8/17 Northern flicker, heat, Biden's climate and health care, oil spill, WA ferries diversity, eating nature, Seattle Aquarium

Northern Flicker [eBird/Warren Lynn]

 
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
The Northern Flicker is a common bird in many areas of the Pacific Northwest. They visit yards and feeders and are visually striking. In the wild, flickers can be seen most commonly around standing trees that are dead or dying. Flicker use these ‘snags’ for feeding on tree-dwelling and wood-boring insects and also for excavating nest sites. Additionally, flickers may feed on the ground, searching for ants and beetle larvae. Northern Flickers have two subspecies: the Red-shafted Flicker (C. a. cafer) of western North America and the Yellow-shafted Flicker (C. a. auratus) of the east and far north. (eBird)

Heat warning issued for east Vancouver Island, parts of B.C.
The warning includes Duncan to Nanaimo, Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay and Courtenay to Campbell River, where daytime temperatures up to 35 C are expected Wednesday and Thursday. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist) NWS issues Heat Advisory for Puget Sound region Wednesday, highs could hit the 90s  Temperatures will be in the upper 80s and are expected to reach the low 90s across western Washington. (KING)

Biden signs massive climate and health care legislation 
President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic. Zeke Miller and Seung-Min Kim report. (Associated Press) Federal climate and inflation bill to bolster wave of new laws in WA  Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Plans to remove sunken fishing boat off the coast of San Juan Island delayed
Plans to remove a sunken 49-foot fishing vessel carrying about 2,600 gallons of fuel and oil off the coast of San Juan Island have been delayed, according to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)...USCG was hoping to remove the vessel on Tuesday, but plans were delayed after crews discovered the boat sank an additional 100 feet from where it initially came to a rest, putting it at a depth of around 210 feet...Approximately 2,600 of the 4,000-gallon capacity of fuel and oil is estimated to have been on the boat according to the USCG, which has allocated $130,000 for salvage cleanup. Divers are still working on removing the fuel from the vessel. (KING)

Washington State Ferries looks to the next generation to staff — and bring diversity to — future crews
Young students of color from around Seattle are checking out what life is like working onboard a Washington state ferry. The ferries need more employees, plain and simple. "We’re hiring!” said Bryn Hunter from Washington State Ferries. “Traditionally we've only had a lot of white and men as a part of it and we need more women, we need more diversity, and that's a really key thing that we're trying to reach out to," Hunter said. Casey Martin reports. (KUOW)

You're on a Beach and See a Tasty Critter. Can You Eat It?
Michelle Gamage writes: "I’m looking at foraging local plants and animals. Vancouver is a coastal city with beaches littered with Pacific mussels and varnish clams, and lush parks overrun with rabbits and Canada geese. All of these things are edible — so why aren’t they also considered valuable urban food resources?" (The Tyee)

Seattle to lend additional $20 million to aquarium waterfront project
Seattle agreed Tuesday to lend an additional $20 million to the Seattle Aquarium to complete its ongoing expansion project, bringing the city’s overall contribution to $54 million as the project comes in over budget. The city’s initial $34 million contribution to the new Ocean Pavilion — an expansion to the aquarium’s waterfront presence designed to host a variety of sharks and rays in a 325,000 gallon tank — was approved in 2013. Since then, the project once budgeted at $113 million has ballooned to an estimated $160 million. Sarah Grace Taylor reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  223 AM PDT Wed Aug 17 2022   
TODAY  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 4 ft at  8 seconds. Patchy dense fog in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds.

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