Topic: Wildlife
Register For Marine Naturalist Program
Written on January 11, 2021 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
From The Whale Museum Back by popular demand, registration is now open for a spring virtual session of The Whale Museum’s Marine Naturalist Program. This dynamic and high-quality program will still be seven-sessions and run April 11-17. The objective of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified Continue Reading
Know Your Islanders Presents Whale-Poop Sniffing Dog
Written on January 9, 2021 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
From San Juan Island Library At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13, meet a conservation canine during the San Juan Island Library’s virtual Know Your Islanders event. Eba, the whale dog, is a poop-sniffing rescue dog in the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology Whale Scat program. Eba is helping Dr. Sam Wasser and Dr. Continue Reading
Center For Whale Research’s First Orca Sighting Of 2021
Written on January 6, 2021 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
From Center for Whale Research On Jan. 3, Dave got a good enough shot of the mom to convince him that he had the T167s. T167A had sprouted since the last pictures Dave had looked at of him. The T167s have shown up a few times in the last several years (Mark just saw them Continue Reading
New Year, New Rules For Commercial Whale Watching
Written on January 3, 2021 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
From Washinton Department of Fish and Wildlife On Dec. 21, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced new rules for commercial viewing of Southern Resident killer whales to reduce the impacts of vessel noise and disturbance on the whales’ ability to forage, rest, and socialize while enabling sustainable whale watching. Prompted by the Legislature Continue Reading
Record Participants Join Christmas Bird Count
Written on December 30, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
By Barbara Jensen, President, San Juan Islands Audubon Last Saturday, Dec. 26, we did our annual Christmas bird count circle. First, I want to thank the 93 people who participated in the count. This is the highest number of people we have had on a count. So many of you stepped forward to count at Continue Reading
Happy Holidays From Wolf Hollow
Written on December 25, 2020 at 4:30 am, by Hayley Day
Wolf Hollow staff (and critters) wish everyone a happy holiday. They also thank the community for its continued support. Wolf Hollow’s mission is “to promote the well-being of wildlife and their habitats through rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, public education and non-invasive research.” For more information, visit wolfhollowwildlife.org.
Letter: Orca Nonprofit Supports New State Whale Watching Rules
Written on December 22, 2020 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
By Donna Sandstrom, Whale Trail director and former member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force Last Friday, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioners approved rules for commercial whale-watching that will make it easier for the endangered southern residents to forage and rear their young in these next few critical years. Commercial whale-watching on Continue Reading
State Changes Whale Watching Licenses, Budgets For Fish Habitat Restoration
Written on December 21, 2020 at 8:10 pm, by Hayley Day
Commercial Whale Watching Season Reduced to Three Months By Washington Fish and Wildlife The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved rules establishing requirements for commercial whale watching operators and for the commercial viewing of Southern Resident killer whales and approved changes to spring bear special permits during its Dec. 18 meeting. The commission also heard Continue Reading
Donate to Friends of the San Juans During $100K Match
Written on December 15, 2020 at 4:30 am, by Hayley Day
By Friends of the San Juans This year has been life-changing for all of us to varying degrees. In early March, the message from Friends of the San Juans was one of changing times, as directives unfolded with caution and deliberation. Those same feelings continue to unfold in a variety of ways. Yet today, we Continue Reading
Preservation Trust Gives Thanks To Supporters
Written on November 26, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
By San Juan Preservation Trust Q: Why did the turkeys cross the road? A: Because they could. Okay, the punch line isn’t especially funny, but it’s kind of amazing: We live in a place where flocks of (semi-) wild turkeys have enough intact habitat to roam free. This photo was taken near the Orcas ferry Continue Reading
Attacking Owls
Written on October 2, 2020 at 1:22 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Park Cautions Visitors Against Aggressive Attacking Owls San Juan Island National Historical Park is cautioning people recreating in the park about recent and aggressive behavior from owls that has resulted in at least four known attacks on visitors in the park. These encounters have been reported on English Camp’s Bell Point Loop Trail in recent Continue Reading
Salmon Habitat Restored on Sucia Island
Written on October 2, 2020 at 5:50 am, by Hayley Day
Almost seven years ago, Friends of the San Juans began working with Washington State Parks on a salmon recovery project on Sucia Island. After a lot of research, surveys, designs, engineering, and permitting, the on-the-ground work to restore habitat has come to fruition. Located along a major migratory pathway for juvenile Chinook salmon, Sucia’s marine Continue Reading
Another New Calf in J Pod
Written on September 26, 2020 at 10:19 am, by Tim Dustrude
More good news from J-Pod… The Center for Whale Research confirms that another calf has been born into the Southern Resident killer whale community, and the mother is J41. CWR will eagerly await the whales’ return to evaluate the calf’s condition and hopefully determine its sex. J41’s new calf is the second birth in J Continue Reading
J57 is a boy!
