Allyn Waterfront and Perry Creek

Today (Friday) is a "home day", so I thought I'd add onto my notes from yesterday.  On my way home, I stopped at Big Bubba’s Burgers in Allyn for a Blue-cheese Burger and a Blackberry shake - $11.70.  I took the meal down to the Port of Allyn waterfront park to eat my lunch, then walked out on the pier to scan the North Bay of Case Inlet.

Not a Real Great-Horned Owl

Most of the birds there were gulls, allowing a person to sort through a small flock at close range.  It helps if there’s an offering of hamburger bun or stale French fries!

Mostly Glaucous-winged Gulls

Second-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull

Third-cycle Glaucous-winged gull

First-year Gull.  Fairly dark plumage, so I don't know if it's a Glaucous-winged Gull, a Western Gull, or one of our "Olympic Gull" hybrids

While I was out there, I got talking to one of the locals, and asked him about the derelict boat anchored just north of the pier.

The Scamper - derelict vessel

The name on the stern is the Scamper, out of Vancouver, B.C.  He said that a guy had been living on board until January 4, 2017, and substances may have been an issue.  That night, he and a friend apparently had a discussion.  The owner? friend? (I wasn’t certain), 31-year-old Andrew Aldrich, got into his little kayak and paddled toward shore early in the morning “to get some tools”.  His overturned boat was found on the beach the next day.  The Coast Guard and Sheriff searched, but the body was found and recovered on Friday February 17^th by another kayaker.  Of course, Aldrich hadn’t been wearing a life jacket.  The guy I was talking to said he was the one who recovered the body - “just part of a day’s work”…  We should give Kudos to those who serve the Public by dealing with the seamier and sorrier side of Life.

The Port of Allyn came into possession of the vessel when Aldrich’s brother asked if he could moor it for a short period at the Allyn Dock, with the promise it would be moved that weekend.  He never returned to retrieve it, and numerous attempts to reach him, or anyone else in the family, were unsuccessful.  The Port then contacted the Department of Natural Resources, which has aquatic jurisdiction in such situations. The DNR took possession of it under the state’s “Derelict Vessel” statue.  Aldrich’s father was finally able to be reached on the last day of a 30-day window for someone to claim ownership of the vessel. He agreed to relinquish any and all claims of ownership, which cleared the way for both the auction, and for issuance of a new title once the vessel is sold.  The State offered it in March, 2017, but obviously there have been no takers - since it’s still there - and the DNR has to pump out the hulk regularly to keep it from sinking.

On the way home, I stopped at Perry Creek to check out the gulls.

Gulls and ducks at the mouth of Perry Creek (Thurston County)

The chum salmon here are a later run than those up on the Union River, so there are still ‘fresh’ fish running upstream.  Many of the fish are spawning just at or above the high-tide line, so there are a LOT of loose salmon eggs washing downstream to feed the waiting water birds.

Gull eating a chum salmon egg

This draws in a LOT of gulls, including about 275 Glaucous-winged Gulls today.

Glaucous-winged Gull adult feeding on chum salmon carcass

There are also the usual Glaucous-wing X Western hybrids

Dark wingtips, dark eye, grey head, pink legs . . . Yep, it's a hybrid

And, this immature “Thayer’s” Iceland Gull, identified by the slimmer bill and daintier head.  The bird's plumage is pretty 'bleached' but in another pose, the bases of the primaries appear darker.  I suppose it could be a "Kumlien's" type, although I'm not experienced with that type of Iceland Gull.

Thayer's Gull immature

Also, a lot of the gulls and ducks are foraging on the carcasses.  Protein is Protein.

Mallard Pair

Note:  Do not eat Mallards hunted from the Puget Sound near shore in November . . . they will taste as ‘fishy’ as a Merganser!

Hooded Merganser Drake

Allyn Waterfront eBird checklist

Perry Creek eBird checklist

Theler Wetlands

The Theler Wetlands and center was left by the legacy of Sam and Mary Theler - as they also endowed Hood Canal Masonic Lodge No. 288, the Belfair Community Baptist Church, Twin Firs Cemetery, and Belfair Elementary School - before it turned into a preserve.  Also seen as an educational area for students, this place has become one of the best places to come for hikes and casual walks in nature, at no expense.  The 70-acre property, now owned by the North Mason School District, is no longer supported by the trust Sam Theler created.  As of August 2018, there are apparently negotiations with Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, which owns property abutting the Wetlands, to transfer ownership to the State.

In any event, Faye McAdams Hands and John Riegsecker lead a 3-mile birding walk there every 2^nd and 4^th Thursday, sponsored by the Tacoma Audubon.  Last week being the Thanksgiving holiday, today was chosen as an alternate date.  I got a late start, and arrived about 15 minutes after they’d begun, and missed seeing a Townsend’s Warbler and a Hutton’s Vireo…  Ah, well

Theler Birders

The fog had settled into the Union River estuary this morning, so we had foreshortened views from the estuary boardwalk, and along the river dike until about 11 a.m. 

This adult bald eagle was backlit, and nearly lost in the mist.

 

Northern Harrier

As was this Northern Harrier above, and the robins and blackbirds below

 

Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds

Bird walks aren’t just about birds, as most of the birders I know want to know about the mammals, fish, 'bugs' and plants they come across.

Fly Amanita

This Fly Amanita (A. muscaria) was still fruiting.  Margaret McKenny wrote: “This is the mushroom so often pictured in European fairy tales.  It is called ‘fly amanita’ because it is thought a decoction made from it kills flies. It is definitely dangerous but fortunately it is quite easy to recognize; the bright red, orange or yellow cap with its white warts is in itself a conspicuous warning for even the most unwary collector.”

We were able to see a fair number of birds as we went along, but missed out on some of the distant views across the river.  As we reached the ‘upstream’ part of the trail, the 13.09-foot high tide had flooded the path, so we opted to take the spur trail over to the Salmon Center, and looped back to where we left the Roessel Road.  Since the fog was lifting, we did return to the ‘first’ bridge along the dike trail and were surprised to see a late Osprey, which, you'd think, would be happily catching its lunch in Mexico by now...  It successfully caught a small fish in the tide plain and carried it back across the river.

Late November Osprey

After the walk, I went up the short trail to Alder (?) Creek.

 

Alder Creek in the Autumn

There had obviously been a successful spawn of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), as these carcasses attest.  As the spent bodies decompose, they provide nutrients for the next generation of salmon, as well as to the other animals and plants along the stream side.

 

Spawned-out Chum Salmon

Another great morning of birding with a great group of birders!  My eBird checklist for the walk is here