SO VERY DIFFERENT.....

May 27th at Alki was a day of contrast.  Two animals from very different worlds...one dead the other very much alive.  From the underworld to the sky above.....

SEA STAR WASTING DISEASE UPDATE

Survey on May 22nd on south side of breakwater at South Alki - Constellation Marine Reserve area.
Pisaster ochraceus (Purple Star)  34 healthy and 0 with SSWD.  All were approximately hand size and likely the same age class.  One individual with SSWD was seen north of the breakwater on the beach but was not part of the survey.  So SSWD is still in the area but seems to be deminished from previous years.

GONE GEESE AND SWANS

APRIL 7 2016 -  Made my first trip to the Skagit Valley for the Tulip Festival.  It will be my last.  Tulips are great (but you can get tuliped out) and the traffic is a pain.  The Snow Geese and Swans have all departed for the north.  So this is not Puget Sound Marine Life type blog entry...just a bunch of spring flowers....:)

ST. PAT'S DAY PARADE IN THE SKAGIT DELTA

A sunny, warmish St. Pat's day in the Skagit Delta......Swans were scattered and likely the last to migrate north.  Thousands of Snow Geese remain for a few more days or weeks.  One Bittern crossed the road in front of our lunch spot but only allowed a few camera shots once back in the new ground cover.  A few raptors, herons, and LBJ's.  Visibility unlimited.....as the images attest.

 

American Bittern
 



RIVER OTTER AND DUNLIN AT ALKI

Another river otter made an appearance at Alki....with a tasty sculpin in its jaws.  Likely the fish was a Red Irish Lord.  This otter has a pink area on its right hind foot.  This could be a growth or injury of something completely different.  Otto, (February 2015) had a pink growth on his left hind foot.  It was not possible to see this otter's left hind foot so it might be Otto with more pink....or maybe a different otter...no way to tell yet.
While the Surfbirds and Black Turnstones are still around at Alki they were joined by a flock of Dunlin today....first time this year I've seen that mixed flock. 
The Gang of Harbor Seals was down to 5 off Seacrest today....but there may be more around.

Intervention of Harbor Seal at Duwamish Head 2-26-16

A male harbor seal  (2015 season pup) was reported at Duwamish Head in West Seattle.  The pup was at the waterline and did not respond to being tossed around by waves created by passing vessels.  It was alive and breathing but appeared unresponsive to any external physical force.  Seal Sitters staff requested permission from NOAA to intervene and remove the pup for transport and evaluation at PAWS.  Both NOAA and PAWS agreed.  The pup was removed from the beach and transported to PAWS in Lynnwood WA.  The pup arrived alive but died at PAWS within an hour of arrival.
Harbor Seal mortality within the first year of birth is about 50% from natural causes.
While nothing could be done for this pup a WSDFW bioligst will necropsy the animal to determine, if possible, the cause of death.  So some good could come from this death in the form of additional information on seal health in our area.

Male Harbor Seal pup

Male Harbor Seal pup

Male Harbor Seal pup

Male Harbor Seal pup

Male Harbor Seal pup