12/21 American avocet, fog advisory, toxins in orcas, tribal control, killing deer, TM pipe safety, Skagit spill, winter solstice

 American Avocet [Ian Davies/eBird]

American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
Distinctive large shorebird with a long, thin, upturned bill. Look for bold black-and-white wings and long blue-gray legs. Breeding adults have buffy-orange wash on head and neck; grayish in winter. Females have more sharply upturned bills than males. Widespread and fairly common in North America, although rare or absent from much of the eastern U.S. Usually seen in flocks, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, foraging in shallow wetlands or estuaries. Feeds by swinging its head back-and-forth through the water to catch small invertebrates. (eBird)

Dense Fog Advisory issued for Puget Sound region
Heavy fog will reduce visibility for areas around Puget Sound through Thursday morning. The National Weather Service issued a Dense Fog Advisory that will expire at noon on Thursday. Visibility could be reduced to one-fourth of a mile or less. The advisory impacts lowland areas near Puget Sound, the Straight of Juan De Fuca, Hood Canal, as well as southwest Washington. (KING)

Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales. A study  published in Scientific Reports is the first to find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in orcas off the coast of British Columbia, as well as in utero transfer of the chemicals from mother to fetus. (UBC/Phys.com)

In a major shift, Northwest tribes — not US officials — will control salmon recovery funds
Largely overlooked in the debate was one seemingly technical provision that is far less open to interpretation and of great importance to the tribes. Not only does the deal offer $1 billion in new funding for Columbia River salmon restoration, but for the first time it also grants states and tribes control — not the Bonneville Power Administration, which sells hydropower from Northwest dams — over how that money gets spent. Tony Schick reports. (OPB)

About 20% of deer killed on Sidney Island were native black-taileds
It was the first phase of a $5.9-million plan to eradicate invasive fallow deer from Sidney and to restore the Douglas-fir forest ecosystem. Parks Canada has previously said the cull of ­fallow deer would likely also kill black-tailed deer, and that the native species would probably re-establish itself by swimming from other islands. If not, they would be re-introduced. The federal agency has said that during the second phase, temporary fencing will create enclosed zones of 40 to 120 hectares across Sidney Island and professional ground-based marksmen will kill the remaining deer.  Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Regulator denied Trans Mountain variance request due to pipeline safety concerns
The Canada Energy Regulator is citing safety concerns with the quality of materials Trans Mountain has procured to construct the variance, adding it doesn't believe the company has demonstrated it can guarantee an appropriate level of safety and pipeline integrity if it goes ahead with the change.
Amanda Stephenson reports. (Canadian Press)

Contaminated soil removed from area of gasoline spill
About 275 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed Tuesday from the site of the Olympic Pipeline gasoline leak near Conway as the latest part of the cleanup efforts. The soil will be transported to a hazardous waste facility in Arlington, Oregon, which will treat and dispose of the soil. More contaminated soil will likely be removed Thursday, state Department of Ecology spokesperson Scarlet Tang said. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

For the solstice, embrace Earth with Seattle art shows
Exhibits from La Conner to Tacoma emphasize the environment — whether grounded in our home planet or extra-terrestrial. Brangien Davis reports. (Crosscut)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PST Thu Dec 21 2023    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE  FRIDAY NIGHT 
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain likely in the  morning then a chance of rain in the afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt rising to 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds building to  7 ft at 13 seconds after midnight. Rain.

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