A Wild Life

This morning I got up around 7:30am got ready and left to go birding. My plan was to go down to the park then go to the turnaround then up to the lake then go home.

I went down to the park and it was a really low tide. I walked out on to the beach and walked along the shore line. I saw a lot of black turnstones and rock sandpipers. along with a few other shore birds. There were a few gulls down there but nothing other then at. I then worked my over to back beach and looked around there. I saw a few greater yellow legs and few dowitchers. I walked up the road to the lake but I did not see very much there.I then walked up to the turnaround but did not see any birds there. I stopped by the store on my way home and got something to eat and drink since I was hungry and a little thirsty.
Once I got home I did a few things the went out birding again with dad and the same person as last time. We went around the park. I saw some black bellied plovers a few more gulls and about the same number of black turnstones. While we were out on the tide flats though we saw a peregrine falcon fly and catch some thing but the crows and ravens that chased it made the falcon drop what ever it had caught. It flew around over headed of us so that I could get some photos of then flew back into the forest. A few minutes later it came back out and tried again but this time it did not get anything. It flew back over the trees again and was gone.

After that we went to thimbleberry lake and looked around all we saw were some rufous hummingbirds, a hermit thrush and a trumpeter swan.

We then went out to the kimsham ball fields but did not see any birds other. Then we went out to the golf course and saw the killdeer again but did not really see anything else unusual. We went out to the airport but did not see the bluebird. We went home after that.

1. Question where did the bluebird go?
2. Question what did the falcon have?
3. Question why is there still a swan on timbleberry lake?                                                    Peregrine Falcon

Yesterday I got up about 8am to be on a friends boat. We went out to the causeway and looked around on our way out to the last island on the causeway another person that had come with us fell off a rock and got hurt really back. He way having neck spasms so he could not move at all hardly which meant he could not get back to the boat. So we called a helicopter to come and get him. About half an hour later a USCG helicopter showed up. It was really wind in the helicopter and pretty loud as well. They drop a guy off that went to where the hurt guy was. I’m not really sure what they did because I had hunkered down a little ways away so I could not see the guy. I did watch them left him up in a basket and then pull the other the CG guy up. After that we went home.

After we had lunch I went down to the park. I saw dad and another guy that was from out of town had come down so I walked over to them and we looked at birds for a bit then went out to the airport. Where we found a mountain bluebird. After the bluebird we went to the golf course and saw a killdeer. We went a few other place but did not see anything unusual. We went home shortly after that.

1. Question how long with the killdeer stay here?
2. Question is the bluebird still around?
3. Question why is it so wind under a helicopter?

News on the guy that got hurt. He is doing better and is going back to his home today.                                                              Killdeer                                                    Mountain Bluebird

Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology.
They appear in many national celebrations and are part of the Chinese zodiac.
The dragons are normally described as snake like with four legs and most of the time no wings, though they can still fly using magical powers.
They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers.
They had control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods.
The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength and good luck to those who are worthy of it.

The emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.
In the Yuan dynasty the two horned five clawed dragon was used by the Son of heaven or Emperor only, and the four clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles. During the Ming and Qin dynasty, the five clawed dragon was used by the Emperor only.

The Chinese dragon is different from the European dragon. In European cultures, the dragon is a fire breathing creature that is aggressive, and the Chinese dragon is a cultural and spiritual symbol that represents prosperity and good luck.
The Chinese dragon also looks different than the the European dragon. The European dragon has normally has bat like wings and is more lizard like.

The presence of dragons within Chinese culture dates back several thousands of years with the discovery of a dragon statue dating back to the fifth millennium BC.

I used google to find this information.

Today when I went down to the park, it was cloudy, but the sun sort of shining a little bit through the clouds. There were also a few salmonberry flowers blooming and I saw some bumble bees flying around.
When I was out on the breakwater, I saw oner male duck and some sea gulls out on the water.
When I was in the park, I saw two ravens out on the beach, but in different places. One was closer to the beginning of the park, and thee other one was closer to the battle site bench.
When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide, and I saw some ravens by the seaweed.
When I was on the side trail by the trail by the river, I saw some sea gulls, ravens, and shorebirds.
I also heard a winter wren.
When I was on the trail by the river, I didn’t see any birds.
When I had just gotten off the trail by the river, I saw some sort of sparrow.
When I was nearing thee foot bridge, I saw that the trail camera was still on the tree.
Why is the trail camera still there?
Why was there only one duck?
Why was it cloudy?

Black tailed deer are a subspecies of the mule deer. Black tailed deer live in a variety of habitats. From the beaches in the winter to the alpine in the summer. They have two different coats one winter coat which is a dark brown and one summer coat which is a lighter brown. The males are the only ones that have antlers.

Black tailed deer eat a variety of things from wild greens and small twigs from berry bushes, to things like shrubs and fruits and other garden plants if they can get them.

Black tailed deer only live along the west coast. They go as far as California and come up as far as Kodiak Alaska.

There are two kinds of black tailed deer Sitka black tail and Columbian black tail. Sitka black tailed deer is the only deer species we have in Alaska.

Got this information from google and my own observation.

Today when I went down to the park, it was raining pretty hard and I wore my rain gear so I stayed dry.
When I was out on the breakwater, I saw one duck, some sea gulls flying around and a kingfisher.
When I was in the park, nearing the battle site bench, I walked out on the beach a little ways to look at some shorebirds, there were three Black bellied plovers, I had seen two yesterday. One of the plovers was walking like it had a hurt leg.
I also saw a bunch of sea gulls and some western or least sandpipers, maybe both.
When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide, and I saw some sea gulls flying around and a few Savannah sparrows and shorebirds by the seaweed.
When I was on a side trail close to the trail by the river, I saw some shorebirds ducks and two eagles. I saw what looked like the Black bellied plovers fly and land on the beach.
When I was on the trail by the river, I saw one eagle flying and one eagle in a shallow part of the river with some ravens by it. It also flew off.
What scared the plovers?
Why were there two plovers yesterday and three today?
Why was the eagle in the shallow part of the river?

