Wildlife of Edmonds, WA. 2015

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nancyjwagner

New Member
Bill, I wish I was a professional and made all my $$ from photography, but I'm in the same boat as you, and love how you said it! I need to borrow that for times when people ask me the same question. Ha!
 

squirl033

Super Moderator
Staff member
welcome aboard, Nancy! had a peek at your site... some really nice shots there! wish we had the wildlife opportunities here that you seem to have found. unfortunately, "wildlife" photography around here means mostly birds, with an occasional deer or coyote thrown in... ;)
 
Bill, your "pig"kins captures are so outstanding!!!! They drain the feeders in no time and pick a fight with any and all birds who approach the feeder they are on.
 

Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Friday afternoon was very warm for a winter day, the temps had to have been in the mid 50's F.

Sunset Ave.
At least three Harlequin ducks were swimming in the Sound below Sunset Ave.
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A red-tailed hawk flew south along Sunset Ave. over the houses on the east side of the street.
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Two barn swallows flew south over the Sound. This is best shot I got of one of them. Swallows in this area in January is unusual. I later saw two fly over the marsh.
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Fishing pier
A squadron of surf scoters was swimming beneath the fishing pier.
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A female bufflehead flew over the scoters.
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Terry O

Well-Known Member
Nice shots, Bill - exciting to see the Harlequins.

It was a beautiful morning, so I checked out the marsh and pier early (for me). The herons at the marsh took off, but I didn't see an eagle or hawk - I needed your eyes, Bill :)

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Leanna joined me and we checked out the pier - the Surf Scoters were the main attraction.

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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Nice shots, Bill - exciting to see the Harlequins.

It was a beautiful morning, so I checked out the marsh and pier early (for me). The herons at the marsh took off, but I didn't see an eagle or hawk - I needed your eyes, Bill :)

Leanna joined me and we checked out the pier - the Surf Scoters were the main attraction.

I had not seen the surf scoters near the fishing pier for at least two weeks. I think they were there Friday due to the disruption of their usual hangout by the ferry dock.
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A heron landed at the marsh while I was at the #1 viewing platform.
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I took this photo at -1 negative photo compensation to keep from over-exposing the white head feathers.
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Several folks showed up at the #1 viewing platform, including Janine. We saw three herons in the marsh. While we were there, one of the Pt. Edwards eagles landed on the family tree at the top of Pine St.
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Janine and I drove up to Pt. Edwards to stand beneath the tree and take some photos.
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Terry O

Well-Known Member
You are probably right about the surf scoters, Bill. Nice that they were in so close. Certainly turned out to be a better day, weather wise, than predicted.
 

Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Monday afternoon (1-19-15) a yellow-rumped warbler was looking for food in the trees along the walkway on the north side of the Edmonds marsh.
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From the #3 viewing platform I photographed another bird photographer taking shots of Weslie off the #1 viewing platform.
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I later ran into the guy and told him that he need not have bothered climbing over the guard rail and walking into the marsh, as Weslie will pose very close to the viewing platform.
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I was photographing some green-winged teals in the waterway closest to the #1 viewing platform when one suddenly took off.
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A second later all the teals in the marsh took off. I immediately looked around for an eagle or hawk. One of the Pt. Edwards eagles passed directly over me. It did not land but continued flying south around Pt. Edwards.
 

Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Wednesday (1/21) afternoon a squadron of scoters was swimming off the fishing pier. Puget Sound, Mt. Baker, and Glacier Peak made a nice background.
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Like bald eagles, male surf scoters are difficult to photograph on a sunny winter day due to the low sun reflecting off their bright white head feathers. I took advantage of Wednesday's overcast to photograph some males.
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Periodically the scoters would swim close to the pier and dive to look for mussels imbedded in barnacles attached to the supports of the pier.
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The Olympic Mountains made a nice background as well.
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A passing motorboat frightened the squadron and gave me an opportunity to take shots of the scoters in flight.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
A few non-scoter shots from Wednesday.

A male common golden eye.
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Pigeon guillemot in non-breeding plumage.
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I had never seen a horned grebe flying, but I saw two Wednesday. I got a shot of one flying off the fishing pier.
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I ran into Young Dave at the fishing pier. We went to the marsh afterwards, where Dave lived up to his title as The Snipe Whisperer.

Dave spotted a snipe lying in the mud. Can you? Uncropped, 400mm end of my 100-400L zoom.
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Cropped shot.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
The weather was not bad over the weekend.

Saturday (1/24) McInroe, the male Anna's hummer who guards the #3 viewing platform of the marsh, posed very close to the platform.
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He likes being the center of attention and acts like a super model.
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Close up of the feathers on his throat, which become bright red when they catch the sun at just the right angle.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Sunday (1/25) was very warm. Lots of people were out enjoying the sunshine at the marina, as was a common murre floating off the fishing pier.

Like the rhinoceros auklet and pigeon guillemot, the murre lowers itself against the water and opens its mouth to take a deep breath before diving. When you see that behavior, start firing away rapid fire for a dive sequence.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
I relocated to the marsh, where a flock of bushtits was looking for larvae in the cattails off the #3 viewing platform.

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The sun was getting low and backlit McInroe, giving him an artsy look.
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A flock of geese flew over the #2 viewing platform.
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Continued
 
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