3/5 Anna's hummer, harbor expansion, Site C dam safety, zebra mussels, old snapper

 

Anna's Hummingbird [Kyle Blaney]

Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna
Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most common hummingbirds along the Pacific Coast, yet they're anything but common in appearance. With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, they are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, Anna’s Hummingbirds make a strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise that they produce through their tail feathers. (All About Birds)

Seattle Harbor Expansion Would Push Out Endangered Whales, Conservation Group Says
The Trump administration rushed through a project to expand Seattle Harbor for ultra-large container ships that would further threaten endangered Southern Resident killer whales, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday...butt the Seattle Harbor project, approved in 2019, would worsen all three of the primary causes for the orcas’ decline: noise that drowns out the clicks and calls they use to echolocate their prey, toxic chemicals in the water that are absorbed by the fish the whales eat, and then into their fat stores, where they disrupt the whales’ endocrine function, reducing their ability to reproduce, and potentially harming the salmon whales depend on. Karina Brown reports. (Courthouse News)

‘Who would feel safe?’ Site C dam concerns build in downstream communities ‘Who would feel safe?’ Site C dam concerns build in downstream communities
Concerns about the safety of the Site C dam are mounting in some downstream communities along the Peace River, despite the B.C. government’s assurances that the project can be completed safely after two independent experts approved BC Hydro’s proposed fix for the dam’s weak foundation. The fix involves driving as many as 125 concrete-filled pipes 25 metres into the ground — the height of an eight-storey residential building — to extend the foundation of the dam, its powerhouse and spillways. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Northwest wildlife agencies warn of invasive zebra mussels in retail marimo balls
Wildlife agencies in Oregon and Washington are urging pet stores to remove a popular aquarium product from shelves after discovering invasive zebra mussels inside them.mThese marauding mollusks breed quickly and can wreak havoc on natural waterways. Recent, unexpected sightings in Northwest pet stores have wildlife officials sounding the alarm. A PetCo employee in Seattle first found zebra mussels in “Betta Buddy Marimo Ball” products in early February. Bradley W. Parks reports. (OPB)

Scientists Discover an 81-Year-Old Snapper
The octogenarian snapper, the oldest tropical reef fish discovered to date, suggests reef fishes could grow to be even older—if we let them. Annie Roth reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  347 AM PST Fri Mar 5 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 12 ft at 15 seconds.  Rain in the morning then showers and a slight chance of tstms in  the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  13 ft at 13 seconds building to 15 ft at 12 seconds after  midnight. Showers and a slight chance of tstms in the evening  then showers likely after midnight. 
SAT  S wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 13 ft  at 11 seconds subsiding to 9 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. A  chance of showers. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 10 seconds.

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