Sooty Fox Sparrow

Erika and I banded this Sooty Fox Sparrow in our yard in Olympia on 8 October 2020. Previously I have written about the complicated systematics of Fox Sparrow. Ten subspecies sort out into four groups. These groups may be full species. This bird is one of the Sooty races that inhabit the west coast of North America. These western subspecies breed from the Aleutians south to western Washington. Curiously the more north a population breeds, the farther south it winters. Alaskan birds winter in southern California, whereas birds breeding in Washington may remain all year (Weckstein et al. 2020).  

Surf Scoter

Surf Scoters breed across northern Canada and winter along coasts of Canada and the United States. They often migrate through the Great Lake States and New England. These birds are females. Most of the Surf Scoters here in Washington breed in the Northwest Territories. Soon after arriving in Canada, males retire to coastal molting areas (like Puget Sound). Non-breeding individuals may remain in the winter range, so these ducks can be listed all year in western Washington. Curiously, although males and females often return to the same breeding and wintering areas, they and young birds migrate separately (Anderson et. al 2020). We took this image on 10 October 2020 in Olympia.

Mushrooms

Our recent rains have brought forth a varity of fungus. I am about as far from being a mushroom expert as you can get—one reason I NEVER nibble on wild fungus. The first, found on 29 September 2020 at Woodard Bay Preserve, appears to me to be Leucoagaricus leucothites—a White Dapperling. This Northern Hemisphere inhabiting fungus is common on lawns or, as in this case, roadsides. If I am correct, some people get very sick after eating this species, others enjoy it. “Gastrointestinal distress” is the most common symptom. The University of British Columbia states the best treatment for an adverse reaction is to “contact your Regional Poison Control Centre.” Bring along a mushroom sample to confirm your identification.

We photographed the next two mushrooms on 9 October 2020. The white fungus is from Kennedy Flats west of Olympia. The reddish one was one of two growing in our yard.  My Android phone assistant seems to think the white one is some sort of puffball, but it does not look like a puffball to me. The reddish one may be a species of the usually non-deadly genus of Russula (Brittlegill), perhaps R. paludosa, edible and common in Europe and North America. Something, maybe slugs, have been munching on it. I think I will follow iNaturalist’s advice, “Don’t eat anything you find in the wild.” I would appreciate identification suggestions for any of these fungus from my mushroom-expert friends—Kathy or Ron Hall?

Varied Thrush

We have been looking for Varied Thrushes. Last year they appeared in our yard during the first two weeks of October. This year they seem to be a few days late, perhaps due to our dry season—they may await snowfall to leave their forest habitat. I have heard Varied Thrushes for the past few days—their song is an eerie, penetrating, single-pitched but slightly modulating whistle that reminds me of bird calls in the tropical jungle. Others compare the sound to a policeman’s whistle. My birds sang from the tree tops, which is typical for the species. On 9 October 2020, I finally saw a Varied Thrush. The bird swooped out of the forest and into thick bushes outside our study. I ran for my camera—the result is the first photograph,

Later that day I banded a second Varied Thrush. This second bird is an immature—judging by its faint breast band and relatively pale sides to the face, it is probably a female. With the bird in my hand, I was struck by the stunning scalloped pattern on the bird’s flanks. To me this pattern seemed reminiscent of a bird-of-paradise. Varied Thrushes are found in the along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. Most retreat south in the winter. Population numbers increase on a three to five year cycle. During peaks of their cycle, Varied Thrushes stray across wide areas of Canada and the United States.

Ring-billed Gull

This Ring-billed Gull photograph is left-over from 4 January 2020 at the Nisqually national wildlife refuge. These gulls are opportunistic feeders, eating insects, earthworms, fish, rodents and grain (Pollet et al. 2020). They breed across southern Canada and the northern United States and winter south through Mexico and the northern Caribbean. 

They are so abundant now that it is hard to believe that Ring-billed Gull populations were decimated between 1850 and 1920 by human persecution and habitat modification (Pollet et al. 2020). Not even their fondness for termites and crickets saved them. Due to protection from persecution, numbers have rebounded to well over 4 million birds by 1990 and they are still increasing—even though the species is considered a pest in some locations and are aggressively harvested.  They are found all year in western Washington and breed wherever appropriate habitat is available (Wahl et al. 2005).

Great Blue Heron

Erika and I found ourselves at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 5 October 2020. Two Great Blue Herons flew into a large pond that was receding with the tide. A few other herons were present. Judging by the frenzy of the gulls, a lot of fish must have been stranded in the pond. 

As the two herons landed, they began a strange behavior, apparently the Upright and Spread Wing Display described by Vennesland and Butler (2020), This “spectacular” display occurs at heron foraging grounds. When two herons approach each other, they extend their necks and the bills are held high. The wings are drooped and held away from their bodies to expose their black shoulder patches. Often the wing nearest the other heron is dreopped lower than the other wing. This behavior usually causes the two herons to move apart, but sometimes one heron chases the other. The previously cited authors write “This display is sometimes directed towards gulls (Larus sp.), Great Egrets (Casmerodius albus), and even people.”

Mew Gull

This Mew Gull has been hanging around my blog queue since 10 February 2020, when Erika and I found this bird at the Nisqually national wildlife refuge east of Olympia. Its been awhile since we’ve seen a Mew Gull. Adults look a bit like delicate Ring-billed Gulls, but with smaller and relatively unmarked bills. They can be seen all year at Nisqually, but they are less often encountered in the summer. Their breeding range in North America extends from Alaska to Vancouver Island, and summer records of non-breeding birds here are not too surprising. They winter along the Pacific Coast of North America, less straying to locations further east. In fact, scattered records exist across North America. Mew Gulls in the Northeast, however, may have originated in Europe, where they also breed.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Perhaps the most abundant birds in our yard are Red-breasted Nuthatches. I took this photo of a young nuthatch this spring. Judging by its gray crown, it is a female. The species is common across North American boreal forests south into the United States through the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. They winter, often in large numbers (depending on food crops and, perhaps, in a ten-year cycle) almost everywhere except the very deep South. Their fondness for firs and spruces sets them apart from other native nuthatches.

Canada Goose

During our 30 September 2020 stroll along a logging road above Kennedy Flats just west of Olympia, Erika and I first heard and then saw a flock of over 40 Canada Geese fly overhead. Canada Geese are abundant across most of North America from Alaska and Canada south through much of the United States. Where they do not breed, they are often migrants or winter visitors. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, including city parks and industrial campuses. Years ago, when we lived in Louisiana, birders and hunters complained that we Northerners “short-stopped” migrants that used to regularly winter in that state.

Banded Whoolybear

Banded Whoolybears are the caterpillars of the Isabella Tiger Moth, Phrrharctia isabella. During our recent strolls,  Erika and I are seeing a multitude of these caterpillars. They are common across most of North America. The caterpillars brood three times during the summer and then overwinter. The caterpillar becomes a moth in the next spring. Caterpillars eat a wide variety of plants. I am not sure what the drops of liquid are on this caterpillar. The morning had been foggy, so perhaps this caterpillar picked up some moisture during its travels. Folk wisdom suggests that you can predict the severity of winter by the width of these caterpillars black bands. These correlations are without scientific basis. In fact, the orange band lengthens as the caterpillar ages. Wetter weather lengthens the black bands. Bugguide.net concludes, "So while not a reliable measure, it makes some sense that onset of an early and thus longer winter will force younger and less red caterpillars into hibernation.”