5 timely ways to learn about, enjoy the natural world
Published 12:59 pm Friday, April 3, 2015
There are 12 woodpeckers living in Washington state. How many can you name?
The easy picks for most birdwatchers are hairy, downy, flicker, and probably the pileated. The next pair, a little harder: Lewis’s, acorn.
Sapsuckers are woodpeckers, too: Williamson’s, yellow-bellied, red-naped, red-breasted. That’s 10.
Ready for the last pair?
American three-toed and white-headed.
Teresa Lorenz knows a lot about the white-headed woodpeckers of Eastern Washington’s ponderosa pine forests. On April 10 in Everett, the research biologist with the U.S. Forest Service will talk about the latest findings from four years of radio telemetry and color-banding of white-headed woodpeckers.
Lorenz will speak at the 7 p.m. meeting of the Pilchuck Audubon Society at Everett Firefighters Hall, 2411 Hewitt Ave. For more information, leave a message at 425-610-8027.
Birds and bees: They’re the stars at two free talks on April 11 at the Edmonds Wildlife Habitat &Native Plant Demonstration Garden. At 10 a.m., Candy Brown will give tips on how to attract hummingbirds to your garden, patio or windows, and explain their habits.
From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Todd Brown will talk about making your garden a haven for mason bees. He’ll explain the mason bee life cycle, the five mason bee essentials, how to build a mason bee box, and how to manage your mason bees year round.
The demonstration garden is at 95 Pine St. in Edmonds, just west of Edmonds Way at the Willow Creek Hatchery. For more information, contact Susie Schaefer, 425-771-8165 or garden@pilchuckaudubon.org.
Really, it’s free: No need for a Discover Pass on Earth Day, April 22, for Washington state parks. Free park days are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.
The legislation provided that state parks could designate up to 12 free days each year when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. A pass is still required to access WDFW and DNR Lands on those days.
The remaining 2015 free days are May 10, June 6, June 13, Aug. 25, Sept. 26 and Nov. 11.
Summer camp: The Burke Museum in Seattle offers several half-day summer camps for kids in kindergarten to eight grade. Dinosaurs, earthquakes, gems, Ice Age, games from around the Pacific, archeology, forensic investigation and endangered animals are some of the topics. Fees range from $200 to $365. For more information, go to www.burkemuseum.org/education/summer, or call 206-543-9681.
Spring surprise: If you’re taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, be aware that black bears are affected by the warmth, too. They’re on the move early this year, said cougar and bear specialist Rich Beausoleil of the Washington State Department of Wildlife.
“Black bears usually start making appearances in mid-to-late April, but warm weather can cause them to stir earlier. Black bears are hungry when they emerge from their dens, because they lose up to half of their body weight during hibernation,” he said.
Bears look for the easiest source of high-protein food, often provided by humans: bird seed, leftovers in garbage cans, pet food. While bears are naturally wary of humans, free food and hunger take precedent, leading to bear-human interactions.
WDFW police officers respond to hundreds of situations involving bears every year, ranging from raids on garbage cans and bird feeders to confrontations with pets and an occasional human.
Too much trouble to take in the bird feeder and pets at night? Unintentional or negligent feeding can bring a fine of $87; intentionally feeding as much as $1,000.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
