4/23 White-crowned sparrow, Nature Record, WA wolves, grey whales, 'ghost' gear, democracy 'watch.

 White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
White-crowned Sparrows appear each winter over much of North America to grace our gardens and favorite trails (they live in parts of the West year-round). The smart black-and-white head, pale beak, and crisp gray breast combine for a dashing look – and make it one of the surest sparrow identifications in North America. Watch for flocks of these sparrows scurrying through brushy borders and overgrown fields, or coax them into the open with backyard feeders. As spring approaches, listen out for this bird’s thin, sweet whistle. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Poems for the Earth

Trump canceled the National Nature Assessment. Scientists will publish it anyway
Now independent and rebranded as The Nature Record, the assessment was first launched through an executive order signed by then-President Biden in Seattle. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) 

WA wolf numbers jump after slight decline
Washington’s wolf population grew by 17% last year, resuming an upward trend following a momentary decline in 2024. At the end of 2025, Washington had an estimated minimum wolf population of 270 individual animals living in 49 packs with 23 breeding pairs.  Eric Barker reports. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News) 

‘We're really worried’: 4 grey whales found dead off B.C. coast in 10 days 
Researchers believe dramatic decline in available prey in Arctic feeding grounds may be to blame. Alanna Kelly reports. (CBC) 

Scuba divers clear Vancouver Island pier of abandoned fishing, crabbing gear 
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says between 2020 and 2025, it has invested more than $58.4 million to tackle ghost gear, which includes fishing nets, lines, traps, and rope. Since 2020, it has removed 2,563 tonnes of gear and more than 985 kilometres of rope from Canadian waters. Peter Ross, a senior scientist at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, says ghost gear has been "a real thorn in the side of wildlife for a long time," citing the International Whaling Commission's estimate that 300,000 whales and dolphins die yearly from entanglement with fishing gear. Johna Baylon reports. (CBC) 

Democracy Watch
Everett reactivates Flock camera network after passage of new law (Everett Herald) 

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Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  132 PM PDT Wed Apr 22 2026    
THU  W wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming NW 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 11 seconds.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming N 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: NW 5 ft at 9 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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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