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The Daily Bucket: The eagle has landed! [1]
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Date: 2023-01-11
No, I'm not an eagle, but I'm your official greeter. Please read on and this headline's meaning will be revealed.
The goal of Backyard Science is to feature a Bucket every day, hence the name The Daily Bucket. On some days, however, two Buckets show up. And because dark days come too often, that’s not ideal. But Backyard Science is a small group, with no leader, and sometimes things don’t go according to plan. That was true of the Bucket I did on Juanita Bay Park. It was bedeviled by scheduling snafus last week and by gremlins yesterday. For anyone who saw it in its earlier iteration, know that it’s been expanded to cover two visits to the park — the first on Jan. 4 and the second yesterday, when I returned to see what had changed and to take more photos.
Yesterday was a rare sunny day in January for the Puget Sound region and a great time to revisit the park, which is a jewel for viewing birds and other wildlife.
Turtles dig out to celebrate the rare January warmth yesterday and lift their heads to salute the sun.
The park’s 113 acres are among the few remaining examples of wetlands that once existed all along the shores of Lake Washington, and its waters are protected as a designated wildlife area. That means that access, via watercraft or even swimming, is forbidden.
The park had been private land. Read about the park and its history here
Juanita Bay Park, part of the Kirkland Parks system, is just a couple of miles across Lake Washington from Seattle.
Two hundred species of birds have been seen at the park, which from 1932 to 1975 was the nine-hole Juanita Golf Course. Now, two tree-lined boardwalks lead through what’s called a wet meadow, which is thick with deciduous trees, to three viewing platforms jutting out over the bay.
We began both of our visits to the north on what I call the allée. It’s a broad, paved street, closed on both sides to traffic, lined by an elevated wooden “sidewalk.” It runs past marshland formed by Forbes Creek and also offers excellent views of the open water. It’s a great place to strike up conversations, too. We met a man carrying his Sibley under his arm who asked us a question about a bird he was trying to identify. Turns out he’d lived nearby when he was growing up and worked on the golf course when JoAnne Gunderson, later known as The Great Gundy, learned to play there. Long before she turned pro and became JoAnne Gunderson Carner.
Mr. WordsandBirds and I saw 22 species of birds on Jan. 4, as well as four otters, one of whom makes some headlines below. Yesterday we saw about the same number of bird species, and signs of seasonal change.
Trumpeter Swans tower over American Coots. On Jan. 4 we saw a dozen swans, and one generously gave us a mini-concert with its trumpet solo. Closer
Yesterday, cygnets joined adults in a Trumpeter Swan snoozing competition, and their numbers had swelled to 23. That’s a record high for us.
These pilings aren’t just perches for Double-crested Cormorants. They’re remnants of a wharf, which the City of Seattle used 110 years ago to ship gravel and sand across the water to cover its muddy streets. Before that, steamboats plied these waters, connecting the east side to Seattle beginning in 1875. In 1916, the Ship Canal was dug to connect Lake Washington to Puget Sound, and the lake was lowered nine feet. That left the passage too shallow for the steamer fleet. Bigger
Waiting for Godot: Coots contemplate an unfortunate visit from three River Otters, which left them with one fewer of their kind. If you didn’t enlarge the photo above, the one with the Cormorants, take a look now, and focus on the pilings in back. There, a River Otter relaxes after a big meal. We saw a fourth otter later, swimming from the creek toward the bay, where the other three were.
When this guy cruised in, those Coots, which numbered in the hundreds, quietly steamed away:
Bald Eagle on approach. It’s no wonder the Coots faded away when it came too close. I did a diary about Juanita Bay a year ago, which featured a Bald Eagle eating a Coot.www.dailykos.com/...
But wait, this eagle wasn’t here to hunt. It had something else entirely on its agenda.
At last, the eagle has landed!
Extra rinse for that left wing and … You won't get wet
You want me to watch YOU take a bath?? Go ahead, get closer
Stand back: Time for the rinse cycle ... Frothier
And to fluff up those curls … Look how handsome
Ready to be the national symbol again! Even more glorious here
Taking off after a successful mission. What a pro
All spiffed up for soaring. Big Eagle
Other action on the bay:
Look what I got! Wood Duck drake excited about his “corm on the cob” (Jan.4).
A bay without Buffleheads would be a sorry sight. These guys and girls obliged (Jan. 4).
Yesterday, right after we arrived on the allée, a Bald Eagle swooped low over the water and spooked the Buffleheads. It happened so quickly we were focused on the ducks and didn’t immediately see where the eagle had gone. Mr. WordsandBirds soon found it at a great distance, as well as evidence that it had made a successful strike. Trigger warning for the following photo:
The Bald Eagle was well into an early lunch, most likely a Bufflehead course. A crow watches for scraps. Shot from far away and heavily cropped.
Once the eagle had been satisfied and was no longer a threat, Buffies began bobbing their heads in courting displays. Some drakes expressed disapproval of attentions other drakes paid to hens, and the hens appeared indifferent to all of them. Last week, we saw no sign that Buffies were courting.
Ringed-necked Duck drake (Jan. 4). Look verrrry closely and you might see that faint ring. But wouldn’t it be nice if its name were changed to Ring-billed Duck, the part that’s actually visible? See the ring here.
We then walked the trail to check out views from the boardwalk and viewing platforms to the south.
The terrain on the path to the boardwalks and viewing platforms.
Gadwall drake showing its dabbling-duck foraging prowess to his mate (yesterday).
Gadwall drake assumes a more dignified position and preens for good measure (yesterday).
Green-winged Teal drake looking good (Jan. 4).
eBird had noted Wilson’s Snipe on Jan. 4. Fortunately, Mr. WordsandBirds is a phenomenal bird spotter and had located their hideaway in about a minute. And there were two! By the time we left there was only one, and it was snoozing. See the Snipes
Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you all are in flood-free areas and have power. What are you seeing in your parts of the world? I won’t be on the dot, but I’ll join you shortly.
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