Topic: Wildlife
Public Asked to Protect Honey Bees by Reporting Sightings of the Invasive Asian Giant Hornet
Written on July 2, 2020 at 9:35 am, by Tim Dustrude
OLYMPIA—As summer gets into full swing and people spend more time outside, state and federal officials and local beekeepers hope the public will keep their eyes open and report any sightings of Asian giant hornet. “When it comes to preventing and stopping a new invasive species, we all have a role to play and this Continue Reading
Paying It Forward
Written on July 2, 2020 at 9:28 am, by Tim Dustrude
This FHL Tide Bite was written by Jen Burnaford… My first trip to UW Friday Harbor Labs was in 1995. After completing my undergraduate thesis on freshwater zooplankton and spending a post-bac year chasing primates through the jungles of Borneo, I had been accepted into the PhD program at Oregon State University in the Menge/Lubchenco Continue Reading
A Photographic Journey: Iconic Birds of the World – Zoom Presentation with Peter Cavanagh
Written on June 9, 2020 at 11:56 am, by Tim Dustrude
We are living in a time of unprecedented trial. In an effort to bring you a much-needed reconnection to the natural world, Friends of the San Juans would like to invite you to attend an upcoming Zoom presentation with Peter Cavanagh. Are you experiencing travel withdrawal after months of lockdown and cancelled travel plans? Peter Continue Reading
Letters
Written on June 8, 2020 at 6:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
In the mailbag this morning we have this letter from Janet Thomas… Dear Islanders, The Southern Resident orcas are facing imminent extinction. Unlike other orca species they do not eat other marine mammals. Their primary diet is Chinook salmon–specifically the salmon that comes from the Fraser River in B.C. and migrates along the west side Continue Reading
The Virus That Changed the Tree of Life
Written on June 5, 2020 at 2:02 pm, by Tim Dustrude
This edition of Tide Bites was written by Victoria Foe… I came to FHL in 2000 to study cell division, to take advantage of the sea urchins, sea stars and sand dollars whose huge, glassy-clear, permeable and easy-to-manipulate eggs make them ideal subjects for that work. Local species have eggs that ripen at different times, Continue Reading
Wolf Hollow: Early First Seal Pup of 2020
Written on June 3, 2020 at 11:43 am, by Tim Dustrude
On May 31st we received our first Harbor Seal pup of the season. This is 3-4 weeks earlier than we usually start caring for seals, but this pup came from Ocean Shores on the outer coast of the Olympic Peninsula, where pupping season is earlier than it is around the San Juans. She was seen Continue Reading
Kokoda Sketches
Written on May 26, 2020 at 8:14 am, by Tim Dustrude
Know Your Islanders: Thane Pratt, Kokoda Sketches: A Birding Trek across Papua New Guinea Lace up your (virtual) hiking boots and join wildlife biologist Thane Pratt and artist Szabolcs Kokay on a trek across the mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea. We’ll relive some of the adventures and experience the biological wonders of this, the Continue Reading
Spring Black Bears on the Yukon River
Written on May 26, 2020 at 8:14 am, by Tim Dustrude
FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a new regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… After gritting through another sub-arctic winter, there was celebratory pleasure in first plying the roiling, wood-strewn waters of the Yukon River in spring. The boat season followed seven to ten days of heavy running ice. Continue Reading
Protect What You Love: Green Boating in the San Juan Islands
Written on May 21, 2020 at 7:42 am, by Tim Dustrude
The 2020 boating season is officially upon us, and soon our anchorages will begin to fill with local and visiting private boats. Our amazing group of islands, where boaters find wonder and relaxation, are also where fish and wildlife find food and shelter. One of the Salish Sea’s most critical and sensitive marine habitats is Continue Reading
Plans Being Developed For Oil Spill Response Base In Friday Harbor
Written on May 20, 2020 at 3:10 pm, by Tim Dustrude
In a joint effort between the Port of Friday Harbor, the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA), and San Juan County, plans are underway for construction of an oil spill response operations base in Friday Harbor, Washington. The intent of the project is to provide office space, maintenance bays for upkeep of boats and trailers, storage Continue Reading
Build an Asian Hornet Bottle Trap
Written on May 19, 2020 at 10:22 am, by Tim Dustrude
As you may have heard, asian hornets (a.k.a: Murder Hornets) have found their way to the United States and have been detected in Washington. They are an invasive species and will decimate honey bee hives. If you would like to help the State of Washington, here is a project you can do on your property Continue Reading
Springtime
Written on May 14, 2020 at 2:43 pm, by Tim Dustrude
It’s springtime and Kevin Holmes has been out getting some nice shots of wildlife on the island. Thanks for sharing Kevin!
