2/8 Short-eared owl, BC weather, razor clam v geoduck, Skagit gas spill, sea-stargazing

Short-eared Owl in flight [Gregg Thompson]

Wing-clapping
For most birds, wings are for flying. But for Rock Pigeons, they’re also for clapping. When the pigeons erupt into flight, some may slap their wings together above their bodies in a “wing clap.” A male Rock Pigeon will also do this when courting. Short-eared Owls, like this one, have evolved wing-clapping, too. When a male displays to a female or attempts to warn off an intruder, he snaps his wings together below his body in a burst of two to six claps per second, producing a sound that sounds remarkably like . . . applause. (BirdNote, December 7, 2022)

Editor's note: We were sad to learn from BirdNote that biologist and photographer Gregg Thompson passed away. Gregg's photos and Birdnote stories with those photos have graced many a News and Weather posting. We will honor Gregg with a week of his photos and BirdNote stories. A donation to BirdNote would be an appropriate gesture to recognize Gregg for his art and spirit.

Today's top story in Salish Current: Is passenger ferry service for the islands possible?

B.C.'s warm, wet and mild winter likely to continue into next month
Despite the current cold snap, long range forecasts still hint at warmer than normal conditions, from the middle of February into March. Nathan Griffiths reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Razor clams, geoducks battle to be WA’s top clam
State Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, sponsored a bill this legislative session that would declare the razor clam the official state clam. The bill cited the clam’s cultural, historical and economic significance across the state. But lawmakers in the House’s State Government and Tribal Relations Committee sidelined it, in part, Chapman said, because geoduck “lovers” felt their clam deserved consideration, too. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

Community gathers for meeting on Olympic Pipeline spill
About 50 community members gathered Tuesday night at Conway School to talk with experts about the Dec. 10 gasoline spill from the Olympic Pipeline. There is still a lot of work to do on spill response, starting with the installation of a sheet piling wall in Hill Ditch beginning Wednesday...After removing the sheet piling the third week of March, hauling off equipment, and doing the last of the work, the emergency phase would end in April. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Sea-stargazers explore low tide nightlife on Edmonds’ Olympic Beach
Over 100 visitors searched for anemones and chitons Tuesday. Volunteers said the event sparks “enthusiasm for the natural world.” Ta'Leah Van Sistine reports. (Everett Herald)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  211 AM PST Thu Feb 8 2024    
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 9 ft  at 9 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. A  slight chance of rain in the afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft  at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then a slight  chance of rain after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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