10/14 Kingfisher, orca decline, WA wildfire season, mushroom toilet, democracy watch

 

Belted Kingfisher [Puget Sound Estuarium]

Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
The Belted Kingfisher is commonly seen along the marine shoreline of south Puget Sound as well as along streams and lakes in the area. During the winter many individuals will move south to more hospitable areas with open water. However, individuals have occasionally been present locally throughout mild winters. This species ranges throughout North America with some flying as far south as Central America for the winter. (Puget Sound Estuarium)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Candidates talk affordable housing solutions

Southern resident killer whales show signs of slow decline toward disappearance 
There's 'a fairly good chance' at least one of the three orca pods being gone within the next 50 years, says a director with the Center for Whale Research. His remarks come with the release on Monday of an annual survey by the organization based in Washington state, offering a snapshot of the population of southern residents as of July 1. Brenna Owen reports. (Canadian Press) 

WA officials take stock as wildfire season winds down
As of Oct. 10, there were 251,840 acres burned in Washington state and 1,851 documented ignitions, according to Northwest Interagency Coordination Center data released by the state Department of Natural Resources.  The data is not specific to Department of Natural Resources-managed lands, and encompasses wildland fire activity across all of Washington state.  The numbers include the current acreage for the two fires still burning in Central Washington, as well as several other active fires across the state. Emily Fitzgerald reports. (Washington State Standard) 

University of B.C. launches mushroom-powered toilet, turning waste into fertilizer
The toilet turns human waste into compost using mycelia, the root network of mushrooms. The MycoToilet, inside the small cedar-sided building, has been dropped in among the trees at the university's Botanical Garden for a six-week test run.  The toilet separates liquids from solids, with the solid waste going into a mycelium-lined compartment, where lab tests have shown 90 per cent of the odour-causing compounds are absorbed. Nono Shen reports. (Canadian Press) 

Democracy Watch

• New York Times, AP, Newsmax among news outlets who say they won't sign new Pentagon rules (AP) 
• Historic wave of retirements is putting huge strains on the government (Washington Post) 

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Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  237 AM PDT Tue Oct 14 2025    
TODAY  E wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt this afternoon.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft at 5 seconds and W 3 ft at  9 seconds.  
TONIGHT  E wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W  2 ft at 8 seconds and W 2 ft at 14 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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