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| Crossbill |
A fascinating finch of coniferous woodlands, the Red Crossbill forages on nutritious seeds in pine, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and spruce cones. Their specialized bills allow them to break into unopened cones, giving them an advantage over other finch species. Because conifers produce seeds unpredictably, Red Crossbills sometimes wander (or “irrupt”) far beyond their usual range. They nest wherever and whenever they find abundant food, sometimes even in winter. Several types of Red Crossbill exist; they each have different calls, feed on particular conifer species, and might represent distinct species. (All About Birds)
The Coast strawberry profile in last Friday's posting brought the following reply from Don Norman of Go Natives! Nursery: "What wasn't clear in Mike's post about the Coast (or Beach) strawberry is that it blooms all spring and summer, which altered the local spring only blooming old varieties of strawberries, and allowed a year round harvest in many places like California where it can grow year round. This put thousands of small local farms out of business, but made a lot of school kids happy (or unhappy) because they got out of school to pick in the spring."
Will orcas thrive in the coronavirus pandemic’s quieter waters? Scientists aim to find out
The coronavirus pandemic has upended and refocused orca field research in Northwest waters this season. Some scientists are beached. Others are investigating the effect on endangered southern resident orcas of suddenly much quieter home waters in the Salish Sea, the transboundary waters between the United States and Canada including Puget Sound. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Whale watch industry sits dockside during COVID-19 pandemic Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Salish Current) And also: Whales Get a Break from Watchers Larry Pynn reports. (Hakai Magazine)
State’s first confirmed Asian giant hornet this year found in Whatcom County
Washington agriculture officials confirmed that a dead Asian giant hornet was found near Custer in Whatcom County. (Bellingham Herald)
County staff urges ‘no’ on Point Wells development proposal
Snohomish County planners have again recommended against the approval of a developer’s longstanding plan to turn an industrial site on Puget Sound, south of Edmonds, into thousands of condos... Whether BSRE Point Wells gets the green light to develop the roughly 60-acre property in the most-southwest corner of the county is now up to Hearing Examiner Peter Camp, who denied an earlier version of the project in 2018. A decision could come this summer. Rachel Riley reports. (Everett Herald)
New cruise ship restrictions will mean big hit to B.C. economy, industry says
There will be no cruise season in Canada this year, an industry representative says, after the federal transport minister announced new restrictions on vessels' ability to sail in Canadian waters. On Friday, federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau announced further limits on vessels and extended restrictions until October as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19. Liam Britten reports. (CBC)
Education Focus: Marine science education program undergoes changes
This spring, about 150 Skagit County students were expected to descend onto the mudflats of Padilla Bay to help document the presence of the spiral-shelled snail that dots the beach at low tide through the Kids on the Beach Program. With students sent home in March for their safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn’t happen...This spring, about 150 Skagit County students were expected to descend onto the mudflats of Padilla Bay to help document the presence of the spiral-shelled snail that dots the beach at low tide through the Kids on the Beach Program. With students sent home in March for their safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn’t happen. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)
When a woman said she saw a wolverine on a Washington state beach, a wildlife official didn't believe her
When a woman told a wildlife official she thought she'd seen a wolverine on the beach of Washington state's Long Beach Peninsula they didn't believe her. The elusive creatures live in remote mountainous areas and any sightings -- let alone on a beach -- are rare, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Then she showed them a picture. In the May 23 snap, a furry animal with distinctive markings appears to be eating the carcass of a marine animal that washed ashore. Amanda Jackson reports. (CNN)
All-electric commuter plane begins flight testing in Moses Lake
A Cessna commuter plane retrofitted in Washington state has taken the crown of biggest all-electric airplane now flying. Redmond, Washington-based electric motor maker MagniX teamed up with flight testing contractor AeroTEC to convert a 10-passenger, single engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan to fly on battery power. AeroTEC Chief Test Pilot Steve Crane wore his lucky ball cap -- a USC Trojans cap -- at the controls for the maiden flight on Thursday. He circled Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake for about 30 minutes before making a textbook landing. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)
Economic Giants Are Restarting. Here’s What It Means for Climate Change.
As countries begin rolling out plans to restart their economies after the brutal shock inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, the three biggest producers of planet-warming gases — the European Union, the United States and China — are writing scripts that push humanity in very different directions. Europe this week laid out a vision of a green future, with a proposed recovery package worth more than $800 billion that would transition away from fossil fuels and put people to work making old buildings energy-efficient. In the United States, the White House is steadily slashing environmental protections and Republicans are using the Green New Deal as a political cudgel against their opponents. China has given a green light to build new coal plants but it also declined to set specific economic growth targets for this year, a move that came as a relief to environmentalists because it reduces the pressure to turn up the country’s industrial machine quickly. Somini Sengupta reports. (NY Times)
Neighbors oppose Everett’s possible sale of 92.5 wooded acres
A stretch of tranquil, wooded land is at the heart of a tempest for neighbors. A city proposal to declare 92.5 undeveloped acres as surplus, with the intent to sell it, has drawn opposition from residents in the adjacent Valley View neighborhood just east of I-5, which overlooks the Snohomish River valley. The property, a watershed named after Wood Creek, which runs through it, is two parcels, the smaller of which is not within the city. Snohomish County records show the property’s value is more than $14.6 million, but because much of it would be unsuited for development, the city’s appraisal is $3 million. Over the past two weeks, dozens of people have called and emailed city officials. An online petition started last Monday had 451 backers as of Sunday. Social media, including Facebook and NextDoor, have been hotbeds for organizing. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)
Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 242 AM PDT Mon Jun 1 2020
TODAY W wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
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