A Few Puget Sound Birds

Bald Eagles and Ospreys have made a dramatic comeback in the past few decades and are now common sights around Puget Sound.  A number of waterfowl species use Puget Sound as a wintering ground and as part of migration routes.  Gulls, Terns, Grebes may be local residents of migrants depending on species. 
Great Blue Herons work the shores in every part of the Sound.
If you want more detailed information on individual North American species; I suggest; The Birder's Handbook, Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye.  It's doubtful that any hardcore birder lacks this publication in their library....and it's cheap and amazingly my 20 year old paperback copy still has a functional binding.

Harlequin Ducks

Bald Eagle harrassed by Crow

Crow with Kelp Crab

Harlequin Ducks

Western Grebe

Bald Eagles



Double-crested Cormorants

Juvenile Bald Eagles



Caspian Terns

Bald Eagle Juv.

Red-breasted Merganser

Rhinoceros Auklet

Brant Geese

Gull with Sea Star

Osprey on nest



Red-necked Phalarope

Canada Geese

Common Murre

Trumpeter Swans

Osprey Juv.

Sandpipers

Black Turnstone

Cormorant and Cascades



Gulls with Clam

Great Blue Heron with Penpoint Gunnel

Bald Eagle mated pair Mt. Baker

Great Blue Herons

Gull with Plainfin Midshipman

Great Blue Heron with Staghorn Sculpin

Sandpipers

Snow Geese

Snow Geese

Bald Eagle attack on Swans

Brant Geese and Olympics

Bald Eagle Jetty Island

Osprey Jetty Island

Pigeon Guillemots

Osprey and Crow

What Do They Talk About?

Scientists know animals, and plants (at least in some species), and even microorganisms communicate with one another.  We see it in dogs, birds, whales, fish, frogs, and other familiar animals.  Communication may be with sound, chemicals, movement, facial expressions or other means (urine and feces are right up there).  However it is often difficult to determine just what the communication is all about.....ya, likely food, sex, or the latest episode of South Park or The Daily Show....but we can't always say with a high degree of certainty.  Occasionally we are amazed at how close to human communication the subject matter is...often a perfect mirror....as below.   Enjoy the holiday weekend....assuming you have one.

Lacuna family on beach holiday

Teamwork, Olea Sea Slug style

Marine Mammals of Puget Sound

MARINE MAMMALS OF PUGET SOUND

Puget Sound is home to a number of marine mammals.  Eleven species of marine mammals, and one that thinks is should be, are likely to be seen in Puget Sound including the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  A much larger number are commonly seen off the outer coast and are not included here.  Sea Otters included here occasionally wander into Puget Sound but are mainly outer coast animals.  River Otters are not classified as marine mammals but they evidently don't know is so are one of the most commonly seen mammals hanging out in Puget Sound, munching away on marine fare.  If you are interested in additional information on prey items of these animals check out Food Web Relationships of Northern Puget Sound publication with link at
BUZZ LINKS in this blog.

I have placed a link to the slide presentation:  Marine Mammals of Puget Sound in the BUZZ LINKS section.



Intertidal Zonation

Intertidal Zonation:
In Puget Sound the tidal heights from lowest low to highest high vary approximately 16 feet maximum in Seattle, 22 feet at Olympia.  The farther south into Puget Sound the greater the tidal range due to the restricted water area of South Sound.  This is a moderate exchange compared worldwide.  The greatest exchance takes place in Canada's long Bay of Fundy (52 ft.), while some in Alaska are over 30 ft. as are the tides at the northern end of the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico.  Hawaii sees only tidal exchanges of a few feet.  (for readers outside the U.S.A. please excuse our inability to switch to the metric system) :).
Animals, seaweeds and sea grasses are affected by the constant rise and lowering of the tide.  While some intertidal organisms are adapted to withstand wide ranges in salinity, heat, light, and drying others are less adapted.  Some species a restricted to tidal areas where predators or competitors are not too great a threat.
In short, two factors determine which organisms live where in the intertidal:   Biological and Physical.
Animals well protected from drying, UV radiation, cold, and excessive heat can thrive in the highest intertidal levels...being able to take long naps doesn't hurt either.  Highest living barnacles may be able to feed only a few hours per month, napping the remaining time away...the ultimate couch potatoes.  Most intertidal sea stars have heavy complete hard skeletons to protect from excessive water loss during low tide exposure.
Intertidal crabs are almost exclusively flat in shape to allow easy access to damp spaces under rocks where they spend the low tide protected from drying and predators above....you know, the gulls.
So if you should happen to turn over small rocks, make sure you turn them gently back to their original position to protect the critters living under and attached to the bottom of the rock and living on the top of the rock....better yet turn over few or no rocks.
For additional information a slide show presentation can be accessed under ZONATION in the BUZZ LINKS section.

EELGRASS

                                                 EELGRASS, THE RICH MEADOW

Eelgrass habitat is highly important to many species in Puget Sound.
There is a new link  in the BUZZ LINKS section to Eelgrass which will take you to a slide presentation on the subject.