The recent return to cold, rainy weather has not slowed down the local wildlife population's march toward spring. In the past week, Anna's Hummingbirds have been spotted building nests on the PAWS campus. Download the PDF below for the whole story.
We're still in mid-winter, but the sunshine and warm days at the end of January and beginning of February produced a spring-like atmosphere on the PAWS Lynnwood Campus. To get the full story, click on the link below to view a PDF version of the latest PAWS Campus Update.
Please take five minutes today to send an email to your representative and help us get SB 5151, the Spay/Neuter Assistance bill, on the budget.
This can be done in just two easy steps:
Step 1. Use this letter template to help formulate your message. The key point is to emphasize the financial and community benefits of the bill.
Step 2. Email a copy of your letter to the members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. The email addresses of the members of the committee can be found here.
Please contact info@savewashingtonpets.org if you need assistance with writing your message or identifying your legislator.
This bill will help put an end the suffering of unwanted and homeless animals in our community by preventing unplanned litters. Spaying and neutering is good for the community and a great way to help our animal friends live longer, healthier lives.
On behalf of PAWS and the animals in our community, thank you!
You may recall from the January 6 post here on the PAWS Blog that the wildlife center's first patient of the year was a Northern Saw-whet Owl. The owl had been found on January 1 alongside a highway, apparently suffering from head trauma caused by colliding with a vehicle.
We're happy to report that, after one month of care, the Saw-whet Owl made a full recovery. In the evening on January 31, he was released in a forested natural area along the Skykomish River. Thanks to the expert medical care he received at the PAWS Wildlife Center, he now has a second chance to live wild and free.
Throughout the year, I send periodic emails called “Campus Updates” to PAWS staff and volunteers to keep them apprised of wildlife activity here on our campus in Lynnwood, WA. I am always amazed at the diversity that can be found on our modest, 7-acre site. During 2011 the Campus Updates featured 443 photos representing 39 bird, 2 mammal, 4 spider, 15 insect, 2 plant and 1 slime mold species.
I went through all of the photos from the 2011 Campus Updates and pulled out my favorites to share with you. The first shows the fruiting bodies of the Stemonitis slime mold that was growing on a downed tree in front of the wildlife center. I think of them as nature’s Koosh® balls.
I photographed many American Robins on PAWS's campus in 2011, but I focused a lot on a pair that had a successful nest attached to the wildlife center’s deer shed. This is my favorite photo of the male and his bright orange breast.
The image below shows the female of the breeding pair on the nest. I didn’t notice the beak sticking out from under her (indicated by the red arrow) until I uploaded the photo to my computer. I found out later there were three babies in the nest.
I love the parent bird’s posture and the look on his face in the photo below. I know I’m anthropomorphizing, but he looks a little taken aback by the demanding young in front of him.
Another robin pair that built their nest in front of the wildlife center lost their eggs to crows before they hatched. It was fascinating to watch the nest building process though.
Speaking of crows, at least three pairs of them nested successfully on PAWS Campus in 2011. In the late summer, I encountered this fledgling who appeared determined to clean every last berry off of our Elderberry bushes.
Although I did not find the location of any hummingbird nests this year, our local Anna’s Hummingbirds clearly had a successful nesting season. I encountered this fledgling when she was feeding on Red Currant blossoms along the walkway that leads to the wildlife center.
Still young and naïve, the hummingbird was very tolerant of my presence. She was also extremely focused on the blossoms in front of her.
Hopefully this bird will have a nest of her own on PAWS Campus next spring.
A Bushtit family successfully raised a brood in the salmonberry bushes along the wildlife center front walkway last summer. The nest was right next to the path, but most people didn’t see it because it was so well camouflaged.
I was excited to see this fledgling Pileated Woodpecker on campus. I was unable to find the nest this year, but this young female proved that our resident pair of pileateds had another successful year. This is exciting because these woodpeckers are listed as a State Candidate species. This means their populations have declined and they are being closely monitored to determine whether or not they require the protection of Threatened or Endangered status. The yearly nesting success that these birds are experiencing here on our 7 acres can only help make their overall population situation brighter.
My favorite Pileated Woodpecker encounter on PAWS Campus in 2011 was with the male of our breeding pair. He was actively feeding on an alder snag, and he was putting quite a bit of force into each blow.
In fact, he was striking with so much force that the feathers of his crest flew forward every time his beak struck the tree. I know these birds are well adapted for this, but all I could think was “ouch!”
The woodpecker also gave me a great view of his impressive tongue as he extracted insects from the holes he was making in the tree trunk. Note that his crest is back in its normal position in this photo.
While the photo below is not technically all that great, it is still one of my favorites from 2011. This is because it shows a female Hutton’s Vireo trying out her partially completed nest in the rhododendron bush right outside the wildlife center’s front door. Ultimately the vireo pair decided not to use the nest, but it was exciting that they had even considered it since this species is a rare sight on campus.