Letter from the Labs
Written on May 13, 2020 at 8:29 am, by Tim Dustrude
To the Editor: In this time of Stay-at-Home regulations, coinciding with some lovely spring weather, we at the Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) have noticed increased use of University of Washington properties. We absolutely understand the desire to get out of the house and find new places to explore, and we want to be good neighbors, Continue Reading
Boomerang to the San Juans
Written on May 6, 2020 at 9:36 am, by Tim Dustrude
This May 2020 edition of Tide Bites was written by Alyssa Scott… As the tides of life have ebbed and flowed, I’ve continually found myself on the shores of FHL [Friday Harbor Labs]. My first encounter with the Labs was via a two-week research sailing expedition through the San Juan Islands with Deep Green Wilderness. Continue Reading
Asian Giant Hornets
Written on May 4, 2020 at 3:43 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Need something else to be worried about this year? Covid-19 not quite enough to raise your hackles? How about Asian Giant Hornets? (a.k.a. Asian Murder Hornets) No, it’s not a B rated horror movie. They’re real and they’re here. Check out this article on CNN and for goodness sake be careful if you see any Continue Reading
Bald Eagle
Written on May 4, 2020 at 9:21 am, by Tim Dustrude
Local photographer Kevin Holmes shares this photo of a Bald Eagle he photographed a few days ago. Great shot Kevin – Thanks for sharing!
Good News! New Forage Fish Spawning Beaches Found!
Written on April 30, 2020 at 9:25 am, by Tim Dustrude
This winter, Friends of the San Juans staff and a team of trained citizen scientists, documented six new Pacific sand lance spawning beaches. They also discovered two previously unknown surf smelt spawning sites. Coupled with results from last winter, the number of documented sand lance spawning beaches in San Juan County more than doubled from 8 to Continue Reading
Your Dose of “Awww” for Today
Written on April 29, 2020 at 9:05 am, by Tim Dustrude
Kevin Holmes shares these photos of his new neighbors. In his words: “I have a momma fox with four babies living around the corner from my house. Though you might need your daily dose of “Awww”… Thanks for sharing Kevin!
Nature Notes – Never Underestimate A Salmon
Written on April 22, 2020 at 7:36 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Contributed by Jenny De Groot, MSc., Speckled Trout Consulting, LLC One lesson learned is that you should never underestimate salmon. They find ways to get up waterfalls, slip through nets too small to do so, and apparently, spawn when you never imagined they would. Nearly five months since the first sighting of spawners, coho fry Continue Reading
COVID-19 Crisis Increases Gratitude for Greenspace and Highlights Need to Leash Dogs
Written on April 10, 2020 at 9:33 am, by Tim Dustrude
Land Bank Preserves remain open despite other public land closures because we believe people need access to nature close to home, especially when nothing else in life seems normal. Early evidence suggests that dogs don’t spread COVID-19. However, current social distancing rules apply to both people and their pets. To that end, we want to Continue Reading
Friday Harbor Labs April 2020 Tide Bite
Written on April 6, 2020 at 5:48 am, by Tim Dustrude
Greetings, This month’s Tide Bite chronicles a not-that-unusual career progression for Friday Harbor Labs’ scientists: going from a student in a course, to a student doing their own research, to teaching here themselves, to having their own graduate students come to learn the trade! We love these multi-“generational” ties. Beth Brainerd is one we are Continue Reading
FHHS Students Promote Tardigrade
Written on February 10, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Do you know what a tardigrade is? If not, it’s time to find out! It could soon become Washington State’s official micro-animal thanks to a partnership between students at Friday Harbor High School, Riverday School in Spokane, Jefferson Middle School in Olympia, along with Lynn Bahrych from the San Juan Islands Conservation District, and Katie Continue Reading
Public Asked to Protect Honey Bees by Reporting Sightings of the Invasive Asian Giant Hornet
Written on July 2, 2020 at 9:35 am, by Tim Dustrude
OLYMPIA—As summer gets into full swing and people spend more time outside, state and federal officials and local beekeepers hope the public will keep their eyes open and report any sightings of Asian giant hornet. “When it comes to preventing and stopping a new invasive species, we all have a role to play and this Continue Reading
