinvmRXQQfAejUpn9OpKJRVt5hxCuvVcG7_kgK_C-PsLxssg8AeJ3I62Fs7jD5kI7AaUDMHbNmv7ymybklgmcDenStgKdUvLcgD6unnlt/s320/IMG_8928+modified+-.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578230276361152146" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeIYZWQj5Y6FC3sCf-KTcOk072MHgPoIA8cUdinvmRXQQfAejUpn9OpKJRVt5hxCuvVcG7_kgK_C-PsLxssg8AeJ3I62Fs7jD5kI7AaUDMHbNmv7ymybklgmcDenStgKdUvLcgD6unnlt/s1600/IMG_8928+modified+-.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; ">This is a complete list of bird species I've seen from home.</span></a><div><br /></div><div>Greater White-fronted Goose</div><div>Snow Goose</div><div>Canada Goose</div><div>Brant</div><div>Trumpeter Swan</div><div>Mute Swan (a tame one showed</div><div> -up for few hours once and then never returned)</div><div>White-winged Scoter</div><div>Surf Scoter</div><div>Harlequin Duck</div><div>Long-tailed Duck</div><div>Bufflehead</div><div>Common Merganser</div><div>Red-breasted Merganser</div><div>Hooded Merganser</div><div>Red-throated Loon?</div><div>Pacific Loon</div><div>Common Loon</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwirVhiL6JcSV9wJTl4-iMxl33zP_yS7q_wN6Yxy2oUf57_ayCtTty30dQtHTJNOF3lyUtVTz8bBADE3jpKSLRZqHNvet8OHrYC-XdoRgh7TTlE6F7N-AqA-cysYnc78UfhQv_CUF6lSgl/s320/IMG_8861+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578231812754039986" /><div>Red-necked GrebeHorned Grebe</div><div>Eared Grebe (once)</div><div>Western Grebe</div><div>Pelagic Cormorant</div><div>Turkey VultureDouble-crested Cormorant</div><div>Great Blue Heron</div><div>Bald Eagle (like vermin)</div><div>Black Oystercatcher</div><div>Black Turnstone</div><div>Dunlin</div><div>Whimbrel</div><div>Bonaparte's Gull</div><div>Mew Gull</div><div>California Gull</div><div>Herring Gull</div><div>Glaucous-winged Gull</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLvZ1iJQuL6nZwXfhnX7HYYe1KQMOgsFzV25AOnxmmCbi7pFWLjheLbvZh5jlUEotfhbxeSAoh_lnMFRBWpVP2mVjKEfTFplGr1I1NTV27qhaV4hspHBku7DPPOr8agjX5Eq9i7nhIMsE/s320/IMG_7110+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578230267126747058" /><div>Black-legged Kittiwake</div><div>Caspian Tern</div><div>Common Murre</div><div>Pigeon Guillemot</div><div>Marbled Murrelet</div><div>Rhinoceros Auklet</div><div>Band-tailed Pigeon</div><div>Rock Pigeon</div><div>Eurasian Collared-Dove (there is one in a tree in -the backyard everyday lately)</div><div>Anna's Hummingbird (every day, all year long)</div><div>Rufous Hummingbird</div><div>Belted Kingfisher</div><div>Northern Flicker</div><div>Red-breasted Sapsucker</div><div>Hairy Woodpecker</div><div>Northwestern Crow</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5vW3TmAL9RbIgHxh-FB-l5731Kl_iBmgHphtUQDWR9ku-YoyJBKT4ZPsW1iVlV7mJwofeZm_5e2yk7X_AAfHBntTRHYUwrNBuleHpHGY94dHdjlugkicxoO16KIpnxp92rxqVtB_7l3U/s320/IMG_2983+mod.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578231345571860594" /><div>Common Raven</div><div>Chestnut-backed Chickadee</div><div>Winter Wren</div><div>Golden-crowned Kinglet</div><div>Ruby-crowned Kinglet</div><div>Swainson's Thrush</div><div>Hermit Thrush</div><div>Varied Thrush (significantly more this winter -than ever before)</div><div>American Robin</div><div>European Starling</div><div>Bohemian Waxwing (once)</div><div>Cedar Waxwing</div><div>Orange-crowned Warbler</div><div>Wilson's Warbler</div><div>Yellow-rumped Warbler</div><div>Townsend's Warbler</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Z50yeubtC7DvRwvWVjce4jsGAm4bqvpSkn3G8Pv-69LrRpIiMJsIm0ZWBUsPCruUD1SkmUESfCzAru4YPI2cfE6ndx24vG-KytGMhBDxFqRLKb263MFy5H-JbP-O00rDpMiNPlP9dajl/s320/IMG_9569+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578230271132931490" /><div>Yellow