Bewick’s Wrens appeared frequently in the 2011 Campus Updates. This image of a wren on a spare tire is one of my favorites as it gives a good sense of the bird’s tiny size.
I like this Bewick’s Wren photo because the twigs behind the bird make it appear as if he has giant antennae.
Both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees were common sights on PAWS Campus in 2011. This bird was one of a mated pair of Black-capped Chickadees that successfully nested in a tree along the wildlife interpretive trail. I loved the pose of the bird in this shot, but I also really liked the colorful buds surrounding him.
As common as Spotted Towhees are on campus, they only occasionally appeared in the Campus Update in 2011. This is both because they are wary, and because the tend to hang out in low bushes and shrubs where the shadows make it difficult to capture them in a photograph. The photo of this male sitting in a Mountain Ash tree was the best one I got all year.
Golden-crowned Kinglets were plentiful on PAWS Campus during the fall and winter months of 2011. This was my favorite kinglet image. The brilliant yellow on the kinglet’s crown looks like it has been painted on.
Many Yellow-rumped Warblers visited the PAWS Campus in late winter and early spring. I took this silhouette shot as one of the warblers was hovering and gleaning insects from the blossoms on a maple tree. I like how you can faintly see the splotch of yellow on the bird’s chin and the stripes on the wings near the body.
Another favorite silhouette shot from 2011 was this one. Can you guess what the bird is?
If you guessed that the silhouette belonged to a Downy Woodpecker, you were correct. Here’s another shot of the same species from 2011 showing the bird’s namesake downy feathers on his back.
Almost every spring, a male Black-headed Grosbeak arrives on PAWS Campus. I usually hear him singing for several weeks, and occasionally catch glimpses of him, high in the trees by the retention pond. This year though, he flew down and began foraging in the Indian Plum bushes next to me as I was walking along the driveway. It was a treat to see him so close, although he seemed a bit suspicious of me.
The summer of 2011 was very disappointing weather-wise. The temperatures rarely approached anything that I would consider warm. On one of the rare sunny days in July, I noticed this Band-tailed Pigeon sitting high in a tree behind the wildlife center preening himself. He looked as happy to see and feel the sun as I was that day.
The local crows served as my assistants in finding birds of prey on the PAWS Campus in 2011. They were especially vocal about this visiting Barred Owl that stopped by in August. The owl had clearly been mobbed by crows in the past though, because he knew how to choose a perch that provided him excellent protection from being dive-bombed.
This young Cooper’s Hawk caused a bit of a stir over the summer when he took an interest in the birds in the wildlife center’s songbird aviaries. This photo was taken as he was sitting on top of an aviary trying to sort out how to get at the birds on the other side of the wire.
The hawk was very persistent, and we eventually had to cover the top of the aviary with a tarp so he could no longer see the birds. He seemed very confused by the whole situation, but he moved on after the tarp was put in place.
One of the funniest wildlife encounters I had on PAWS Campus in 2011 involved a young Eastern Gray Squirrel that was apparently confused about which things were edible and which were not. As she was burying what appeared to be a piece of bark, she realized that I was watching her.
She then moved her burying spot slightly, so it was obscured from my view behind the tree, but she still thought I might want to steal her prize. She plopped down in front of the spot where she had buried the bark and gave me an “I am on to you!” look as she munched away on what looked like a clump of dirt.
In April I had a close encounter with this Raccoon along the PAWS dog walking trail. A color version of this photo was included in the Campus Update at the time, but I like it much better converted to black-and-white.
One of my favorite insect photos from the 2011 Campus Updates was this one showing a bumblebee, flecked with pollen, visiting a Fireweed blossom.
I wasn’t sure that this Green Shield Bug (aka Green Stink Bug) was even aware of my presence until he assumed his defensive posture and started exuding this drop of smelly liquid.
Another favorite insect encounter in 2011 was with this charismatic individual. I still have not properly identified him/her.
Last but not least, we have a photo that fascinated some people and gave others nightmares. I encountered this pair of dome web spiders in late August as they were going through their courtship and mating. Looking through my macro lens, I could see the male spider’s hematadocha (indicated by red arrow below) expanding and deflating. It was a fascinating process to observe, and I was thrilled that I actually managed to capture it in a photo. It’s a good reminder that the tiny wild creatures around us are every bit as complex and interesting as the much larger furred and feathered varieties.
Make a point to watch and listen for wild animals whenever you are out and about. The more you tune in to your surroundings, the more amazing things you will discover. Also, do what you can to protect, improve and restore the wildlife habitat around you. As the abundance of wildlife that benefits from the habitat here on PAWS's Campus can attest, every single square foot counts!
