Coyote

Erika and I, along with a dozen others at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 12 March 2021, observed a Coyote. Coyotes inhabit all of Washington in almost all habitats, including urban ones. Twice we have seen Coyotes at our house. This Coyote was intently digging at the edge of the marsh. It held its tail high. Occasionally the canine jumped upright and back to where it was digging with its forepaws and probing the ground with its snout. We are not sure if the Coyote was actively hunting or playing with some unfortunate prey. Oddly, the Coyote remained in the same location for at least an hour. We would have thought that most Coyotes are shy and would not remain long near all the people watching.

Rufous Hummingbird

In western Washington, Rufous Hummingbirds are common migrants and breeders. They are very rare in the winter—usually adult males are first seen in early March. Females appear in April (Wahl et al. 2005). Erika and I caught this male on 10 March 2021. These authors further report that Rufous Hummingbird populations have been declining in Washington since 1966. The reasons for this decline, both in Washington and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, are unclear and require further research (Healy and Calder 2020).

Myrtle Warbler

On 10 March Erika and I were delighted to see our first spring migrating warblers of 2021. A dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers flitted about the upper branches of a row of alders along the shore of the north end of Olympia’s Capitol Lake. We looked carefully and noted all of their throats were uniformly white (rather than buffy or yellow). We concluded these birds were Myrtle Warblers, not the more expected Audubon’s race of Yellow-rumped Warbler. The two races meet and hybridize across parts of British Colombia, and so both subspecies are seen during migration in Washington. Noting such subtleties is important for us birders, in case ornithologists ever change their minds and declare that Yellow-rumped Warbler are actually two species that enjoy only limited genetic exchange.

Licorice Fern

Erika and I identified a Licorice Fern at the Nisqually national wildlife refuge on 8 March 2021. These plants are super common in the Pacific Northwest, from Alaska to northern California. They thrive in rainforests, as an epiphyte growing on Bigleaf Maple trunks (as well as on logs, rocks, and mossy ground). Native people used these ferns, both raw and cooked, to fight respiratory ailments. Fern rhizomes taste like licorice (Slater Museum of Natural History). The scientific name is Polypodium glycyrrhiza—“glycyrrhiza” means “sweet root.” I will investigate how the rhizomes taste the next time I encounter one, and, assuming I survive, I will report back to you. (Famous last words: I am unaware of any poisonous ferns.)

Osoberry

I thought I had posted an image of Osoberry (or Indian Plum), Oemleria cerasiformois, last year—especially since this common shrub is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring. Perhaps my original images were out of focus. Erika and I have already seen several this spring—we came upon this one in the Nisqually national wildlife refuge on 8 March 2021.

Osoberry grows along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to California. Native people used this plant as a mild anesthetic and aphrodisiac. Birds, mammals, and various insects all feed on this plant’s flowers and berries.  Osoberry’s genus commemorates Augustus Gottlieb Oemler (1773-1852), a German naturalist from Savannah, Georgia, who first collected the species. Cerasiformis means cherry-shaped (Native Plants of the Pacific NW).

Western Bluebird

Before the rain and hail forced us out of the Mima Mounds Natural Preserve south of Olympia on 6 March 2021, Erika and I photographed two Western Bluebirds. This species can be identified by range and by their often sporting brown back patches. Western Bluebirds are found in open areas, but, unlike other bluebirds, require nearby forest edges. Guinan et al. (2020) write, "Clear-cutting, snag removal, fire suppression, and any changes in land use that cause open forest and edge habitat to be diminished adversely affect Western Bluebird populations.” As a result, despite bluebird box programs, Western Bluebird populations have declined in western Washington.

Marsh Wren

On 4 March 2021, Erika and I heard several Marsh Wrens at the Bill Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Abundant birds in many North American marshes, Marsh Wrens are easy to hear but they can be hard to see. Marsh Wrens have amazing song repertoires. Males learn up to 200 song types and sing almost continually—day and night. Males compete with singing duels. Males often mate with two or more females, and the male song advertises his genetic fitness and his territorial wealth (Kroodsma and Verner 2020). Erika and I recorded this Marsh Wren’s song—click here.

The various races of Marsh Wrens differ in eastern and western North America. Western birds learn many more songs than do eastern ones. The western songs are harsher and more variable than those in the east. As a result, western males are more likely to be polygynous than eastern ones. Kroodsma and Verner (2020) suggest “Future studies may reveal...that these two wren groups would best be treated as two species—e.g., Eastern Marsh-Wren (C. palustris) and Western Marsh-Wren (C. paludicola).”

Northern Shrike

On 1 March 2021 at the Nisqually national wildlife refuge, Erika pointed out a bird on a treetop snag at the edge of the marsh. I had no idea what the bird was. “How about a Northern Shrike?” asked Erika. “Too small,” I replied, “and the bill is not large enough.” The bird looked more like a strange, tree-top-inhabiting sparrow. While I took photos, the bird flew lower into the nearby forest-edge, and disappeared. I captured the bird’s takeoff. Back home, I ran the image through my image processing software. Erika is correct—undoubtedly a Northern Shrike!
 

Spotted Towhee

Erika and  I encountered a female Spotted Towhee at the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 24 February 2021. Twenty-one races of Spotted Towhees are described, differing in color and size. In fact, only recently have Spotted and Eastern towhees been declared distinct species.  This bird is undoubtedly the Spotted Towhee race, Pipilo maculatus oregonus. It is both the darkest of the Spotted Towhee races and one that has the fewest spots and streaks on its scapulars and wing coverts. I think these birds of the Pacific Northwest are as different from most other Spotted Towhees races as they are different from Eastern Towhees. Genetic studies of these birds would probably prove to be interesting.

Bufflehead

Between rain storms at Woodard Bay Natural Area near Olympia on 25 February 2021, I was trying somewhat unsuccessfully to capture a drake Bufflehead’s iridescent head. As I photographed, the duck swam away from me, reared up, and dove under water. The result is in this series of images. To me, the most interesting shots are the third and fifth images. At the beginning of the dive, the duck holds its legs close to the body, thereby speeding the plunge. Once under water, the feet are flayed outward to forcefully push the bird under.