Canadian goose nesting on tree snag in Redmond / credit John Reinke |
Canadian goose nesting on tree snag in Redmond / credit John Reinke |
Marymoor Park juvenile osprey / credit Reinke |
A juvenile osprey is currently occupying the nest. (A juvenile can be identified by the white fringe around all of its brown wing feathers, which adults do not have.)
I discovered that there are two empty osprey nests only a half mile away and still inside the park. One nest structure is located in a tall lighting tower on the perimeter of baseball field #6 and the other is similarly located on the perimeter of baseball field #8. .
Empty osprey nests on Marymoor lighting tower |
During all of my visits to the platform, only the juvenile has been present and I have never seen it flying around or accompanied by adult ospreys. However, my visits have all been of fairly short duration, so I presume that the adults are still attending to the juvenile. Nonetheless, the fall migration season has already begun, so presumably the juvenile and its parents may have already departed.
-- John Reinke
Redmond, photojournalist
10/8/2023
Drone photo (1 of 3) by Jason Sperling (Sept. 2022) |
"Migrating salmon navigating from Lake Washington, into the Sammamish River, heading to Lake Sammamish...west to east at this time of year."
-- William C. Leak, Kenmore Facebook Group
Could some of these be Chinook migrating to Bear Creek?
Posted by Yoder, 9/4/2023
Green Heron spears a frog on the 90th Street Bridge stormwater pond |
For over twelve years, I have been observing and photographing the abundant wildlife that often appears in this pond. Great blue herons frequently catch fish and frogs here. Above, is a rare Green Heron spearing a frog! Different species of waterfowl often appear during the spring and fall migratory seasons. I once photographed six adult male wood ducks together in the pond at the same time!
In addition to the varied birdlife, I have photographed: a beaver on two different occasions, a raccoon, river otters frolicking in the pond twice, and a coyote, which really surprised me.
I don't know what will become of this wildlife once the project is complete. A worker said they netted all of the fish at the east end of the enclosure, and relocated them to the west end, nearest to the river. This was to protect the fish. The worker said that when entering the pond the accumulated sediment was so deep where they were netting the fish, that it came up to their shoulders!
--Photos and Story by John Reinke, 8/7/2023
City removing rich, organic soil from the pond |
"The existing NE 90th St stormwater pond treats the runoff from the 90th St stormwater basin before it drains into the Sammamish River. It was constructed in 2000 and currently provides about two thirds of the water quality treatment required by today’s regulations. The pond works by allowing sediment to settle out of the stormwater before it enters the Sammamish River. Over the last 20 years, significant sediment has accumulated, filling up a portion of the pond. The City will be removing the accumulated sediment from the pond during the summer of 2023. "
(Source: NE 90th Street Stormwater Pond Retrofit | Redmond, WA )
A friend of mine told me 4 or 5 days ago that she had been monitoring the nest daily for 35 days. According to the excellent website https://www.eagles.org/, that is the incubation period for hatching eaglets. Presumably the egg(s) will have hatched by now, if that is true. - John Reinke, 4/24/2023
CM Melissa Stuart Featured City Council group picture not available |
https://www.facebook.com/
(short pause at start of tape)
ADVANCE TO 3:00 for poet Laureate Laura Da's description of her poetry inspired "Nature & City History Walk" around our lakefronts.
ADVANCE TO 4:52 for Dr. David Morton's "Item From The Audience" suggesting solutions to various city challenges.
ADVANCE TO 11:53 - Mayor Angela Birney kicks off Council's OMBUDS report where resident inquiries (positive and negative) are addressed. As follows:
Redmond, Old Redmond Schoolhouse, 16600 NE 80th St, Redmond, WA.
About the Event
Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound is an award-winning nonfiction account of the long story of the Sound, tracing human history from the earliest records more than 12,500 years ago to present. Williams also focuses on often overlooked species such as Olympia oysters, rockfish, geoduck, kelp, and herring, as well as salmon and orca. Witty, graceful, and deeply informed, Homewaters presents a fascinating and hopeful narrative, one that will introduce newcomers to the astonishing life that inhabits Puget Sound and offers longtime residents new insights into and appreciation of the waters they call home.
David B. Williams is an author, naturalist, and tour guide whose award-winning book, Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound is a deep exploration of the stories of this beautiful waterway. He is also the author of the award-winning book Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle’s Topography, as well as Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City. Williams is a Curatorial Associate at the Burke Museum and writes a free weekly newsletter, the Street Smart Naturalist. His weekly newsletter focuses on human and natural history.
A HYBRID PROGRAM WITH MORE COMING!
John Oftebro, President RHS organized the program. Many thanks John!
by 1/30
The Heron rookery, minus birds and trees |
My wife and puppy are in the middle-third of this large unforested portion of the Heron Rookery. There's a lot of dirt behind me that you can't see. Unfortunately, the trees that once stood there are gone. No one seems to know why the trees died off. A quandary, since there are no stumps.
A must see short video on the history of the herons and rookery forest is HERE.
The 4.6 acre open space site is located on the southwest corner of Bear Creek Parkway and Leary Way in Redmond, Washington. It stands at the entrance to Downtown Redmond and features what's left of an urban forest and a trail that runs through the middle. The city lists it as a park with use for hiking.
The infamous Workshop Tavern, long torn down abutted the rookery. It was an historic establishment serving Redmond's first hamburgers and beer.
Light rail crosses a mere *3-5 feet over Bear Creek, keeping low to pass under the SR 520 ramp. Raft was for tagging salmon.
Denuded riparian trees and vegetation will be enhanced and fully restored.
Photos by Yoder, 5/14/2022
*quote by Emily Flannigan, Senior Environmental Engineer.
(click to enlarge) |
(click to enlarge) |
(l-r) Olive Green Swallow, Barn Swallow |
(l-r) Barn Swallow, Olive Green Swallow, Tree Swallow |
Photos Credit/ John Reinke |
Pintails dabbling for food |