During the first week in January, the PAWS Wildlife Center admitted two new patients that had something in common- they had both been deceived by a trick of light. The first patient was a Red-breasted Sapsucker from Bothell, WA who arrived on January 2. Likely seeing a reflection and believing he was flying toward the trunk of a tree, the bird had instead collided hard with a window and suffered a broken wing.
The second patient, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, arrived on January 6. After flying headfirst into a window pane, the hawk was found sitting stunned in the nearby bushes.
As of this writing, the hawk was bright and alert, but she was awaiting X-rays to determine the cause of her drooping wings. As eye injuries are common with window collisions, especially in larger-eyed birds of prey, the hawk was examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist. Fortunately, both of her eyes appeared to be undamaged.
As these two birds, and dozens of others that PAWS will receive this year demonstrate, windows can pose an extreme hazard to our feathered neighbors. If you would like more information on avoding bird window strikes on your property, please visit the Common Problems page in the wildlife section of the PAWS website.
On January 1, at 9:30 am, we received our first wild patient of 2012 here at the PAWS Wildlife Center. This year's first arrival was a Northern Saw-whet Owl that was hit by a car along Washington's Highway 2. Fortunately, a passing driver spotted the diminutive raptor sitting on the shoulder of the road and stopped to rescue him. By the time the bird arrived at PAWS, he was in a deep state of shock due to head trauma he sustained during his earlier collision.
As of this writing, the owl's condition has improved, but he is still exhibiting the after-effects of his traumatic impact. Meanwhile, more animals in need are arriving every day. The circumstances that bring them to PAWS vary widely, but they all share one thing in common; they will all be given the highest quality of care that we can provide in the hope that they will once again slither, run, climb, jump, swim and fly free.
In 2011, PAWS transformed the lives of nearly 6,000 homeless, injured and abandoned animals thanks to the support of our amazing volunteers, adopters, donors, advocates and ambassadors. Last year, we achieved a number of amazing milestones:
• We moved into our new, much improved Cat City facility in the U-District, allowing us to increase the numbers of cats we take into our care.
• Our veterinarians successfully performed their first-ever blood transfusion on a young Black Bear cub.
• In April our annual PAWS Wild Night Gala raised a record breaking $347,000 to benefit the animals!
A Black Bear cub receiving a blood transfusion from PAWS veterinarians
We also witnessed unimaginable disasters and hardships. In May, a deadly tornado struck the town of Joplin, Missouri, displacing many families and leaving 1,300 cats and dogs homeless. PAWS helped rescue 50 cats from the disaster, flying them across the country to receive medical treatment before being adopted into new, loving homes.
Because of the generosity of supporters like you, we are able to provide and care for the thousands of animals who come through our doors every year, and we could not do it without your help.
“Without you, there is no us.”
Thank you for your ongoing support, and for being a champion for animals. Wishing you a very happy, healthy and humane New Year!
At right, Volunteer Byron Wilkes examines a kitten after the long flight from Joplin, MO
Looking for a tax break? Look no further -- make a year-end donation to PAWS! You'll not only be saving the lives of animals, you'll also save on your taxes. A donation to PAWS is 100% tax deductible! Every dollar makes a difference to the animals, too.
With your help in 2011, we were able to care for thousands of dogs, cats and wildlife animals. From orphaned Black Bear cubs and injured Bald Eagles, to kittens rescued from Joplin, MO and dogs in need of a new home, we could not have saved their lives without your support. Thank you.
We hope you’ll take a moment to make an end of the year tax-deductible donation for the animals at PAWS before December 31. With your support for the year ahead, we will continue saving the lives of thousands of animals throughout 2012.
Wishing you a very happy, healthy and humane New Year!
When Craig Walker came to PAWS as a volunteer, he imagined that his job would be a walk in the park. “Fresh air, exercise and just being with dogs sounded very appealing” he says. But little did he know that he would soon be putting his experience in commercial building maintenance to use as PAWS’ resident master welder and Caretaker Assistant.
Craig recalls, “I was about to sign up for kennel attendant when one of the staff members approached me and asked if I had any mechanical skills.” A week later he was building and repairing caging units, clearing brush, and helping with maintenance of the Wildlife Center facilities.
Although Craig may not spend much hands-on time with the animals, his efforts and building expertise have a direct impact on the well-being of the animals at PAWS. He feels a sense of accomplishment knowing that he is helping the animals in his own way, saying “It is gratifying to know I have made some animal’s stay a little more comfortable, a little safer and more pleasant.”
Volunteering at PAWS not only allows Craig the opportunity to help the animals, but to help PAWS staff and fellow volunteers as well. “I have helped improve working conditions and efficiency for those who care for the wildlife, and that is extremely rewarding.”
Outside of PAWS, Craig and his wife of 42 years enjoy boating in the warmer months with their four grandchildren, and he has recently contracted with a local plant nursery to create beautiful garden art!
Thank you, Craig, for your passion and dedication to the animals at PAWS. Your hard work and commitment really do make a difference.
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