Spring Forward?

Well it is time for the annual Spring forward for Daylight Savings Time.  For most of the country I am sure the arrival of Spring is eagerly awaited.  For the citizens of Puget Sound country we wonder what we did; right or wrong, to deserve the non-winter.

I have happy anticipation of an early and potentially brief wildflower season so I started wandering the trails up at Washington Park a few weeks ago.  Oh how I love this park.  It is so diverse that I can wander for a few hours and each time have a somewhat different experience from the time before.  The warm winter we have had appears to have given the flowers a bit of a jump start.

This is simply bad news.  Our snow pack is not going to happen this year.  The reservoirs are full enough, but I am sure we are going to hear lectures on conservation.  The agriculture areas of Eastern Washington are served largely by the Columbia River and our friends to the north have received enough snow so there should be water for most.  The very high mountains have had more snow than the lower watersheds, so that helps as well.

The Daffodil fields of the Skagit are early and the tulips are not far behind.  The beautiful sunny weekends will no doubt drive people to see the fields long before the Tulip Festival starts.  Great for the vendors in LaConnor.  That is Mt Baker aka Koma Kulshan, peeking over the foothills.

The snowiest place on earth.  This record, long held by Mt Rainier was turned over to Mt Baker several years ago.  I think the rangers at Paradise on Mt Rainier are still recovering.  They held the record for what seems forever.

The park is waking up and the most reliable early bloomer is the Red-flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum .  This plant along with Salmonberry, brings the Rufous Hummingbird.  I am not yet seeing the Salmonberry bloom and have yet to hear the zing of a Rufous.

I typically walk the park in a counter-clockwise loop.  It is bad of me to ignore the inner part of the peninsula with its deep woods, but I am drawn by the wildflowers that lurk on the stony edges,overlooking  the Salish Sea.

Today I had a darn lucky hit.  I can out of some trees and looked down at the water.  I noted a splash and revved up my camera.  Another splash and I took aim.  A third and I fired...

I was way up there and they way down.  Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena.  I took down my camera and they were gone, beyond that tree , around the point.

The moss woods along my favorite little trail is filled with promise of Calypso Orchids and Fawn Lily.  I am seeing the leaves but no sign of buds yet.  They are a few weeks off. perhaps.

A scientist interested in moss could spend a few hours counting species here.

Out on the south facing slopes the early flowers are here.  They are not bountiful but you never know what you are going to find.  These slopes are braided with trails that wander along.  Years of people following trails blazed by the likes of these little darlings

The tiny Small-flowered Blue Eyed Mary , Collinsia parviflora is always first to appear.

Another figwort, Yellow Monkey-flower Mimulus guttatus is just getting started.  It almost feels too dry for them.  They seem to like a soggy ground.

I found a few Gold Star, Crocidium multicaule and was happy to catch a busy fly on this one

The cooler woods still have a surprise.  I love mushrooms in all their detail and was very happy with these pictures.

Some day I would love to learn to stalk the savory mushroom.  For now I leave them for the Douglas Squirrels.

Speaking of stalking

He was watching Harbor Seals probably hoping for some leftovers.  The Harbor Seals were probably enjoying smelt, which are running now.  Yum smelt.....  I have not made smelt is such a long time.

I am sure I will be up here almost every week waiting for the orchids and lily to appear.  I need to think about when to tackle the slopes of eastern Washington.  They have much colder nights, but warmer days and in a week or two it may be time to travel back to Snow Mountain ranch near Yakima.  Last time I went I was caught in a snow and hail shower.

Might have to wait for real Spring for that trip.

Meandering on a Sunny Day

Up an on the road early.  If rain is forecast before noon, best get to it.

I was happily surprised as I got north of Everett to see that the skies were getting a bit lighter and before I got to Mt Vernon, there was actually sun in the sky.

Even though I was walking in the woods, it is good to be out in as good a sunlight as the day can muster.

I headed to my favorite place, Washington Park, near Anacortes to do my first good wildflower walk of the year.  There were few disappointments save for my camera work.

