HARBOR SEALS AND HUMMING BIRD AT JACK BLOCK PARK

Two Harbor Seals have been using the old dock at Jack Block Park on Alki for a few days now.  In the past the dock has had as many as 11 seals at one time and then for long periods it goes unused by the seals.  These two appear to be fat and happy.  One Anna's Humming bird also seen...this is usually a good place to see the little birds all year round.  Work continues on removal of old piers next to the park....Cormorants and Great Blue Herons will miss a favorite perching area.

SEA STAR SURVEY BREAKWATER AT ALKI 1-30-18

Purple Sea Star survey on South side of Breakwater at Alki.   40 Purple Stars with 7 with very minor SSWD spots and 1 with advanced SSWD.  General size of stars was 15cm.  Breakwater is 75 meters long.  Was PC with about 10 knot wind 40 deg f. Thanks to Noelle Congdon for spotting stars that I could not bend far enough to see.  Breakwater is 75 meters long.  Other marine life included chitons, anemones (one very green Moonglow) , keyhole limpets, mussels and sea cucumbers.

Early morning total lunar eclipse was not visible due to clouds in Seattle so live TV feed from NASA was only option....or transporter trip to CA but I misplaced my keys to the transporter....

Burrowing Sea Cucumber

M

Super Blue Blood Eclipse (TV image due to clouds in Seattle)

Moonglow Anemone

Keyhole Limpet

Mertans Chiton

Mottled Anemone

Mottled Anemone

Anemones and Purple Star

Mussels and branacles

Noelle

Purple Stars

UNO RETURNS AGAIN AND AGAIN TO COVE 3 AT ALKI

January 26th marked the 10th day that Harbor Seal pup Uno has been monitored in January on Lincoln Park and lately Cove 3 beach at Alki.  Uno appears healthy for a 4-6 month old pup and its activity level is good.  Usually Uno arrives on the beach at high tide and departs for the water some 4 to 7 hours later...a normal rest pattern for a pup.  Seal Sitters continues to monitor Uno in rain and wind and sometimes even a little sun.  California Sea Lions are present in normal winter numbers in the bay but do not come to rest on local beaches preferring buoys and barge decks as resting spots.  Winter has provided some dramatic lighting effects but unhappily no pot of gold.

California Sea Lions

Mergansers

Uno

Gull with Sea Star meal

UNO RETURNS TO ALKI AND SEA LIONS REST CLOSE TO SHORE

Harbor Seal pup Uno was back at Alki for a rest on Cove 3 beach today.  Uno seems healthy and is spending about the same amount of time on the beach each day.  This is 7 days in the past 2 weeks that Uno has been monitored by Seal Sitters at Alki.

In addition to Uno a group of 5 California Sea Lions rested in the water a short distance from Cove 1 shore.  Usually they rest of the large mooring buoys off shore but a tug and barge chased them into the water while tying up to the buoy.  Flippers raised out of the water is for thermoregulation as the flippers lose less heat in air then in the water...they can also absorb heat from the sun.  Lots of divers were in the area and the sea lions moved off shortly after the divers went in the water.  Once the tug activity ceased the sea lions were back on the buoy.  A few sea lions remained on the barge during the entire operation, undisturbed by all the activity.

 

HARBOR SEAL PUP "UNO" MOVES FROM LINCOLN PARK TO COVE 2 ON ALKI

Harbor Seal pup "Uno" has been showing up on a regular basis for the last week or so at Lincoln Park for rest period on the beach.  Uno remained on the beach most of the day 4 times.  Today however Uno moved to Cove 2 next to the West Seattle Water Taxi and rested for about 5 hours and then returned to the water after watching 2 other seals swim by.  The day was extremely wet with heavy downpours off and on.....perhaps Uno figured that being in the water was just as dry and being on the beach....  About a dozen CA Sea Lions rested on the buoy in the bay.

BELATED POST FROM JANUARY 6TH BIRDING TRIP TO SKAGIT DELTA

The day dawned gray and rainy....socked in low cloud with heavy mist and 37 degrees....what better weather for a bird watching trip to the Skagit.  Heavy mist all the way north for 50 miles...then like breaking through a wall the sky dried up...a hole in the soggy.  So remember never don't go....you may regret it.  I was only going to replace a group member Noelle who was home hosting Mr, Flubug. The birds showed up....as usual...Snow Geese, Swans, Eagles, Herons, Thousands of ducks of mostly unidentified species due to distance and lighting but Pintails  were common.  A lovely little Kestrel, 30 plus Bald Eagles and 2 Rough-legged Hawks and strangely 3 male Harriers....while photo conditions were not the best here are a few results..