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More Nest Watching

With the onset of spring, eagle and heron nests in Sequim are the most noticeable to find, as long as you know where to look. But searching for hummingbird nests is another story…you can search forever it seems and completely overlook them although they’re right before your eyes. Therefore, it can be rather discouraging.

But that’s when likeminded friends become your greatest allies. And that’s why I was so thrilled and appreciative when a newfound friend approached me and asked if I’d be interested in photographing a nest she found in her tree.

It didn’t take long before I showed up in her driveway with my collection of lenses. And to my surprise, the nest was in close enough range to allow for an intimate portrait of these two siblings, who I can only hope will survive, thrive, and call Sequim their home for many years to come, just like many of us.

Coming to a Bird Feeder Near You

Yes, this beautiful but also stern and rather solemn face can mean only one thing…”I’m on your fence and watching your feeder!”.

Although stunning, these hawks mean business and the more passerines you have munching on your bird seed, the more they’ll be attracted to your feeder, and more specifically to your birds.

But there’s hope. All About Birds says, “If a Cooper’s Hawk takes up residence in your yard, you can take your feeders down for a few days and the hawk will move on.”

And although they can be menacing, they do have some redeeming characteristics, as the site also states, “Males tend to be submissive to females and to listen out for reassuring call notes the females make when they’re willing to be approached. Males build the nest, then provide nearly all the food to females and young over the next 90 days before the young fledge.”

So, apparently, there’s some good in every inhabitant of the planet. We may just need to look a bit harder to find it…

The Old Levee Trail

Some of you may remember walking this trail, and if you do, you probably miss it today, but that’s where photographs come into the “picture”.

This one brings me joy every time I see it even though the trail is no longer walkable, at least on this stretch, but the far end of it is. And the new edition is also a great trail to get some exercise for you, and/or your dog, or to bird watch, look for wildlife, visit with friends and possibly their fur babies.

And since not everything in life stays the same, if you keep your memories alive with photos, you can always revisit what you may no longer be able experience first hand…and you’ll always have a “trail” of where you’ve been and what brought you joy along the way.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

You were expecting a leprechaun, or maybe a rainbow with a pot of gold?

Sorry, but I have yet to photograph either, but to offer my wishes for the day, I did find this Anna’s Hummingbird who was beautifully dressed in what else but…GREEN! He’s about to sip on some sweet nectar, and some of you may be doing the same today to celebrate. If so, if you have any good corned beef recipes to share, please let me know!

Otherwise, cheers to the Irish and to all of you!

Camping at La Push

Although my husband and I had lived in Washington for close to two decades, beginning in the late 80’s, rarely did we venture to the Washington coast. Our first 20 years were spent boating in the San Juan Islands and South Puget Sound, and we loved it enough to forego most roadtrips.

But after selling our boat, we found ourselves roadtripping with friends and finally ventured over to Pacific Beach for the 2017 eclipse, then to La Push and Rialto Beaches. It was there that we got an inkling how much of the natural beauty and history of Washington we had missed.

Since then, we make it a habit to visit the coast at least once a year, and thanks to the Quileute Tribe, we were fortunate enough to book accommodations at Quileute Oceanside Resort, on land where the tribe has lived and worked for over 1,000 years!

And fortunately for us, we’ll be headed over again the first week of April, but before we do, I’ll check webcams in the area for visuals of the weather (notably, the wind). If you should decide to venture over anytime, consider doing the same. If you’re pulling a trailer, it helps to actually see the conditions as well looking at the numbers.

And, if you should pick up a copy of the 2025 Olympic Peninsula Travel Planner guide, please look for this image, as well as another of mine. I hope they encourage you and everyone to visit often and to enjoy the wild and natural splendor of the Washington coast, most notably at La Push.

Dinner on the Fly

Like many Americans, my spirit animal is the bald eagle, our national symbol. And at this time of year, local nest watching is often at the top of my list.

But when I can’t get out, like many others, I watch Jackie and Shadow, a nesting pairs of baldies in Big Bear, CA via a webcam on YouTube. This remarkable pair has a long history and considering the daily struggles they face, one wonders how they, or their offspring survive.

The camera is hosted by The Friends of Big Bear Valley, and as I write this, there are 38,405 viewers watching! But because of the site’s restrictions on reposting, I won’t go into more detail, but I do invite you to visit the site and to witness this amazing pair for yourselves.

And if you can get out and about here at home, be sure to swing by and view any of the nests we have in Sequim, but please do so respectfully, and quietly; we want to keep them active as long as possible.

And as this image displays, fish are a mainstay of the eagles’ diet, for both the parents and their chicks, and here in Sequim we are very fortunate have a good supply to accommodate them but unfortunately, we don’t have a webcam!