Brown face, gray body with a paler hite belly. Smaller and more territorial than the wewstern gray squirrel. Can be seen making an olfactory scent marking on bitter cherry branch. Done by scraping aay at the bark and rubbing cheek on the location.
Evergreen broadleaved tree, stiff prickly leaves with sharp pointed edges. Very recognizeable. This holly tree was probably over 20 ft tall. Sited just inwards of the edge of an open area.
Invasive woody shrub with long pointed leaves, and long purple flower heads when in bloom, comprised of a collection of individual flowers. For most of the year old flower/seed heads remain on bush. Trunk can get to be several inches in diameter commonly. Grows in open areas and as early successional plant.
Herbacious shrubby plant that has similarly shaped leaves to bigleaf maple, but differ in that their texture is more akin to the a salmonberry leaf. Produces white flowers that are similar in shape to nootka roses.
Heat shaped leaves low to the ground. Yellow flower on stem above leaves with 5 petals, bilateral symmetry, the bottom petal with black parrallel markings leading inward into the flower for pollination.
Mid way along Mt Si hike. Weedy herbacious species with triangular leaves, with large triangular indents and growths in the leaf shape as well.
Densely thorned woody stem. Oval leaves that were serrated on the outwards facing half of the leaves. The leaves are pinnately compound, and are non-alternating, with a single leaf at the top. Rose has simlar shape to thimble berry flower. Other native rose, the dogwood, has bigger and fewer thorns on the stem.
Bunched grass located at the top of Mt Si in Issaquah. Between 3500-4000 ft elevation, just below the snow level in open areas.
Leaves come of branch in upright branches that can have two orders of compund leaf subdivision, and that are characterisitc and a distinguishable feature of elderberry. Also growing from the stem and leaf bunches are the flowers at the end of april. Flowers and flower stems are milky white, the flower head consists of a large collection of flowers that are pinnules (second order of subdivision) form main stem. The flower heads are almost spherical with protrusions coming off them of the same colour.
Orange jelly like substance on downed wood.
"Oomycota or oomycetes (oömycetes) form a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms. They are filamentous, microscopic, absorptive organisms that reproduce both sexually and asexually" (Wikipedia)
see mt si april 28 journal entry for habitat
large soaring black bird around the top of my si. Identifiable as a raven because of the raven's tendency to soar more than the american crow, and the straightness of its wings in flight, as opposed to the american raven which has more noticeably kinked, or pointed forward wings when flying. Also, the rural location of the habitat increases the likelihood that it was a raven not a crow, even though im sure it was a raven.
About the same size as a robin. Recognizeable by snowy white breast and chin, dark beak, and gray back of the head and back, tail, and wings. Listed as a mountain species in my bird guide, sited at the top of mt si, 4100ft elevation
New shoot of bracken probably not more than 2 weeks old. Branches at the top into multiple leaflets, full attachment of leaf to leaflet. Found in open areas with lots of sun. Habitat see April 29 Journal entry for Carnation.
Characteristic weeping shape of a willow. Slender pointed leaves curled and grew of branch in stemmed clusters. Found in union bay natural area, a freshwater wetland site adjacent to lake washington. Very open prairie like structure, with black cottonwoods and red alders clustered in places nearby.
Identified easily by the deep thumping sound made by male grouse that starts slow and increases in speed, made by the grouse thumping its wings against itself. Grouse was seen on the ground in the shrubbery, has white breast with spots below dark brown collar, dark brown colored wings and back and tail, and characteristic upright dark feathers pertruding from forehead.
Habitat description see April 7th 2012 journal entry in carnation wa.
Big dark bird with brown feathers on top of wings, very recognizeable red featherless face and light coloured bill. Red feet. Long wingspan, with simple pattern on underside of wings: a thick white outline around an inner dark region in the shape of its wings and tail. In other words, all of the feathers on its wings and tail are dark on the inner half and white on the outer half.
Was sited gliding above douglas fir canopy in western hemlock vegetated area, didnt stop but just flew by.
As many as 3 showed up last year to scavenge on a deer that had died in the area, they ate the whole thing between them.
Common deer in pacific northwest, identified as black tailed deer by black tail on adults. Like to browse on western redcedar seedlings planted by humans, and most other shrubs,
See daily account Carnation Wa April 7 2012 for habitat description
Growing on forest floor in the light of an opening in the canopy, commonly sited ground cover.
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Very thorny woody stem, growing in isolated group near a few western redcedar trees in a douglas-fir western hemlock western redcedar vegetation area. leaves are just sprouting in early april
large flat shaped lichen with ruffled edges and surface folds. Light gray on top, dark underneath, found on a douglas-fir branch on the ground, existed on tree trunks as well.
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Gray-yellowish slug with dark spots covering body, only one spot on the top of it's head. Commonly seen.
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Very small bird, was jumping around in the mid canopy of trees usually in small groups 2-4, very brief cheaping calls all the time. black head with distinct white mask over cheeks and narrowing over eye region, dull white breast and under-tail, and dark back, tail, and wings
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Heard calling from the very tops of douglas-firs in the morning and evening frequently. song sounded like a spiraling song that quickened as it progressed, which was how I confirmed the identity using a google search for the call. The bird had a dark head, and often when it moved appeared very gold colored, although because it was so high up and quite small it was hard to clearly see it. Looked as though it might have a white patch behind or on the side of its head, breast looked dull whitish when not reflecting the morning sun. tail was long and definitely ended in a slightly notched rounded fork shape
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Dark hood on head, whitish breast, light colored beak that wasnt short. white underneath tail, dark back and top of tail. I think this is a slate colored dark eyed Junco as opposed to the Oregonmale because it didnt have a redish tint below its head. It was also full sized. Sited low down in brush
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
Dark back and wings with white spots on the side, underneath each wing is a large red feathered area, white breast. Recognizable long upright dark tail, crow like call recognizable as well.
Habitat description: 30 yr old dense douglas fir stand planted by weyerhaeuser after clear cut, in usual western hemlock-western redcedar vegetation. Patches of deciduous trees, maple, alder, cottonwood. 400ft above sea level south and east facing hill in tolt river watershed where it meets the snoqualmie river. habitat divided into residential forested plots. separated by old logging roads.
long dark beak on male and female. Female otherwise looked very similar to a femal mallard duck. The males had dark green heads and a red patch on either side, surrounded by white, and dark tail feathers. There was a group of 60+ ducks, paired together in in male female pairs, in brackish saltwater estuary wetlands. Among the 60+ ducks were only a two or three pairs of another duck species- Bufflehead. The openness of this part of the estuary was adjacent to a deciduous hardwood stand that was also in the estuary, the wildlife refuge is used by a diverse population of birds and a couple species of raptor.
Dark curved beak, with yellow nares (connection of beak to head), dark brown plumage on back with white spotted like pattern on breast. fewer white spots on back. Red tail had not developed indicating that it was a juvenille. Sited in Nisqually river delta, an estuary of fresh water from the nisqually river and salty water from the south puget sound. Hawk was in a big leaf maple tree. Other dominant trees in the area were black cottonwoods, and red alders. Shrubby species consisted of salmon berry, elder berry, Himalayan blackberry, and open grassland. Other species common were song sparrows, brown creepers, Great horned owls, and Canada Geese. Canopy cover was open in the grassland area, and sparse canopy cover of deciduous tree stands elsewhere.
Whitish grey breast, Very dark head, brown back, short light colored beak, Not more than 8cm tall, stalky bird.
Sighted in a bitter cherry tree in an urban environment in Seattle, at about 1230pm.
