4/29 Sparrow, Nisqually seals, Alaska trollers, rec travel, Mali the bear, Seattle cruise terminal

White-crowned sparrow [Heather Roskelley]

White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
In most parts of the West, the smartly patterned White-crown is very common at one season or another: summering in the mountains and the north, wintering in the southwestern lowlands, present all year along the coast. Winter birds usually live in flocks, rummaging on the ground near brushy thickets, perching in the tops of bushes when a birder approaches too closely. Different populations of White-crowns often have local "dialects" in their songs, and these have been intensively studied by scientists in some regions. (Audubon)



*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.



Study: Seals Nab 16 Percent of Steelhead in Nisqually Estuary
A recent study on the Nisqually estuary showed that about 16 percent of a steelhead population migrating from the Nisqually River to the Puget Sound ended up in the stomachs of a growing population of harbor seals.  The study, conducted by NOAA fisheries research biologist Megan Moore and her colleagues, is part of a larger examination of recovering populations of steelhead trout, which for the past three decades have largely been on the decline throughout the region. In a research analysis posted in conjunction with Long Live the Kings, a sustainable fishing nonprofit based in Seattle, Moore says that the study began with releasing acoustic telemetry-tagged fish 12 miles up the Nisqually River. Eric Rosane reports. (Nisqually Valley News)

Washington lawsuit targets Alaska trollers
Nearly 1,600 trollers who fish for king salmon in Southeast Alaska could be beached this summer over a lawsuit to protect killer whales — in Washington’s Puget Sound. On April 16 the Wild Fish Conservancy filed an injunction against NMFS to block the summer king salmon season set to open July 1 until the lawsuit is resolved. KCAW in Sitka reported the Conservancy claims NOAA has failed to allow enough king salmon to return to Puget Sound to feed endangered resident killer whales. Their lawsuit says that 97 percent of the kings caught in Southeast’s troll fishery are from British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Alaska data show catches range from 30 to 80 percent, depending on the year. Laine Welch reports. (National Fisherman)

‘We don’t understand’: B.C. coastal communities brace for tourists as province opens hunting, fishing season
As the province adds activities to a growing list of ‘essential services,’ remote communities are fighting back against a tide of city-weary tourists who threaten to spread coronavirus as they travel for recreation. Natalia Balcerzak reports. (The Narwhal)

Mali the bear and an Indigenous approach are changing the outlook for West Coast grizzlies 
When Mali woke late last month from his long, winter’s nap, he did what all sleepy, young grizzlies do after exiting their snowy dens: He set off immediately to find something to eat. So began an incredible journey that took the bruin all the way from B.C.’s central mainland to the coast of Vancouver Island, and back again. Although it would earn the big, brawny bear a place in the province’s history, it ended in a way that few who got to know him saw coming. Provincial officials believe that what officers chose to do with the bear could provide a blueprint for a new, Indigenous-led approach to grizzly-bear management in the province. In 2017, Victoria summarily ended the grizzly-bear trophy hunt, sparing 300 animals a year. Mali could end the shooting of these bears altogether in B.C. Nancy Macdonald reports. (Globe and Mail)

Port of Seattle delays controversial new cruise terminal as it pares spending due to coronavirus
The Port of Seattle Commission took initial steps Tuesday to scale down spending through the rest of 2020, while backing measures to protect laid-off workers and small businesses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Acknowledging that the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on projected revenue, commissioners shaved nearly $70 million from the Port’s 2020 budget, including by postponing the controversial $100 million redevelopment of a downtown pier into a cruise terminal while the industry is in turmoil.  Katherine Khashimova Long reports. (Seattle Times)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PDT Wed Apr 29 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds building to  9 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the  morning then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain.




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