Paying It Forward
Written on July 2, 2020 at 9:28 am, by Tim Dustrude
This FHL Tide Bite was written by Jen Burnaford… My first trip to UW Friday Harbor Labs was in 1995. After completing my undergraduate thesis on freshwater zooplankton and spending a post-bac year chasing primates through the jungles of Borneo, I had been accepted into the PhD program at Oregon State University in the Menge/Lubchenco Continue Reading
A Photographic Journey: Iconic Birds of the World – Zoom Presentation with Peter Cavanagh
Written on June 9, 2020 at 11:56 am, by Tim Dustrude
We are living in a time of unprecedented trial. In an effort to bring you a much-needed reconnection to the natural world, Friends of the San Juans would like to invite you to attend an upcoming Zoom presentation with Peter Cavanagh. Are you experiencing travel withdrawal after months of lockdown and cancelled travel plans? Peter Continue Reading
Letters
Written on June 8, 2020 at 6:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
In the mailbag this morning we have this letter from Janet Thomas… Dear Islanders, The Southern Resident orcas are facing imminent extinction. Unlike other orca species they do not eat other marine mammals. Their primary diet is Chinook salmon–specifically the salmon that comes from the Fraser River in B.C. and migrates along the west side Continue Reading
The Virus That Changed the Tree of Life
Written on June 5, 2020 at 2:02 pm, by Tim Dustrude
This edition of Tide Bites was written by Victoria Foe… I came to FHL in 2000 to study cell division, to take advantage of the sea urchins, sea stars and sand dollars whose huge, glassy-clear, permeable and easy-to-manipulate eggs make them ideal subjects for that work. Local species have eggs that ripen at different times, Continue Reading
Wolf Hollow: Early First Seal Pup of 2020
Written on June 3, 2020 at 11:43 am, by Tim Dustrude
On May 31st we received our first Harbor Seal pup of the season. This is 3-4 weeks earlier than we usually start caring for seals, but this pup came from Ocean Shores on the outer coast of the Olympic Peninsula, where pupping season is earlier than it is around the San Juans. She was seen Continue Reading
Kokoda Sketches
Written on May 26, 2020 at 8:14 am, by Tim Dustrude
Know Your Islanders: Thane Pratt, Kokoda Sketches: A Birding Trek across Papua New Guinea Lace up your (virtual) hiking boots and join wildlife biologist Thane Pratt and artist Szabolcs Kokay on a trek across the mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea. We’ll relive some of the adventures and experience the biological wonders of this, the Continue Reading
Spring Black Bears on the Yukon River
Written on May 26, 2020 at 8:14 am, by Tim Dustrude
FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a new regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… After gritting through another sub-arctic winter, there was celebratory pleasure in first plying the roiling, wood-strewn waters of the Yukon River in spring. The boat season followed seven to ten days of heavy running ice. Continue Reading
Protect What You Love: Green Boating in the San Juan Islands
Written on May 21, 2020 at 7:42 am, by Tim Dustrude
The 2020 boating season is officially upon us, and soon our anchorages will begin to fill with local and visiting private boats. Our amazing group of islands, where boaters find wonder and relaxation, are also where fish and wildlife find food and shelter. One of the Salish Sea’s most critical and sensitive marine habitats is Continue Reading
Plans Being Developed For Oil Spill Response Base In Friday Harbor
Written on May 20, 2020 at 3:10 pm, by Tim Dustrude
In a joint effort between the Port of Friday Harbor, the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA), and San Juan County, plans are underway for construction of an oil spill response operations base in Friday Harbor, Washington. The intent of the project is to provide office space, maintenance bays for upkeep of boats and trailers, storage Continue Reading
Build an Asian Hornet Bottle Trap
Written on May 19, 2020 at 10:22 am, by Tim Dustrude
As you may have heard, asian hornets (a.k.a: Murder Hornets) have found their way to the United States and have been detected in Washington. They are an invasive species and will decimate honey bee hives. If you would like to help the State of Washington, here is a project you can do on your property Continue Reading
Springtime
Written on May 14, 2020 at 2:43 pm, by Tim Dustrude
It’s springtime and Kevin Holmes has been out getting some nice shots of wildlife on the island. Thanks for sharing Kevin!