Written on September 24, 2020 at 11:36 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s some happy news from the Center for Whale Research… Updating our recent announcement concerning J35’s new calf, J57: we can confirm that it is male (see top photograph). This feisty young boy was seen last evening, September 22, near Point Roberts, Washington. He was photographed rolling, spyhopping, and swimming alongside his mother, who was Continue Reading
Zoom Talk: True Animal Stories with Author Clare Hodgson Meeker
Written on September 22, 2020 at 5:40 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan Island Library announces that renowned regional author Clare Hodgson Meeker will host a Zoom talk on Friday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. Meeker’s latest book, Growing Up Gorilla: How a Zoo Baby Brought Her Family Together, is a 2020 Washington State Book Award Finalist for Young Readers. Meeker will discuss writing Growing Up Continue Reading
FHL Tide Bites
Written on September 20, 2020 at 5:51 am, by Tim Dustrude
Resource Allocation to Growth and Structure: The Energetic Cost of Mussel Byssal Thread Attachment, by Molly Roberts Dr. Molly Roberts completed her PhD with Dr. Emily Carrington in 2019 in the Biology Department at UW. Her research involved both experimental work at FHL and fieldwork at Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, WA. Prior to her Continue Reading
The Wild Charley River (part II)
Written on September 14, 2020 at 9:33 am, by Tim Dustrude
FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… (Author’s note: This campfire story is mostly fiction in terms of characters and events. Historic, ecological and political themes will always be sculpted factually. The wonders of the subarctic natural world are as I understand them Continue Reading
Growing a Year-Round Hummingbird Habitat Garden
Written on September 12, 2020 at 5:45 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan County Master Gardeners welcome keynote speaker Robin Haglund to the Annual Gardening Workshop Series. Robin’s presentation, Growing a Year-Round Hummingbird Habitat Garden, guides you through crafting and maintaining a gorgeous year-round garden that provides habitat for our resident hummingbirds. You will learn the vital elements needed for food and nesting, while enjoying the Continue Reading
Opportunity to Help Protect and Restore Eelgrass, Herring, & Salmon in the San Juans
Written on September 11, 2020 at 5:53 am, by Tim Dustrude
Pacific herring – also known as forage fish – play a key role in marine food webs as food for out-migrating juvenile salmon, seabirds, and even marine mammals. Herring rely on sensitive eelgrass meadows found along our tidelands to spawn and incubate their eggs. Herring spawning populations in the San Juans are classified by the Continue Reading
Southern Resident Killer Whale Superpod!
Written on September 7, 2020 at 5:08 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
More good news from the Center for Whale Research… This video was taken during our encounter with the endangered Southern Resident killer whales on September 5, 2020. All three pods (J, K, and L) came together in the same area. This gathering is known as a Superpod. Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, Founder/Senior Scientist, Continue Reading
A Brand New Calf in J Pod!