The Calypso Orchids are out.  This seems to be a good year, though not a great year.  Numbers look down a bit, and some of the flowers have already started to go to seed.  I was up one month ago and saw no buds breaking, so they came and went pretty fast.

First of the year

A happy trio

Fawn Lily are doing well.  Here too , many which were just starting to show buds are past.

The trail most of these are on is just magic.  A solid carpet of all kinds of mosses and lichens with dainty flowers and solitude.

I even saw a fair number of Coralroot Orchids starting to spike, looking like red asparagus.

The south facing slope was starting to show off its special delights.

Small Flower Blue Eyed Mary is truly small flowered.

Early Saxifrage, Prairie Star, Meadow Chickweed and Death Camas  are doing well.

The Common Camas were not breaking their bud yet.

I skirted into the woods to seek out some rare and elusive things.  In the woods there was plenty of birdsong and all over wrens, chickadees and kinglets were courting and squabbling.  I watched one wren check out multiple holes in a dead tree.  It was shopping in a condo block. A chickadee patiently waited to do its inspections.

There was a lot of new fungus coming up through the mosses. This fallen Madrone tree was really covered with tails

Out on the rock-face the wet area is just getting started with Monkeyflower

I paused to take in the view.  Clouds are starting to set in.

It was here I heard something missing for some time.

"I'm a pretty little bird-e"  The call of the White-crowned Sparrows, back from their winter in the South.  I didn't think this zoomed in photo would work, but you can see him in the top of that Juniper

Barely.  I looked in my archives for a nice picture of this bird but have none in my computer, they are all on backup discs.

What a nice walk.  Many people were out and everyone seemed in joyous spirits.  Our region needs these fine days and any break in the weather to help the workers up at Oso is welcome.

Tired of Winter...Go Looking For Spring

Winter Blues really hit me hard this year.  It has been very uninspiring and I have languished.  I did visit the beach for Winter Beach Clean.  My favorite Thai restaurant was closed for a vacation.  The weather has been just as usual, short dark gray days.  I should not complain as so many folks suffering with these horrible snow storms and frozen beyond humanity temperatures.

I have been concerned about the lack of wet here.  The most vital missing ingredient is snow in the high mountains.  These snows feed our farms and maintain a healthy and safer habitat.  Finally some serious snow (and rain down here) hit in February and our snow pack is pretty much back on track.

The last bit of February brought a few days of dazzling blue skies.  I wanted to run from work and play hooky.  I vowed that the first day of March, Saturday, would find me up at Washington Park.  It is time to start the annual lookout at one of my favorite wildflower places.

The day dawned gray and dreary.  The forecast was for snows moving down the Frazier River valley and catching Whatcom county with some more snow.  I didn't concern myself too much, I was on the hunt for Spring.

Arriving at the park I knew the first spot to check out was the restrooms.  There a very fine Red Flowering Currant  is usually one of the first plants to bloom.  It was just getting started.

With this blooming, you can usually plan for the Rufus Hummingbirds to be arriving any day.

Along the road, all was quiet until I reached one particular rock.  A bit of Trail Magic.  Someone regularly walks this loop and leaves a handful of seeds and corn on rocks and stumps, a welcome treat.  This Douglas Squirrel made sure to tell me that my presence in this area was very unwelcome.  Dougies will also act this way in the Fall if you stop or pass to close to their mushroom larder tree.

The big rock held a handful of treat and sparrows, chickadees, Junco and a Spotted Towhee were all noisily enjoying the feast.  I think Spotted Towhee are one of the handsomest birds in our woods.  So dapper in their cut-away tailcoat and rusty vest.

Further along I dipped down onto my favorite trail.  It is here that Fawn Lily and Calypso Orchid will delight in about a month.  Today the mosses held a few leaves peaking out here and there, a promise of the bounty to come.

The Rattlesnake Plantain orchid appear to be setting up for a very fine year.  They bloom in late summer so for now we see their interesting leaves.  This one was particularly large and well marked.

Out and around the south facing Serpentine bald.  This uncommon soil is unique in this area and supports a fine array of flowers, mosses and lichens.  I see a lot of greenery right now, so the flower bounty should be great.  I found one very early Spring Gold just starting to bloom.