Today when I went to the park, it was cloudy but the sun could shine through the clouds, so it seemed sunny.
When I was nearing the harbor, I saw some robins on the road and in a yard.
When I was out on the breakwater, I saw a sea gull and a cormorant.
When I was almost at the beginning of the park trail, I saw some ducks and mergansers out in the water.
I also saw two shorebirds on a rock that was nearly all the way underwater.
When I was in the park nearing the battle site bench, I saw a group of people, mostly kids, a little ways off the trail and there were some things set up a little ways in the trees.
When I was at the battle site bench, it was sort of high tide, and I saw a bunch of sea gulls on the beach and in the water.
When I was on the trail by the river, I didn’t see any ducks.
When I was nearing the foot bridge, I saw a trail camera set up in a tree angled down at the trail. It was far enough up that someone would need a ladder to reach.
Why was the trail camera set up there?
How long has the trail camera been there?
What was the group of people doing?

The day before yesterday I went down to the park in the afternoon. It was raining a little bit but I still went. I walked out onto the beach in front of the visitor. I saw a little colored gull away from most the the other gulls. I looked at it and saw that it was an adult glaucous gull. I took some photos of it then moved on down the beach. Once I got to the end of the park I looked through the gull and the moved up towards the river mouth. As I moved towards the river mouth I saw four short billed dowitchers. They were the first dowitchers that I had seen all year. I walked up the beach into the forest and then home.

Yesterday I went down to the park in the afternoon again. It was partly cloudy and there was a light breeze. I looked through the gulls but did not see anything really unusual. I did see a small flock of sandpipers and dunlins and a couple of snow geese. I walked up and sat down at the upper part of the beach. I watched the tidal flats and the seaweed along the top of the beach. As I sat there watching I saw all of the gulls fly away I looked and saw that a bald eagle was chasing a gull I watched it and saw it catch the gull and go and land on the tidal flats. I walked up into the forest and went home.

1. Question why do adult glaucous gulls show up here more often?
2. Question how often do eagles catch gulls?
3. Question why do gull almost always fly when ever and eagle flies over?

                      A few shots of the eagle chasing a catching the gull                                                Short billed dowitchers                                               Adult glaucous gull

“Wow this place is amazing. I never thought anything like this existed.”

“Hey Lily, what does the book say about the door with the waterfall on it?”

“Well according to the book, it says that the passageway behind that door hides something very important to the resealing of the demon snake.”

“Well does it say what it is?”

“No, it just says that it is very important for the training of the next guardians of this place.”

“Well let’s find out what it is. Liz you find the button for the door yet?” asked Micheal.

“ Not yet, oh wait here it is.” Liz pushed the button and the door opened. They walked over to the door way. Every one pulled out there flash lights and walked down the passageway. It took them about half an hour before they came into a big open space.

“Are there any lights in here?” asked Arild

“I’ll look, here we go.”

“Thanks Liz.”

“What is this place?” asked Micheal.

“It looks like it is a library.” said Lily

Every one was looking around the library when someone said. “ So you four are the new guardians of this place uh.” Every one jumped and turned around to see a big red wolf standing right behind them.

Micheal asked “ Did you just speck?”

“Yes I did. My name is Amber, and I monitor this place. What are your names?”

“I’m Micheal,”

“I’m Lily,”

“I’m Liz,”

and “I’m Arild.”

“And Amber did you say that we are the four new guardians?”

“Yes indeed I did Micheal. You see I watch over this place until it is time for the four new guardians to come and seal the demon snake Dondor away again.”

“So your saying that that demon snake is named Dondor, and that has escaped.” said Lily.

“Dondor have not escaped yet but I fear that unless the seal is redone he will escape by summers end.” said Amber.

“So how do we seal him away?” asked Arild

“You will need the four magical orbs. When the chosen guardian holds he’s or she’s magical orb they will get very strong magical armor and a very powerful magical weapon.”

“Really!” said Arild.

“Yes, but you do not pick the magical orb it picks you. And only after you four have gotten and have mastered the magical power of the orbs that have picked you, will you together be able to redone the seal on Dondors’s prison. Shouldn’t you guys be getting back to your families now so that they don’t start worrying?”

“Yeah, I suppose we should.” said Micheal.

“Alright by Amber we will be back some time this weekend.” said Lily.

They all waved goodbye to Amber and walked back into the passageway. Once they got back into the house Liz and Micheal said goodbye to Lily and Arild on the porch.

“I’ll see you a school tomorrow Micheal.”

“Yep see ya tomorrow Lily.”

Then they went back inside.

Today when I went down to the park for the first time, it was mostly cloudy and a little bit cold.
Just after I left the house, I saw a white crowned sparrow in some bushes, then it flew onto a fence.
When I was nearing the harbor, I saw some robins and starlings on the road and in yards.
When I was on the breakwater, I saw two sea gulls on two different poles that were close to each other in the water.
When I was in the park, I saw some mergansers, buffleheads, and goldeneyes out in the water.
When I was near the battle site bench, I saw a Savannah sparrow on the rocks on the beach and then it flew into the trees.
When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide, and I saw some sea gulls out by the water.
When I was near the trail by the river, I saw some more sea gulls.
When I was on the trail by the river, I saw two geese and one Yellowleg on the other side of the river.
When I was on my way back home, I saw some more robins in the same area.
Was the Yellowleg I saw one of the ones I saw before?
Why were some of the robins on the road?
Why was the Savannah sparrow on the beach?