Spiders! (and a butterfly too)

When in doubt, ask for help.

Zeke as a tiny puppy in the plot that now holds kale flowers.

Normally, I am pretty careful to identify the subjects of my photos before I post them.  Today, however, I'm having some trouble with IDs, and so I decided to get some help from readers. 

Because bird activity has been slow in my yard the last couple of weeks, I have turned my attention to the small denizens.  Warmer weather in August, plus the decay of the cherry tree crop, and the still blooming flowers brought out the insects.  And the insects brought out the spiders.  At any given time my front yard seems to be host to a dozen or more spider webs -- some of them quite large. 

Before I get to the arachnids, though, let me present one visitor who I can (I'm almost certain) identify.

This lady is an example of what is commonly called the "Cabbage White" butterfly (Pieris rapae).  I happen to have in my yard a Kale plant which has gone to flower (it belongs to my dog Zeke now, who thinks kale is great to eat and even better to pee on), as well as some flowering wild green bean plants.  These butterflies (which are supposed to be fond of cruciferous vegetable flowers) seem to really like both plants.  The guide that I consulted says that you can tell the sex of the individual by the number of spots on the wing -- one for male, two for female.  Making this one a "she". 

Now back to the spiders (and other arachnids). 

The most exciting find, to me, was this one.  Of the type commonly called "granddaddy long-legs" and more formally known as harvestmen.  Technically (and I didn't know this until I started looking him up) harvestmen are not spiders at all.  They are closely related arachnids.  I was really fascinated with this guy (odds are, any spider-like individual you see is female, I think -- but how would I know for sure?) because I had just finished reading an article about newly discovered fossils that show harvestmen ancestors from around 300 million years ago who are virtually unchanged from the ones we know today.  That would make them among the earliest known land animals to assume their modern form.  Pretty exciting to think that after all those millions of years they are still stalking around my front yard.

 

These other spiders, I am embarrassed to say, I have not identified.  

Look at these guys closely  and see if you know what they are.  I'm a little obsessive about identifying things and then reading about them, so any information you can provide to point me in the right direction would be great.  I'll give credit in a future post to whoever comes up with the right ID.

Thanks.

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If you like Birdland West, you might also want to check out our sister blog Books and Beasts, which focuses on reviews of books about animals and related topics.

(Many of the original photographs featured on Birdland West are available for sale as art quality prints.  You can check out all of our offerings at http://AlexWashoe.imagekind.com.  If you see an image here that does not show up on our Imagekind site please contact me directly and I'll let you know about availability.)

A Sad Digression

I planned to post my first attempts at butterfly photography this week (they're still coming; you don't get off that easy).  But after being disconnected for a few days with the flu, I came back online this morning to a very sad piece of news.  Sad, but not unexpected or unpredicted.

Those of you who have checked out my other blog, Books and Beasts, will know that I've written a couple of times about wild animals in entertainment.   In fact, a piece I wrote earlier this year about elephants is probably my most viewed blog post. But the abuse goes on.

A number of news outlets are reporting this week that a female elephant, named Sarah, collapsed Sunday night outside the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, following a show.  What makes this case particularly upsetting is that Ringling Brothers was cited earlier this year for "failing to adequately treat Sarah for a pus-like discharge present during urination". (According to the Huffington Post quoting both USDA documents and eyewitnesses from Animal Defenders International.)  Sarah is 54 years old, and has been owned by Ringling Brothers for 43 years.  She was captured in the wild in Asia in 1957.

Animal Defenders International has released this video of Sarah.

 

I have had my own experience with how disingenuous the Ringling Brothers people can be.  (See Tears for Elephants for more details.)  They want to present themselves as wholesome family entertainment -- and even as supporters of conservation -- but they're not.  They're an outmoded form of entertainment built on crass exploitation and cruelty to animals.  It's no more wholesome or acceptable than dog fighting. And it needs to stop.   Now.  (You can check out the Huffington Post article, or Animal Defenders website, or my previous article for more details.) 

This topic is especially apropos for those of us in Western Washington, because in just a couple of weeks -- on Septermber 1st through 5-- Ringling Brothers  will be in Kent, Washington, at the ShoWare Center.  Then they will be in Everett, WA at the ComCast Center on September 5-11.   We should certainly encourage Kent and Everett not to support Ringling Brothers

I am asking all my readers to take action -- and speak up for Sarah and others like her.  To start with, you can urge Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to take action.  Sara should be taken away from Ringling Brothers and sent to an animal sanctuary where she has a chance of getting the medical care she needs. 

Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, USDA
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington DC 20250
phone (202) 720-3631
fax (202) 720-2166
AgSec@usda.gov

But rescuing Sarah is only the beginning.  The use of wild and exotic animals in entertainment needs to be ended.  One way to help bring this about is by helping to educate people about the problem.   And by encouraging our local governments and events centers not to host these events.

You can contact the ShoWare Center, to let them know how you feel about Ringling Brothers coming to our area, by calling 253-856-6777.   

