2/1 Wood ducks, BC logging, anchorages, ocean vitamin, carved pillar, 'Homewaters,' Fiero reopening

Wood ducks at Scudder Pond [Alan Fritzberg]

 

Wood Duck Aix sponsa
The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches.  (All About Birds)

Climate change disasters in B.C. likely to increase if industrial logging continues unchecked: report
A report commissioned by Sierra Club B.C. says keeping healthy, mature forests safe from industrial logging will help protect the province from catastrophic flooding, wildfires, droughts and heat waves caused by climate change. The report, released publicly Monday morning and authored by Peter Wood, who holds a PhD in Forestry at the University of Toronto, is the latest push from conservationists to spur the province into swift action in providing increased protection for what remains of B.C.'s biodiverse forests. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

North Cowichan joins fight against freighter anchorages
North Cowichan has joined the growing list of local governments who are raising objections to freighters anchoring in coastal waters along the Salish Sea. The municipality’s council unanimously decided at its meeting on Jan. 20 to allow Mayor Al Siebring to write a letter to Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, in support of his Bill C-250 which seeks to prohibit the anchoring of freighter vessels in the southern Gulf Islands where the proposed National Marine Conservation Area is to be established. Robert Barron reports. (Chemainus Valley Courier)

The Ocean’s Mysterious Vitamin Deficiency
In early 2020, fish hatcheries in California started noticing abnormal behavior and high mortality in their salmon fry, leading to concerns that a disruption in the marine ecosystem may be affecting the transmission of thiamine, a critical nutrient, from females to their eggs (shown hatching here) and subsequently to juvenile fish. Alastair Bland reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Authenticity of carved stone pillar found on Victoria beach under review
The authenticity of a carved stone pillar found at low tide on a beach in Victoria last summer is now under review, according to the Royal B.C. Museum. Earlier in the week the museum said the 100-kilogram stone pillar had been confirmed to be an Indigenous artifact. The museum worked with the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations and conservationists to confirm the authenticity and determine its origins. (CBC)

New book explores how we shape Puget Sound — and how it shapes us
In ‘Homewaters,’ author David Williams looks at how humans have shaped the natural environment of Puget Sound, often at the environment’s expense. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Feiro plans reopening in Port Angeles
Feiro Marine Life Center at Port Angeles City Pier plans to resume allowing visitors to experience some of the flora and fauna that live beneath the waves. After being closed in the latest round of state-mandated COVID-19 shutdowns, the center plans to restore appointment-only tours beginning on Friday. Keith Thorpe reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  223 AM PST Mon Feb 1 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 7 ft at 14 seconds. Rain in the morning then  rain likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. Rain  in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

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