Category Archives for Union Bay Watch

Union Bay blogger Larry Hubbell featured in The Seattle Times

Image: Seattle Times / Marcus Yam

Image: Seattle Times / Marcus Yam

Local nature blog Union Bay Watch has really taken off in the past year, thanks to the passionate and patient work of Montlake resident Larry Hubbell. This morning Larry and UBW appeared in The Seattle Times, getting front page treatment.

Having hauled out his 30-or-so pounds of camera gear, which includes a massive 400-mm lens and a tripod, for Larry Hubbell it’s another afternoon of patiently looking for the Highway 520 bridge bald eagles…

“Patience, there is a lot of that,” says Hubbell, who in his other life is a system data guy for Starbucks.

On this afternoon, Hubbell has set up his gear in the Madison Park neighborhood, where East McGilvra Street dead-ends into the eastern razor-wire-topped fence of the Broadmoor Golf Club.

The article goes on to detail Larry’s coverage of “Life After Eddie,” an on-going series covering the bald eagle family of Eva and Albert, after Eva’s previous mate Eddie was killed by a bus on 520. Larry broke news last spring with photos of the pair’s two new eaglets. He did the same this year with news of a single, and fast-growing, eaglet that he expects to fledge from the nest in record time.

Albert and Eva are local celebrities because of their high visibility perches atop lamp posts on the 520 Bridge approach across Union Bay. Commuters often photograph and comment on the eagles, appreciating the brief glimpse of wildlife in an otherwise ordinary (or even frustrating) commute. The eagles seem unbothered by the traffic traffic below, favoring the lamp posts for their prime view over Union Bay’s hunting grounds.

Image: Instagram: mattlockmon

Larry’s “news” coverage of Union Bay brings awareness — and deeper appreciation — to the role wildlife plays in the urban environment of the Seattle. His posts appear on The Seattle Times’ Community News Network page and he regularly posts photos and links to his blog on Montlaker. Congrats to Larry for getting some big media press and big thanks as always for making local wildlife come alive on the web!

Follow Union Bay Watch here.

Union Bay Watch: Spring blossoms bring out hungry Cooper’s Hawk

Images: unionbaywatch.com

Spring is here according to the cherry blossoms and lil’ ducklings putzing around in the Arboretum. But as Union Bay Watch notes, times are not “all sweetness and light.” This week’s reportage takes a long look at the Cooper’s Hawk — its identifying markings, stretching habits and favorite foods. Follow along on a lunchtime hunt, here, if you have the stomach for it. Rest assured, the other bird doesn’t.

This is also a good time to notice the relatively large claws…

Union Bay Watch: Elvis and The Red-Headed Relative

This week Elvis has been seen three times working in the park near the mouth of Arboretum Creek. Usually he is working away towards the top of one of the standing alders.ImageHowever on Monday he spent enough time working on this fallen log to allow a short video.

Near by a smaller relative with similar markings has been working as well.ImageThis bird is either a Downy or a Hairy Woodpecker. Do you know how to tell the difference?

Learn the difference and see the Elvis video on Union Bay Watch.

Union Bay Watch: The First Sign of Spring

These beautiful young owlets may very well be some of the first Washington birds hatched in 2013.

Image: unionbaywatch.com

Image: unionbaywatch.com

While this photo is not from our neighborhood there is a good chance that young Great Horned Owlets may be residing in the Arboretum. You may want to keep your eyes peeled if you go for a walk in the Arboretum around dusk. GHOs are primarily night time hunters and daytime tree potatoes. Learn more about what the young ones look like and how they behave at UBW. Owlets from the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.

State of the Union Bay

20130212-122753.jpgUnion Bay Watch has fulfilled its constitutional duty by providing its annual State of the Union Bay address:

…There are three pairs of eagles nesting in the Union Bay area. There is a colony of Great Blue Herons that nest on the UW campus. Last year there were Pileated Woodpeckers and Barred Owls raising young in Interlaken Park and more in the Arboretum…

Read the rest, including a look around the bay at the state of animal life, here.

Union Bay Watch: Pileated Woodpecker stakes claim to Foster Island *UPDATE* Pecked branch in danger of collapse *UPDATE 2* Arborist plans controversial “natural fracture” prune

Elvis the Woodpecker. Images: unionbaywatch.com

Originally published January 27, 2013. See below for ongoing updates…

A young Pileated Woodpecker moved onto Foster Island this week, impressing passersby with his buzzsaw beak pecking away at a dead tree. Union Bay Watch has details on the woodpecker’s new housing project, complete with relative dimensions and the time it took to build. Hint? Not much.

Congrats to UBW for joining the Seattle Times Community (Nature) News Partnership!

**UPDATE** February 5, 9am:

Union Bay Watch reports young Elvis has pecked so many holes in a large tree branch in the Arboretum that it is now in danger of collapse. The branch apparently was first weakened by critters, and then by Elvis’ pecker beak, as he drills after the little critters — for him a tasty snack. Arboretum authorities have been notified, but in the meantime, keep an eye out for this tree branch overhanging the trail to Foster Island.

Image: unionbayatch.com

**UPDATE** February 7th, 10:15am:

UBW has posted a response from an arborist at UW Botanical Gardens regarding the precarious branch, with plans for a “natural branch fracture” prune just above the woodpeckers critter buffet:

Yes, we are well aware of the situation and have been monitoring for the past week.

Several factors go into a risk assessment regarding trees, wildlife and people. The health and vigor of the tree are taken into account. The potential for damage and the likelihood of that tree or branch failing are also taken into consideration. Lastly, the value of urban wildlife plays a large role in the management of the WPA. Mitigation options including pruning, cabling, or tree removal…or remove the target (trail and people).

In this case, the tree (Chinese empress tree) has been in decline for many years. The branch is probably more likely to fail due to the woodpecker, but I would still consider the risk to be moderate. In the past, closing and re-routing trails has limited effectiveness. Removing the entire branch removes the wildlife habitat (bad) and creates a large wound on the main trunk of the tree (also bad).

I prefer a pruning solution that retains the habitat, while minimizing risk to visitors. This type of pruning would attempt to mimic a natural branch fracture slightly above the woodpeckers feeding site. Pruning in this manner has been controversial as it does not represent a “correct” pruning cut in the traditional sense. However, I think it may be the best course of action in this incident.

There ya go. Danger averted. Meanwhile, commenters wonder who is at fault here — the woodpecker? the critters? the arborist? Or should we just sue the pants off Mother Nature herself?

Image: unionbaywatch.com