As I stopped to see the Olympic Mountains peeking through the clouds I was greeted by a lot of bird chatter.

Clearly these birds were expecting another handout.  There were many chattering Song Sparrows and one very quiet charmer.  A Fox Sparrow, Passerella iliaca.  These tubby, chunky sparrows are beautifully marked with neat chevrons on their chest and belly.  They are quiet and usually solitary.

It posed handsomely for me and then turned and gave me the stink-eye.  Clearly if I was not going to pay in seed, then shove off.

Around the end of the point and up and over to the road and down.  It was here that I found a pair of Barred Owls nesting a year or two ago.  I listened but did not hear any nest sounds.  I did hear a slight hissing sound, starting light then becoming a little more persistent.  It was falling from the sky.  Not rain, not hail nor grapple.

Little frozen almost flakes

Ah well.  It is a convenient, pretty bit of business.  I needed to stop by the car shop and get a service, then on to work for afternoon duty.  I headed over to Fir Island to grab a photo for my Scavenger Hunt ( topic "many" )  Many Trumpeter Swans

I had time to kill and as I was driving down the freeway I passed an airplane that I have always said I would stop and shoot.

Along this road is a nursery and I was delighted to see that the Mt Baker Orchid Society was having a show.  My friend Ron had his plants there and when I arrived he was busy judging flowers.  I took a look at his display, which was amazing as usual, and went on my way.  Ron reports on his wonderful blog that one of his plants received a Certificate of Culture Merit from the American Orchid Society.  Congrats Ron!!!  If you wish to see some amazing orchids and fabulous photography, pay a visit to Ron's blog.

 http://orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com

So a fine day out helped clear out the cobwebs and renewed the spirit and has got me mentally planning on my next visit to the park to look for elusive delights.

Walking in the Rain

A rainy Spring weekend.  In high contrast with last weekends sunny and 70, it is low clouds and barely 50.  In the mountains, snow is once again falling so I must stick to the wet side.

Yesterday was Biosurvey at Ohop.  My love for this place cannot even be diminished by the rain.

Newly arrived swallows; Violet-green, Tree, Barn and Rough-wing were found swooping all over the fields.  The Rough-wing traced its way up and down the creek, while the others took higher to the sky.

The creek is flowing deep.  During salmon runs it is fairly shallow.  If you look closely at the creek you will see a line across.  This is a device that counts salmon that have microchips.

We rambled the fields for a soggy 2 1/2 hours looking for signs, sounds and sights of living things.  It was slow going.  I am happy to say my waterproof pants boots and coat really do the trick.  Even they, however, could not keep my electronic data recording device from seizing up.

Another two months and this field will be alive with greenery and, no doubt, bugs galore.  The birds eventually will find great feeding in the hundreds of young trees.

The trees and shrubs planted over the last few years are thriving.

Today with rain coming down in buckets I revisited Washington Park to see my flowers.  The rain was really coming down as I neared Anacortes, but by the time I parked it was a more sedate rain.  I figure as I was going to be in the woods most of the way, it really didn't matter that much.  There were only a few souls out.  All were well protected from the rain by a wide variety of foul-weather gear.

And I got my prize.

White Fawn Lily are abundant in the mossy glades. 

The Calypso Orchids are going strong. 

 

 

I even found a large number of Coralroot Orchid starting to spike.  Right now they look like red asparagus breaking through the forest floor litter.  I found them all along my route and I don't remember seeing this many in the past.

On the south slope the Serpintine soil supports a wide array of unusual flowers.  Yellow Monkey Flower decorate the rock faces

Spring Gold, Sea Blush, Blue-eyed Mary and buttercup carpet the open slopes.

The rare Puget Sound Juniper thrives on these slopes.

A Banana Slug slips easily along the glacier gouged Serpentine rocks.

That is the front of my size 11 Ahnu boot so you can appreciate how big this fat fellow is.

I officially love my boots.  I got a gel insert and now they fit perfectly!  They are comfy and waterproof too!

Perhaps next weekend we will see how the comfy boots face the threat of cactus