Hello again everyone. Looks like the early sights and sounds of spring are beginning to manifest themselves at Mission Creek Park. The Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) is starting to leaf and flower and the willows (Salix spp) are budding too. Birds are singing and if I am not mistaken I heard the my first pacific chorus frog (psuedacris regilla) thrilling in the marshes earlier last week. February is always a tease. It seems like every year a high pressure system settles over Western Washington for this month letting us believe that winter has passed us by and spring is just around the corner. Despite the happiness the sunshine brings lets hope that we get the rain and snow we need to last us through the year. This is a wet country and many of our native species depend on the rain for breeding sites and to nourish the lush vegetation that follows. Keep on a look out for the skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum) putting out its fragrant yellow flowers and more amphibians moving into the marshes. Also this is a great time of year to be on the lookout for owls! Thank you for all your observations this week. I hope to make a survey and catalog of more of the species that live in our park late this month or in early march.
-FTW
Feb 16th: Overcast to South and East.
11am Blue skies to north and West. 3 different bird songs heard. Rooster at Vietnamse Temple. Robins Juncos and crows sighted.
FEB 17: early morning overcast and clearing. Sunny and mild weather. Leaf buds appearing. Chickadees everywhere. Hymalayain Black berries still in dormant winter stage. -CS
FEB 19th: Clear Skies and Birds singing
FEB 20th: Sunny and beautiful day. Notes on helping birds through the hard winter months by feeding with high quality seed and tapering off feeding as natural food sources become more abundant. Dandy lions blooming in western meadow
Feb 21: 13:30-14:30- 50ish F: robins and small birds. Pileated woodpeckers. The grass in the marshes is primarily the invasive reed-canary grass. Accipiter sited [accipiter= hawks and falcons) (buteos= eagles)] in marsh area. 4pm- partly cloudly and warm. Budds erupting on trees!
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