Written on September 6, 2020 at 12:57 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Good news from the Center for Whale Research… click image to enlarge… On Saturday, September 5, 2020, J pod was reported near the ODAS buoy off Dungeness Spit in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca in US waters. Another large group of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales was a few miles away near Continue Reading
Black-tail deer Hunting Season Opens September 1
Written on August 31, 2020 at 12:37 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
We hear from Tanja at the Land Bank… Make some room in your freezer – deer hunting is open for early and general seasons only at Lopez Hill and Mount Grant Preserves. Specific dates are as follows: Archery: September 1 -25 Muzzle loader: September 26 – October 4 Modern Firearm: October 17 – November 1 Be Continue Reading
Register For Marine Naturalist Program
Written on January 11, 2021 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
From The Whale Museum Back by popular demand, registration is now open for a spring virtual session of The Whale Museum’s Marine Naturalist Program. This dynamic and high-quality program will still be seven-sessions and run April 11-17. The objective of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified Continue Reading
Know Your Islanders Presents Whale-Poop Sniffing Dog
Written on January 9, 2021 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
From San Juan Island Library At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13, meet a conservation canine during the San Juan Island Library’s virtual Know Your Islanders event. Eba, the whale dog, is a poop-sniffing rescue dog in the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology Whale Scat program. Eba is helping Dr. Sam Wasser and Dr. Continue Reading
Center For Whale Research’s First Orca Sighting Of 2021
Written on January 6, 2021 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
From Center for Whale Research On Jan. 3, Dave got a good enough shot of the mom to convince him that he had the T167s. T167A had sprouted since the last pictures Dave had looked at of him. The T167s have shown up a few times in the last several years (Mark just saw them Continue Reading
New Year, New Rules For Commercial Whale Watching
Written on January 3, 2021 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
From Washinton Department of Fish and Wildlife On Dec. 21, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced new rules for commercial viewing of Southern Resident killer whales to reduce the impacts of vessel noise and disturbance on the whales’ ability to forage, rest, and socialize while enabling sustainable whale watching. Prompted by the Legislature Continue Reading
Record Participants Join Christmas Bird Count
Written on December 30, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
By Barbara Jensen, President, San Juan Islands Audubon Last Saturday, Dec. 26, we did our annual Christmas bird count circle. First, I want to thank the 93 people who participated in the count. This is the highest number of people we have had on a count. So many of you stepped forward to count at Continue Reading
Happy Holidays From Wolf Hollow
Written on December 25, 2020 at 4:30 am, by Hayley Day
Wolf Hollow staff (and critters) wish everyone a happy holiday. They also thank the community for its continued support. Wolf Hollow’s mission is “to promote the well-being of wildlife and their habitats through rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, public education and non-invasive research.” For more information, visit wolfhollowwildlife.org.
Letter: Orca Nonprofit Supports New State Whale Watching Rules
Written on December 22, 2020 at 5:00 am, by Hayley Day
By Donna Sandstrom, Whale Trail director and former member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force Last Friday, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioners approved rules for commercial whale-watching that will make it easier for the endangered southern residents to forage and rear their young in these next few critical years. Commercial whale-watching on Continue Reading
State Changes Whale Watching Licenses, Budgets For Fish Habitat Restoration
Written on December 21, 2020 at 8:10 pm, by Hayley Day
Commercial Whale Watching Season Reduced to Three Months By Washington Fish and Wildlife The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved rules establishing requirements for commercial whale watching operators and for the commercial viewing of Southern Resident killer whales and approved changes to spring bear special permits during its Dec. 18 meeting. The commission also heard Continue Reading
Donate to Friends of the San Juans During $100K Match
Written on December 15, 2020 at 4:30 am, by Hayley Day
By Friends of the San Juans This year has been life-changing for all of us to varying degrees. In early March, the message from Friends of the San Juans was one of changing times, as directives unfolded with caution and deliberation. Those same feelings continue to unfold in a variety of ways. Yet today, we Continue Reading
Preservation Trust Gives Thanks To Supporters
Written on November 26, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Hayley Day
By San Juan Preservation Trust Q: Why did the turkeys cross the road? A: Because they could. Okay, the punch line isn’t especially funny, but it’s kind of amazing: We live in a place where flocks of (semi-) wild turkeys have enough intact habitat to roam free. This photo was taken near the Orcas ferry Continue Reading
Attacking Owls
Written on October 2, 2020 at 1:22 pm, by Tim Dustrude
Park Cautions Visitors Against Aggressive Attacking Owls San Juan Island National Historical Park is cautioning people recreating in the park about recent and aggressive behavior from owls that has resulted in at least four known attacks on visitors in the park. These encounters have been reported on English Camp’s Bell Point Loop Trail in recent Continue Reading
Salmon Habitat Restored on Sucia Island
Written on October 2, 2020 at 5:50 am, by Hayley Day
Almost seven years ago, Friends of the San Juans began working with Washington State Parks on a salmon recovery project on Sucia Island. After a lot of research, surveys, designs, engineering, and permitting, the on-the-ground work to restore habitat has come to fruition. Located along a major migratory pathway for juvenile Chinook salmon, Sucia’s marine Continue Reading
Another New Calf in J Pod
Written on September 26, 2020 at 10:19 am, by Tim Dustrude
More good news from J-Pod… The Center for Whale Research confirms that another calf has been born into the Southern Resident killer whale community, and the mother is J41. CWR will eagerly await the whales’ return to evaluate the calf’s condition and hopefully determine its sex. J41’s new calf is the second birth in J Continue Reading
J57 is a boy!
