Introducing Sarah!

Sarah, a a 35-Year Old Yellow Crested Cockatoo and Sequim Resident

If you haven’t seen this gal around town, well, you’ve really missed something. Her topnotch is simply unmistakable and those dark amber eyes against her beautiful white feathers equates to one gorgeous bird.

Sarah is the avian-child of both Kathy and Keith, warmhearted and funloving Sequim homeowners, who have had Sarah for all of her 35-years. Because she can “talk”, she lovingly refers to them as “Mommy” and “Daddy”, tells them she loves them and when she needs to “go potty”, and knows a handful of other phrases that most two year olds can’t recite. Sarah loves to lift her wings and dance, entertain, and is often the life of the party.

To hear her speak is a delight, and if she squawks, like she’s doing here, you may want to step back…although high pitched and very loud, hearing her will tickle your funny bone and you’ll find it hard not to fall in love with her, as many have.

Often seen with Kathy and Keith near the eagles nest on Marine Drive, you’ll want to stop and introduce yourself. All three are some of Sequim’s finest and friendliest residents.

Fish and Chicks

A Snowy Egret Delivering a Mouthful of Fish to her Hatchlings

Down South, if you order fish and chips, you may be surprised to wind up with hushpuppies, or grits. But apparently these baby egrets knew they wouldn’t need any sides when mama delivered this “mother-load” of fish for them.

And you should have heard the noise when she approached! We could relate after ordering Alligator Tail (no kidding) at a local restaurant though. As we yelled for more we heard nothing but applause from the locals who when told we lived in a place called “Sequim” knew we could handle just about anything!

Oh So Cute Creature Sightings

A Short-Tailed Weasel Poses for a Quick Portrait

Lucky me! While stopping by the eagle’s nest on Marine Drive a very kind lady mentioned that she had seen a weasel darting in and out of the grass on the side of the road and just as she finished telling me, there it was!

This was my first encounter with a weasel and I was quite surprised at how small it was. I estimate it to be about 5 to 6 inches tall…tiny! And to get more information to describe it, I looked to the web and found Animals of the Pacific Northwest, a website owned and operated by Andrea Merrill, a Western Washington native and author. Here’s what she has to say about “our” weasels:

“The Olympic Short-Tailed Weasel

Found only on the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Short-Tailed Weasel is long and slender with short legs and short tails. Their coats are light brown with a yellowish underside. Despite their size, these weasels actually prey upon mammals bigger than themselves and will often feed on small rodents. Their slender bodies allow them to chase after rodents into their burrows. Frequently, they’ll kill more than they can eat and bury the rest to eat at a later time. Unlike other weasels, the Olympic Short-Tailed Weasel doesn’t turn white in the winter, as they stay brown all year round. They’re also great swimmers and found in open habitats near water.”

And just as she described, this little guy later preyed on a much larger creature, took it back to his hideout, and will probably send the next few days consuming it – or hopefully, he shared it with family and friends.

So just when you think you’ve seen it all…guess what, you never will!

Florida is for the Birds!

A Great Blue Heron Nestled in the Swamp Grass

Some say Florida is a place you either love or hate. So what’s to love, and what’s to hate?

Well let’s see…the highest natural point in Florida is Britton Hill, on the Panhandle region of Florida, close to the Alabama border. It has an elevation of 345 feet, so if you want mountainsides on the horizon, a causeway is your best bet.

And if you like solitude, but despise crowds and traffic – Florida has the third highest population in the U.S., trailing only California and Texas. So if you decide to visit the zoo for a nature fix, consider going mid-week when the kids are in school, otherwise, you could be confronted with 5 busloads of screaming children, like we were.

And if you hate crawling bugs, flying insects, snakes, fire ants, and overwhelming heat and the heavy humidity…well, you may as well stay home!

But if you go for the birds, then all of the above will be more than tolerable simply because you’ll come home with treasures that money just can’t buy…and you’ll dream about when you can go back to do it all over again! Believe me, it’s truly for the birds!

Sequim Irrigation Fest

Yippee! The Joy of Getting Sudsy in the Strait Up Foam Event

Although I’d planned to upload a photo from our trip to Florida today, I’d forgotten about the Sequim Irrigation Festival. So like any good citizen of Sequim, I rushed right over to Carrie Blake Park and while there, I’m so glad I had the chance to photograph this little one (with her parents permission, of course) having the time of her life while getting well…irrigated!

And although I missed the earlier events, I did hear a few notes of what sounded like Big Band Music, one of my favs, so I was hoping it would continue, but apparently, it was a practice session prior to the Sequim City Band performance later in the day. If you got to listen in, I’m sure it was delightful.

But if, like me, you missed any of the fun, the Grand Finale Weekend is coming up next, May 8-10th, with a lineup of events, including a Historic Walking Tour, Golf Tournament, Classic Car Show, a 5k and 1-mile run, Sequim High School’s Operetta and the finale, a Grand Parade with Royalty, Dignitaries, festival floats, bands, and much more from Washington on the final day, May 10th, to celebrate the lifeblood of Sequim, water!

Far Away Florida

A Male Brown Anole Extending Dewlap, Flamingo Gardens, Florida

After spending two warm weeks photographing birds, bugs and reptiles in Florida, I’ll be spending the next two weeks filtering through my collection of images and along the way, giving you a glimpse of what I came home with. I hope you’ll seeing enjoy them as much as I enjoyed capturing them.

Although reptiles aren’t my favorite subject, this tiny creature surprised me by interrupting a butterfly shot, and because of his colorful dewlap, which is a fold of skin that when extended indicates that males are available for mating, I couldn’t help but turn my focus to him.

These guys are highly invasive though and Wikipedia says they were introduced into the U.S. via the importation and exportation of plants years ago. And although it’s a bit too cold for them here in the PNW, they are moving northward and although cute and fun to photograph, I can only hope that there isn’t one, or heaven forbid two, lingering in my suitcase…

Today at New Dungeness Nursery

Purple Sunflowers Begging to be Photographed

What better way to celebrate the onset of May than with a trip to one of our local nurseries?

Although my luck with growing plants is questionable, I love the thought of having a yard full of plants and flowers to nurture and photograph. So I’m always glad when a friend suggests to stop by the New Dungeness Nursery here in town to admire their collection.

And today, as I cruised through their selection, I found this eye popping color staring back at me. Later research, whether accurate or inaccurate, tells me these beauties are purple sunflowers, but with this much variety in color I question the name.

Nonetheless, if you too find yourself craving a nature “fix” or if you need help in the garden like I do, the nursery, as well as the Master Gardener Nursery in town are there to help, or to simply indulge your senses in the beauty of May flowers.