Warbler</div><div>MacGillivray's Warbler</div><div>Spotted Towhee</div><div>Fox Sparrow</div><div>Savannah Sparrow</div><div>Song Sparrow</div><div>White-crowned Sparrow (Pugetensis and Taiga)</div><div>Golden-crowned Sparrow</div><div>Dark-eyed Junco</div><div>Brown-headed Cowbird</div><div>Red Crossbill</div><div>Pine Siskin</div><div><br /></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-37479519242918482862011-02-26T17:37:00.000-08:002011-04-18T18:28:24.341-07:00Past Mammal Sightings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAav_DXgRxnxrB0_VWxwlUm-iC5DkBXyYQfDem5skBZPEwVmSoeIfkUslRBoTgUiOwm9HqC7HaKpcLNXLCPJZEoqRVDzbp0AIWFFnta9TdSkaCXyXV_1hbDViiECuYAbjeukeXauab8YRQ/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAav_DXgRxnxrB0_VWxwlUm-iC5DkBXyYQfDem5skBZPEwVmSoeIfkUslRBoTgUiOwm9HqC7HaKpcLNXLCPJZEoqRVDzbp0AIWFFnta9TdSkaCXyXV_1hbDViiECuYAbjeukeXauab8YRQ/s320/IMG_4662.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578229221566602210" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjdGLe_5g2n53EGOIYZFmWj-XLvYEw-Qevb23pbjf14LGtjmnytKfKjsNL2_DUqfWpNT84HwDIkmBn0BJM6cJMU9KxiCGhSAnXCo7-HqWyfVuHwrF2dMvQn75sFmIqrpOyWeZEo7jYB2a/s1600/IMG_4971+modified.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; ">This is a complete list of mammal species I've seen from home.</span></a><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Marine Mammals</span></b></div>Harbour Seal<div><div>Mink</div><div>River Otter</div><div>Steller Sea lion</div><div>California sea lion</div><div>Harbour Porpoise</div><div>Dall's Porpoise</div><div>Pacific White-sided Dolphin (the splashes in photo)</div><div>Transient Killer Whale</div><div>Northern Resident Killer Whale</div><div>Offshore Killer Whale (once)</div><div>Humpback Whale</div><div>Minke Whale</div><div>Gray Whale </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Terrestial Mammals</span></b></div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5YN8pOriMF9dnQxLNb6sfR87HQKWwHMNp8tQdWklQPdZMkvgmMTyviat_pbDp9H7adkyh3OFgSCuloe5vRz1lpE0J9ELFh3zWg__wwl6INFIIkE6a5OqBQGJubgDFXC6IQFgvWHk9qIz/s320/IMG_4971+modified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578229222983984178" /></div><div>Black Bear</div><div>Rat</div><div>Domestic Cat</div><div>Domestic Dog</div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653684373553389070.post-48046902928396737742011-02-26T17:34:00.000-08:002011-02-26T20:35:44.106-08:00This Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9W-MLYlLoffF9xGrhHpAUoZ6tyi-mohr_JT32x68iJs58KEXS2KfdGedJ84Nc5G6R5pnVTWAKwZ-QKl74j_S8DjwkUnkx9QzbaYk_bIL68BkldDL_kziIa0V5KeawFEpfxTIFG41o5xl/s1600/IMG_3475.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9W-MLYlLoffF9xGrhHpAUoZ6tyi-mohr_JT32x68iJs58KEXS2KfdGedJ84Nc5G6R5pnVTWAKwZ-QKl74j_S8DjwkUnkx9QzbaYk_bIL68BkldDL_kziIa0V5KeawFEpfxTIFG41o5xl/s320/IMG_3475.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578223025140663426" /></a>As the name suggests this blog will be all about the things I see from home. Home is on Cormorant island on a semi-water front lot facing south and looking out over Broughton Strait. I have been here since 2005 and as time goes on have increasingly regretted keeping wildlife records. This blog will act as a record of past species sighted from home and will include posts of new species or sightings of interest as they happen. Photos will also be added if taken from home and stories about the wildlife will be posted as time allows.<div><br /></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13169032671298866743noreply@blogger.com0