PEARL AND JAM - JAM MAY BE WEANED - MT. RAINIER MT. GOATS, COYOTE, GROUSE.

It may be time for Harbor Seal pup Jam to be called a weaner meaning there is no longer any free milk from mom.  Jam is estimated to be between 4 and 6 weeks old which is the time frame when pups are weaned.  The last nursing was observed on September 11th.  Currently the daytime tides are not low enough for the seals to haul out on their favorite rocks.  Good luck to Jam.  The other Harbor Seal seen often in the same area with Pearl and Jam is Mudhoney a female that my have lost a pup and has been hanging out with Pearl and Jam.  She was seen on September 12th but Pearl and Jam were not around.  

My hikes at Mt. Rainier have been rewarded with some interesting wildlife visits.  I met a herd of some 9 Mountain Goats while hiking the Huckleberry Creek trail and was visited during my lunch break on the Naches Peak Loop trail by a lone coyote.  Some deer showed up as well as my favorite rodents the Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels with some Pikas and Marmots....Grouse were common.  As most visitors to this blog know I include the Puget Sound watershed area....because all that fresh water ends up in Puget Sound sooner or later...  Enjoy your Fall season....yep it is meterological fall (Sept 1 to Nov 30)....if not the astronomical one.

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Pearl and Jam

Pearl and Jam

Osprey with flounder

Sign of Fall

Hoary Marmot

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird

Nanny, Billy and the Huckleberry Kid

How butterflies are made

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

Mt. Goat

Yellow Warbler

Pika

Pika

Rain in on the way

Coyote

 

PEARL AND JAM CONTINUE TO REST ON WEST SEATTLE BEACH.....MIGRATING RUDDY TURNSTONES ARRIVE AND SOME ADDITIONAL FURRY CRITTERS FROM MOUNT RAINIER

Harbor Seals Pearl and Jam continue to rest at low tide on West Seattle beach.  First seen on August 6th and last seen on August 29th.  Pup Jam will be weaned 4 to 6 weeks after birth so that should be within the next 2 weeks or so...question is will Jam continue to frequent the current haul out site? 
The Ruddy Turnstones are uncommon in our area but are seen in small numbers during migration from the Arctic coast to points south.  They are closely related to Black Turnstones which are common wintering birds on our shorelines.
In addition I have also posted some images of some furry critters from Mount Rainier.  While these are not marine species they are in the Puget Sound watershed like many other critters I have posted here...plus I just really like seeing these mountain critters....so I hope you enjoy the marmots, ground squirrels, chipmunks and Pika images.  Summer is winding down...Harbor Seal Pup season is upon us....Happy Labor Day weekend all.

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

Being amphibious

Piks

FIRST HARBOR SEALS OF THE SEASON PLUS GULL IS SMARTER THAN OCTOPUS 8-12-18

Today the first Harbor Seal pup showed up at Alki and Seal Sitters were there...with no place to sit.

The first pup of the season also brought a family member...its mom.  So a two seal day,  Mom named Pearl and pup of course is Jam.

Yesterday at the same beach another very uncommon sight.  A Glaucous-winged Gull found a very unlucky Giant Pacific Octopus....a rather shrimp of an octopus.  The end was very predictable....

Pearl and Jam

Northern Hairy Chiton