You can also contact the city of Kent by calling the Mayor's Office at 253-856-5700 or the City Council's Office at 253-856-5712. 

Here are some sites to check out for information before you call or write, so you can be as specific as possible in your complaints:

PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in Lynwood, WA.
Born Free USA

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee (this one is guaranteed to make you feel hopeful again)

And information on local protests against the Ringling Brothers shows can be found at NARN (Northwest Animal Rights Network)


Please do whatever you can to help Sarah and others like her.

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If you like Birdland West, you might also want to check out our sister blog Books and Beasts, which focuses on reviews of books about animals and related topics.

(Many of the original photographs featured on Birdland West are available for sale as art quality prints.  You can check out all of our offerings at http://AlexWashoe.imagekind.com.  If you see an image here that does not show up on our Imagekind site please contact me directly and I'll let you know about availability.)

Success at last! (Sort of)

After spending most of the summer looking for them, I finally spotted a juvenile House Finch this week.  I thought I had seen him twice before, but I didn't get a good enough look or any photos to confirm it.  Then, Sunday morning, there he was.

If you read my blog occasionally you probably know that the adult House Finches have been regular guests here throughout the year.  I was pretty sure that they were nesting nearby, and was hoping to see fledglings before the summer was done.  House Finches sometimes nest late in the summer -- in fact, they can sometimes produce two broods in a season -- but as weeks went by I began to worry that I'd missed them, or they weren't going to show this year.

So you can imagine my excitement when I finally spotted this guy.  His nascent coloring identifies him as a male, in the transitional stage to adult plumage.  I was sure that I'd finally found my Finch couple's kids.

House Finch Couple

Only, it's not quite that simple.  According to my naturalist friend, Kevin, House Finches only molt once a year, and since this guy is transitioning, the chances are he's one of last year's fledglings.  House Finches don't migrate; they stay here all year round, so it's entirely possible that he's from the same family.  Possible, but not guaranteed.  Kevin gave me a quick lesson in the family dynamics of House Finches.  Unlike many songbirds, they form new pair bond's each breeding season -- the couple I've been observing may not have been together last year, and may not pair up next year.  Also, young birds disperse, immigrating to new areas and emigrating in from other areas to mix up the gene pool.  All my House Finch friends could be from one family, or they could be totally unrelated.  Short of inviting them in for a DNA test, it's very hard to be sure. 

Still, the juvenile House Finch was on my wish list this year, and I got to see one at last.

If you like Birdland West, you might also want to check out our sister blog Books and Beasts, which focuses on reviews of books about animals and related topics.

(Many of the original photographs featured on Birdland West are available for sale as art quality prints.  You can check out all of our offerings at http://AlexWashoe.imagekind.com.  If you see an image here that does not show up on our Imagekind site please contact me directly and I'll let you know about availability.)

Around the Yard and Around the Web

Crows are geeks.

And if you have any doubt, let me offer some evidence.  This crow is clearly an "early adopter".  I photographed him this weekend helping himself to cherries in the cherry tree. 

Even though the cherries are very ripe, most of the birds haven't quite gotten around to feasting on them yet.  (Although, Saturday night, coming home from a monthly poker game, my roommate and I surprised a raccoon in the tree.  He -- actual gender unknown -- was pretty small, so I'm guessing he was one of this year's crop.  I got to see his masked face for just a second before he vanished into the shadows. )  The crow however is on top of things, and getting first jump on the cherries.

 

 

It continues to be an exciting year for fledglings and juveniles.  At least one group of House Sparrow young'uns is coming of age around my yard.  I now have photos of them at several stages of development.  I suspect that there is more than one group though, because I took some photographs of slightly older fledglings a week or so before I caught shots of younger ones. (You can see those photos here and here.)  

Saturday morning there was a juvenile House Sparrow raising quite a ruckus in the front yard.  It went on for almost ten minutes with him flitting from bush to bush.  I never did figure out what he was so agitated about, and eventually he quieted down and went back to his normal routine.  But I did get some good shots while he was pontificating.

Timmy's Friend

Timmy!

I also managed to get some good shots of my resident Pigeon Timmy, along with his frequent companion.  Timmy is the larger pigeon with the lighter colored wings.  I have also noticed a new pigeon in the neighborhood -- a thin, mostly white pigeon that I haven't seen until recently.  I'll keep an eye on this new arrival and see if I can get some photos.

The great challenge of the season, for me, remains the House Finch fledglings.  The couple has been here almost all year, and I was pretty sure they were nesting nearby, but so far I have no definitive proof of juvenile finches.  I saw some birds recently on the rail that could have been the elusive youngsters, but I didn't get a good enough look, and couldn't get any photos.  Like Captain Ahab, though, I will continue to pursue them.

Updates, Follow-ups and interesting links

I was very happy to be included in the most recent Carnival of Evolution.  If you haven't seen it (or don't know what a blog carnival is -- I didn't until recently) it is basically a regular round up of  blog writing on a certain topic -- in this case evolution, which is broad enough to include many things.  My recent post Game Show Pigeons and Ball Playing Dogs was included and I've been gratified to see a nice up-tick in viewings as a result.  If you're interested in biology, evolution, science writing or any number of related topics I suggest you check it out.  It comes out monthly and is hosted on a different blog each time.  This edition was hosted on Lawrence E. Moran's blog Sandwalk -- which is, itself, well worth checking out.  (There's even a musical interlude called "Cambrian Explosion" that you really have to see.)

