The deaths of trumpeter swans continue to be a problem in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties, so the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has re-established a hotline so the public can report ill or dead swans.
The 24-hour hotline, now in its third straight year, is 360-466-4345, ext. 266. It will operate through the end of February.
Many trumpeters die each year from lead poisoning because they have ingested lead shot in areas where they feed. Although lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting in Washington and British Columbia for more than a decade, biologists believe that the swans are still picking up old shot in shallow underwater areas near fields and roosts.
About 100 trumpeters were found dead from lead poisoning last year. There were likely more deaths, but the carcasses weren’t found.
Expert skiers, heed the call: The just-opened Northway Lift at Crystal Mountain is Western Washington’s first new lift-served terrain since Stevens Pass opened Mill Valley in 1987.
The Doppelmayr chair takes skiers on a 10-minute ride to the 1,000-acre North Country, terrain suitable for expert backcountry skiers and snowboarders. The double chair lift will, by design, limit the skier capacity in this new venue.
Once off the lift, immediate choices include four bowls: Snorting Elk, Northway, Paradise and Bruce’s. Follow the Right Angle Ridge for expert glades and chutes. Take one of the new trails that will feed skiers to the bottom of Northway.
Climbers need to switch: The location of the climbing register for Mount St. Helens — Jack’s Restaurant near Cougar — was recently destroyed by fire. If you want to climb St. Helens through March 31, go to the Cougar Store to register for the free permits required by Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Singing in the brain: Researcher Chris Thompson will take listeners inside a bird’s brain when he talks about how a bird’s circuitry controls singing behaviors and how seasonal changes affect the circuitry.
Those insights may help explain the yearly changes in birds’ songs.
The 7 p.m. Jan. 11 meeting will be held at Mariner High School, 200 120th St. SW, Everett. For more information, call 425-252-0926.
Boats on turf: The West Coast’s largest boat show just got bigger by spilling out of Qwest Field Event Center onto the football field (and let’s not forget the 200-boat Lake Union display).
At least there’s a free shuttle.
The Jan. 24-Feb. 2 Seattle Boat Show features more than 1,000 crafts, seminars and innovative accessories. Promotions include a casting contest and a field-goal kicking contest.
Look, listen, learn: The Padilla Bay Estuarine Research Reserve has several interesting adult-oriented classes during January and February, including Flowering Plants of Puget Sound, The Estuary in Color Pencil, Birding by Ear, and Winter Hawks of the Skagit Flats. For more information, call 360-428-1558 or go to www.padillabay.gov.
On the bookshelf: The moral of this story might be that the family that hikes together, stays together.
“Zero Days” ($16, Wilderness Press) by Barbara Egbert is a tale of adventure as Egbert and Gary Chambers, in their 50s, take their 10-year-old daughter Mary on a hike — a 2,650-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Their ups and downs are as varied as the terrain. But in the end, Mary became the youngest person to successfully walk the entire route from Mexico to Canada.
There were times of physical distress and danger (blizzard conditions at Slate Peak, low-flying jet’s sonic boom causing blocks of ice to fall toward them, blistered feet, bad knees) fortunately balanced by trail angels, spectacular sights, love and Mary’s amazing ability to play and keep a journal in the face of challenges.
This is not a day-by-day account but a grouping of days according to topics, a nice change from the usual linear telling of a trip.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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