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| Red-winged Blackbird |
Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. Their early and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring. (All About Birds)
Today's top story in Salish Current: Inspired by Skagit Valley / The living legacy of Caroline Gibson
A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the ocean at Willapa Bay. Mark Thiessen reports. (Associated Press)
Malnourishment, possible ship strike led to death of gray whales in Ocean Shores
Two gray whales found on Ocean Shores beach were malnourished, with one possibly struck by a ship, according to biologists. Adel Toay reports. (KING)
Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash
Just because a product can be collected for recycling doesn’t mean it actually gets recycled. To imply otherwise is to conflate two very different numbers: the access rate and the real recycling rate. The former describes the number of people who are told they have “access” to a recycling program for a given product. The latter — the amount of plastic that is ultimately turned into new things — is what really matters, from an environmental standpoint. There’s not much evidence to suggest that the recycling rate for plastic cups is above 1 or 2 percent. Joseph Winters reports. (Grist)
Thousands of swans descend on Vanderhoof, bringing birdwatchers with them
Thousands of trumpeter and tundra swans have been spending their days at Riverside Park, drawing birders, photographers and nature enthusiasts to the banks of the Nechako River. Large numbers of swans gather at the park each year from March to early April during their bi-annual migration in the spring and then again in the fall. Hanna Petersen reports (CBC)
Democracy Watch
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the ocean at Willapa Bay. Mark Thiessen reports. (Associated Press)
Malnourishment, possible ship strike led to death of gray whales in Ocean Shores
Two gray whales found on Ocean Shores beach were malnourished, with one possibly struck by a ship, according to biologists. Adel Toay reports. (KING)
Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash
Just because a product can be collected for recycling doesn’t mean it actually gets recycled. To imply otherwise is to conflate two very different numbers: the access rate and the real recycling rate. The former describes the number of people who are told they have “access” to a recycling program for a given product. The latter — the amount of plastic that is ultimately turned into new things — is what really matters, from an environmental standpoint. There’s not much evidence to suggest that the recycling rate for plastic cups is above 1 or 2 percent. Joseph Winters reports. (Grist)
Thousands of swans descend on Vanderhoof, bringing birdwatchers with them
Thousands of trumpeter and tundra swans have been spending their days at Riverside Park, drawing birders, photographers and nature enthusiasts to the banks of the Nechako River. Large numbers of swans gather at the park each year from March to early April during their bi-annual migration in the spring and then again in the fall. Hanna Petersen reports (CBC)
Democracy Watch
- Trump budget seeks 43% boost in defense spending, cuts in many domestic programs (Washington State Standard)
- Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone (AP)
- Trump administration agencies post Easter messages celebrating Christ’s resurrection (AP)
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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 202 PM PDT Sun Apr 5 2026 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
MON W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 7 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 seconds.
MON NIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: NW 7 ft at 10 seconds.
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 202 PM PDT Sun Apr 5 2026 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
MON W wind 10 to 15 kt, rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 7 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 seconds.
MON NIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: NW 7 ft at 10 seconds.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is
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