There are blog carnivals, by the way, on all kinds of topics.  If you're curious, you can check out Blog Carnival to get an idea of what's out there.

One of the people who found my posting from the carnival was Roslyn Dakin, a PhD student from Kingston, Ontario.  Turns out, she also has an interest in the Monty Hall problem.  Her take is somewhat different than mine and well worth checking out.  In fact, her whole blog is very rewarding.  You can check out her Monty Hall article here, and her most recent posts here.

And, finally, there's a great article in the Grand Forks Herald recently, by Herald editor/publisher Mike Jacobs.  "Target Species Enrich Birding Experience", about the joys and expenses of having a birding wish list.  (I have a wish list -- both local and more farfetched -- which I'll be sharing in the near future.)  

If you like Birdland West, you might also want to check out our sister blog Books and Beasts, which focuses on reviews of books about animals and related topics.

(Many of the original photographs featured on Birdland West are available for sale as art quality prints.  You can check out all of our offerings at http://AlexWashoe.imagekind.com.  If you see an image here that does not show up on our Imagekind site please contact me directly and I'll let you know about availability.)

Updating the Yard LIst

Summer has finally come to Seattle and we've had a stretch of mostly dry, warm weather.  The wildflowers are blooming in the garden (which was taken over by weeds before they arrived).  And the Seattle Mariners followed up their surprisingly good first half with a club record 16 straight losses in July.  Yikes. 

But on to the wildlife. 

Sunday morning I was looking out my window and I spied an unlikely couple having breakfast together.  They're both frequent visitors to the feeders, but I've never seen them together before.  There they were, just chowing down like old friends.  I had to take the pictures through the window, because there's no way I could have gotten out on the deck without both of them taking off. They hung out for about ten minutes, not the least bit concerned with each other.

Sunday Brunch with a pal.

My dog Lulubelle routinely flushes the squirrels off the porch in the mornings.  It's impressive to see them leap into the branches of the cherry tree.  The House Finch has been here since winter.  He and his mate are here almost every day.  I haven't seen any young finches though.

Speaking of the cherry tree, it is heavy with fruit.  Most of it is beyond human reach (unless you know someone with one of those cherry picker trucks).  However, the ripe fruit usually brings a burst of bird activity.  As soon as some of the fruit begins to fall I expect to see robins and many other birds congregating in the yard.   Last year, it also brought a raccoon.  They're always around the neighborhood but we very rarely see them.  I'll be keeping my eyes on the tree in the evenings, though, hoping to get a good shot.

My second discovery was even more exciting, because it was a new species for the yard list.  Over the weekend I saw a bird with a lot of bright orange on its undersides.  I thought it might be the Black Headed Grosbeak who was here earlier in the winter, but who I never managed to get good photos of.  This time I was able to get some good shots, but when  I looked at them it wasn't the Grosbeak at all.  It was someone I've never seen in the wild before (although I've seen them a number of times at the wildlife rehab center.) 

Recognize him? (Because of the blackness of his hood and tail, I'm assuming he's male, since the females are supposed to have a greyer coloring, but I'm not totally certain about that). 

Yep, that's a Spotted Towhee.  Beautiful bird isn't he? There were actually two of them in the yard at the same time.  I don't know if they were a couple, or just buddies.  My guide says they prefer to eat off the ground, but these guys were eating at the feeder.  I guess they didn't read the guide.

With the good weather expected this week I hope to get outside a lot and find some new interesting activity to report.  

And just in cast you're interested, this is my Yard List since moving to West Seattle last summer (not counting the Red-Tailed Hawk who was mobbed by crows in the tree across the street):

  June 2010 through December 31, 2010
1. American Goldfinch (winter plumage)
2. American Robin
3. Anna's hummingbird
4. Bewick's Wren
5. Black Capped Chickadee
6. American Crow
7. Dark-eyed Juncos
8. European Starlings
9. Northern Flicker
10. Red-breasted Nuthatch
11. Rock Pigeons
12. Steller's Jay
Jan 1st 2011 through June 21st 2011
13. House Finch
14. Song Sparrow
15. Yellow-rumped warbler
16. Bushtit
17. House Sparrow
18. Black-Headed Grosbeak
19. Wilson's Warbler 
 June 22nd 2011 through _____
20. Rufus Hummingbird
21. Spotted Towhee
 

If you like Birdland West, you might also want to check out our sister blog Books and Beasts, which focuses on reviews of books about animals and related topics.

(Many of the original photographs featured on Birdland West are available for sale as art quality prints.  You can check out all of our offerings at http://AlexWashoe.imagekind.com.  If you see an image here that does not show up on our Imagekind site please contact me directly and I'll let you know about availability.)