Letter from the Labs
Written on May 13, 2020 at 8:29 am, by Tim Dustrude
To the Editor: In this time of Stay-at-Home regulations, coinciding with some lovely spring weather, we at the Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) have noticed increased use of University of Washington properties. We absolutely understand the desire to get out of the house and find new places to explore, and we want to be good neighbors, Continue Reading
Boomerang to the San Juans
Written on May 6, 2020 at 9:36 am, by Tim Dustrude
This May 2020 edition of Tide Bites was written by Alyssa Scott… As the tides of life have ebbed and flowed, I’ve continually found myself on the shores of FHL [Friday Harbor Labs]. My first encounter with the Labs was via a two-week research sailing expedition through the San Juan Islands with Deep Green Wilderness. Continue Reading
Asian Giant Hornets
Written on May 4, 2020 at 3:43 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Need something else to be worried about this year? Covid-19 not quite enough to raise your hackles? How about Asian Giant Hornets? (a.k.a. Asian Murder Hornets) No, it’s not a B rated horror movie. They’re real and they’re here. Check out this article on CNN and for goodness sake be careful if you see any Continue Reading
Bald Eagle
Written on May 4, 2020 at 9:21 am, by Tim Dustrude
Local photographer Kevin Holmes shares this photo of a Bald Eagle he photographed a few days ago. Great shot Kevin – Thanks for sharing!
Good News! New Forage Fish Spawning Beaches Found!
Written on April 30, 2020 at 9:25 am, by Tim Dustrude
This winter, Friends of the San Juans staff and a team of trained citizen scientists, documented six new Pacific sand lance spawning beaches. They also discovered two previously unknown surf smelt spawning sites. Coupled with results from last winter, the number of documented sand lance spawning beaches in San Juan County more than doubled from 8 to Continue Reading
Your Dose of “Awww” for Today
Written on April 29, 2020 at 9:05 am, by Tim Dustrude
Kevin Holmes shares these photos of his new neighbors. In his words: “I have a momma fox with four babies living around the corner from my house. Though you might need your daily dose of “Awww”… Thanks for sharing Kevin!
Nature Notes – Never Underestimate A Salmon
Written on April 22, 2020 at 7:36 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Contributed by Jenny De Groot, MSc., Speckled Trout Consulting, LLC One lesson learned is that you should never underestimate salmon. They find ways to get up waterfalls, slip through nets too small to do so, and apparently, spawn when you never imagined they would. Nearly five months since the first sighting of spawners, coho fry Continue Reading
COVID-19 Crisis Increases Gratitude for Greenspace and Highlights Need to Leash Dogs
Written on April 10, 2020 at 9:33 am, by Tim Dustrude
Land Bank Preserves remain open despite other public land closures because we believe people need access to nature close to home, especially when nothing else in life seems normal. Early evidence suggests that dogs don’t spread COVID-19. However, current social distancing rules apply to both people and their pets. To that end, we want to Continue Reading
Friday Harbor Labs April 2020 Tide Bite
Written on April 6, 2020 at 5:48 am, by Tim Dustrude
Greetings, This month’s Tide Bite chronicles a not-that-unusual career progression for Friday Harbor Labs’ scientists: going from a student in a course, to a student doing their own research, to teaching here themselves, to having their own graduate students come to learn the trade! We love these multi-“generational” ties. Beth Brainerd is one we are Continue Reading
FHHS Students Promote Tardigrade
Written on February 10, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Do you know what a tardigrade is? If not, it’s time to find out! It could soon become Washington State’s official micro-animal thanks to a partnership between students at Friday Harbor High School, Riverday School in Spokane, Jefferson Middle School in Olympia, along with Lynn Bahrych from the San Juan Islands Conservation District, and Katie Continue Reading