3/28 Rufus hummer, Swinomish v BNSF, where orcas eat, hatcheries, Baikie Is restoration, WA budget, False Cr debris, frozen eggs

Rufus hummingbird [Spencer Follett/eBird]

Rufus hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
Although it is one of the smaller members in a family of very small birds, this species is notably pugnacious. The male Rufous, glowing like new copper penny, often defends a patch of flowers in a mountain meadow, vigorously chasing away all intruders (including larger birds). The Rufous also nests farther north than any other hummingbird: up to south-central Alaska. Of the various typically western hummingbirds, this is the one that wanders most often to eastern North America, with many now found east of the Mississippi every fall and winter. (Audubon Field Guide)

Judge rules BNSF intentionally violated terms of easement with Swinomish tribe
BNSF intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community when the railway company ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation, a federal judge ruled Monday...In a written order Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik said the railway made a unilateral decision in increasing the number of trains and cars crossing the reservation without the tribe’s consent. Lasnik ruled that BNSF “willfully, consciously and knowingly exceeded the limitations on its right of access” from September 2012 to May 2021 “in pursuit of profits.” Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Southern Resident orcas spend less time near San Juan Islands because of salmon supply
Southern Resident orcas are spending less time in the San Jan Islands and the reason is likely connected to the whale's food supply, a new study found...  The study found that over the past 17 years, as the Fraser River Chinook salmon population has dropped, the time spent by the orcas around the San Juan Islands has declined by more than 75%, according to Joshua Stewart, an assistant professor with Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute and the study's lead author. The findings were published Monday in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Alex Bartick reports. (KOMO)

Federal leaders finally increase money for hatcheries, but tribes say it’s nowhere near enough
Columbia River salmon hatcheries need billions of dollars’ worth of upgrades to withstand climate change. They’re getting $50 million.  Tony Schick reports. (OPB)

Greenways Land Trust begins Baikie Island restoration project
The Raven Trail in the Baikie Island Nature reserve will be closed this week, as Greenways Land Trust is starting the initial stages of a large-scale restoration project in the area. (Campbell River Mirror)

WA's $70B budget proposals boost state worker raises, special ed
Democratic budget writers in the Washington Legislature want to plow billions of new dollars into climate-change projects, K-12 schools, and substance-use and mental-health programs, according to their budget proposals for the next two fiscal years. But perhaps the most notable focus of the proposed two-year operating budgets released by House and Senate leaders in recent days: They put billions into raises for state employees and provide more money to pay workers like home-care providers and employees of assisted living facilities, adult-family homes and care facilities. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Crosscut)

Diving for Debris in the Depths of False Creek
On a recent cloudy day, volunteers hauled 846 pounds of garbage out of the water. There’s much more left to remove. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Vancouver hopes freezing eggs will help control Canada goose population
Canada geese have an inefficient digestive system, prompting them to defecate about every 12 minutes, presenting "a significant challenge" to clean...The park board wants the public to report nest sightings, so staff can replace the eggs with ones that have been frozen to help control the population. The board says replacing eggs, in a process known as addling, is one of the most humane ways to control the birds’ population, and staff have federal government approval for the practice. (Canadian Press)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PDT Tue Mar 28 2023   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON  THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  NE wind 25 to 35 kt becoming E 20 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 3 to 6 ft with a dominant period of  10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. SW swell 4 ft  at 10 seconds.

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