Beaks and Bills
by Joe Meche
With July in the rearview mirror, the least favorite time of year is upon us for most birders, including yours truly. Not only is the month of August the traditionally hottest month of the year in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s also the time of year when most living things are seeking shade or some other form of relief from the heat. I grew up in the heat and humidity of the Deep South and I’ll admit to being spoiled by our moderate, maritime climate after almost five decades. Along with the rising temps here, there’s also more dust and general noise to contend with into September. By mid-September, we’ll ease into my favorite season, but let’s not get too carried away … yet!
photo: Joe Meche
Double-crested Cormorant nest on the Blaine harbor breakwater
In the Pacific Northwest, summer traditionally starts just after July 4, and the expected heat advisories were right on schedule. The noisemakers were out in full force with salvos of illegal fireworks that were bought on the reservation. In my humble opinion, to which I’m entitled, fireworks will always be a problem as long as the sovereign nation status allows the double standard to rule. It’s one of those sticky issues that should be reconsidered, given the negative impacts on the local populace and especially their pets. Wildlife in general needs to be considered as well.
Now that I’ve removed the weather/fireworks rant from my chest, it’s a good time to focus on ways to deal with and even beat the heat. In past columns, I’ve always recommended staying closer to the water, be it fresh or saltwater. Shady spots on the upper Nooksack are heavenly hideaways while lakes are lacking in the cooling movement of the air. Right in the middle of Bellingham is a three-mile stretch of cool and shaded moving water … Whatcom Creek. Early morning meanders in Whatcom Falls Park over the years have produced some of the best bird sightings of all.
Several pairs of barred owls have nested successfully along the creek and the uplands, along with as many as six pairs of American dippers in one season. If you enter the park from the trailhead off Electric Avenue, you will walk past Scudder Pond. This urban gem of a wetland was donated to the city by the North Cascades Audubon Society and is prime habitat for nesting waterfowl, including wood ducks and hooded mergansers. The highly secretive Virginia rails and soras also nest at the pond with Wilson’s snipe stopping by during migration. Stop at Scudder Pond in the morning cool and meander into the park as it gets warmer.
I first discovered Whatcom Falls Park shortly after I arrived in Bellingham in 1977, and it’s been a favorite for all the years since. The idea of a creek that runs through the heart of the city and simulates a mountain stream well enough to attract dippers is almost unheard of, and they’re here year round! But, that’s the beauty of this park. In fact, the extensive park system of Bellingham is a source of pride to many and a source of refuge for others. Cool, green, and shady also fits the bill for Arroyo Park and it’s the meander of Chuckanut Creek, that provides the natural effect of air conditioning there.
Stop by the headquarters of the city’s parks department and pick up a comprehensive map of the entire trail system and focus on the obviously cooler spots. With accolades and more for all our parks and places to stay cool, I still prefer the saltwater shorelines. It always comes down to personal preferences and needs. For me, the choices mainly come down to ease of access from home and there’s noticeably more movement on the salt as the tides ebb and flow. Plus, I love paddling away from shore in my kayak … it just feels good to break away and disconnect, even if it’s only symbolic. I’m nearing the 81-year mark and will continue to paddle … until I can’t.
Chuckanut Island and the nearby Chuckanut Rocks hold special places in my heart for a number of reasons. I once boated out to the main island in a small skiff with local legend George Garlick, husband of the much beloved Lois Garlick. Lois was a mover and a shaker of the environmental movement in the 1970s, along with George. She ran the Raptor Roost where she rehabilitated hawks and other birds of prey. She and George were stewards of Chuckanut Island for years, and it was on one of George’s last trips that I tagged along to check on the bald eagle nest that had been there for years before storms blew the nesting snag over.
Those are fond memories for me, and the isolation of the island and the rocky outcropping to the north provide great habitat for a variety of birds. These refuges for birds are offshore in the heart of Chuckanut Bay, and, of course, require some sort of watercraft to get there. This Pacific Northwest gem has been owned by The Nature Conservancy since 1976 and restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of the birds, especially during the nesting season. Personal favorites of mine, black oystercatchers and pigeon guillemots, nest there along with three species of cormorants. An early morning kayak run from Wildcat Cove at Larrabee State Park is one of my favorite ways to beat the heat, or for any other reason as far as that goes.
Since we’re on the topic of saltwater and the kayaks are already loaded, a good day trip would involve a drive to the Semiahmoo Spit. As you drive north, keep in mind that the spit doesn’t have a wealth of trees to provide shade but it seems there’s always a breeze coming off the water, so just wear your biggest hat! Again, early morning is best to get in a little paddling time before the bakery opens. In the morning calm, paddle across the channel and into Blaine Harbor. On the breakwater is one of the largest nesting colonies of double-crested cormorants on the West Coast. August is prime time to see nests filled with the young of the year. The count one year was over 600 nests and with two to four young birds per nest, that’s a lot of cormorants!
As August continues its march to September, all of these shoreline locations are subject to southbound shorebird species like dowitchers, western sandpipers, and black turnstones. Black oystercatchers that have also nested on the breakwater will have their own young to lead around as they become accustomed to their new surroundings. Pelagic cormorants are common on the breakwater, though not as numerous as their double-crested cousins. And don’t forget the new wave of glaucous-winged gull chicks as you paddle with one caveat to keep in mind … stay upwind!
With a bit of planning we can make it through these unusual (for now) heat waves and move right into fall and winter birding. But there I go again, getting ahead of myself. I guess I not-so-secretly pine for cooler weather and the associated birds. The loons that left us in May will return in late October to complete the cycle … and I’ll be there to greet them!
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Joe Meche is a past president of theNorth Cascades Audubon Society and was a member of the board of directors for 20 years. He has been watching birds for more than 60 years and photographing birds and landscapes for more than 40 years. He has written over 200 columns for Whatcom Watch.