Written on September 24, 2020 at 11:36 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s some happy news from the Center for Whale Research… Updating our recent announcement concerning J35’s new calf, J57: we can confirm that it is male (see top photograph). This feisty young boy was seen last evening, September 22, near Point Roberts, Washington. He was photographed rolling, spyhopping, and swimming alongside his mother, who was Continue Reading
Zoom Talk: True Animal Stories with Author Clare Hodgson Meeker
Written on September 22, 2020 at 5:40 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan Island Library announces that renowned regional author Clare Hodgson Meeker will host a Zoom talk on Friday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. Meeker’s latest book, Growing Up Gorilla: How a Zoo Baby Brought Her Family Together, is a 2020 Washington State Book Award Finalist for Young Readers. Meeker will discuss writing Growing Up Continue Reading
FHL Tide Bites
Written on September 20, 2020 at 5:51 am, by Tim Dustrude
Resource Allocation to Growth and Structure: The Energetic Cost of Mussel Byssal Thread Attachment, by Molly Roberts Dr. Molly Roberts completed her PhD with Dr. Emily Carrington in 2019 in the Biology Department at UW. Her research involved both experimental work at FHL and fieldwork at Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, WA. Prior to her Continue Reading
The Wild Charley River (part II)
Written on September 14, 2020 at 9:33 am, by Tim Dustrude
FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… (Author’s note: This campfire story is mostly fiction in terms of characters and events. Historic, ecological and political themes will always be sculpted factually. The wonders of the subarctic natural world are as I understand them Continue Reading
Growing a Year-Round Hummingbird Habitat Garden
Written on September 12, 2020 at 5:45 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan County Master Gardeners welcome keynote speaker Robin Haglund to the Annual Gardening Workshop Series. Robin’s presentation, Growing a Year-Round Hummingbird Habitat Garden, guides you through crafting and maintaining a gorgeous year-round garden that provides habitat for our resident hummingbirds. You will learn the vital elements needed for food and nesting, while enjoying the Continue Reading
Opportunity to Help Protect and Restore Eelgrass, Herring, & Salmon in the San Juans
Written on September 11, 2020 at 5:53 am, by Tim Dustrude
Pacific herring – also known as forage fish – play a key role in marine food webs as food for out-migrating juvenile salmon, seabirds, and even marine mammals. Herring rely on sensitive eelgrass meadows found along our tidelands to spawn and incubate their eggs. Herring spawning populations in the San Juans are classified by the Continue Reading
Southern Resident Killer Whale Superpod!
Written on September 7, 2020 at 5:08 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
More good news from the Center for Whale Research… This video was taken during our encounter with the endangered Southern Resident killer whales on September 5, 2020. All three pods (J, K, and L) came together in the same area. This gathering is known as a Superpod. Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, Founder/Senior Scientist, Continue Reading
A Brand New Calf in J Pod!
Written on September 6, 2020 at 12:57 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Good news from the Center for Whale Research… click image to enlarge… On Saturday, September 5, 2020, J pod was reported near the ODAS buoy off Dungeness Spit in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca in US waters. Another large group of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales was a few miles away near Continue Reading
Black-tail deer Hunting Season Opens September 1
Written on August 31, 2020 at 12:37 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
We hear from Tanja at the Land Bank… Make some room in your freezer – deer hunting is open for early and general seasons only at Lopez Hill and Mount Grant Preserves. Specific dates are as follows: Archery: September 1 -25 Muzzle loader: September 26 – October 4 Modern Firearm: October 17 – November 1 Be Continue Reading