#pacific western

[pickleweed2]

Intricate cascading roots on a Western Hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla.

Olympic National Park| 11-30-2023

[pnwander]

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Today is apparently ANGRY STABBY BIRB DAY.

I was taking a walk on the boardwalk out near Bolstadt in Long Beach, when I came across this western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) stranded on the path ahead of me. It looked alert and uninjured, so chances were just that it couldn't take flight off of the hard surface, but I called Peninsula Wild Care anyway to see if they wanted to bring it in for a checkup.

They quickly coordinated a couple of volunteers to meet me nearby, and I needed to get the grebe out of the way since a lot of people walk their dogs there and not all of them are on leashes. I figured okay, this is a relatively small bird, not as big as the muscovies I've carted around on the farm, and it seems calm, right?

NOPE. As I tried to gently reach for the grebe it turned from a calm, if confused pile of feathers on the decking to Stabby McStabberson, and I very nearly got jabbed and nipped a few times by a long, pointy beak attached to a surprisingly agile and very much NOT happy bird. I ended up having to take my hoodie off and dropping it over the entire grebe, and only when the lights were out could I bundle it up and carry it over to the meeting place.

Since it was pretty energetic, not obviously sick or injured, and its body condition felt decent (at least through the hoodie) I'm hoping it's going to get released soon enough after a checkup and a nice meal of fish. Many waterbirds have a lot of trouble taking off from hard surfaces because their feet are so far back on their bodies--which is great for swimming and water takeoffs, but not so helpful on land. If the bird had stayed stranded there they could have been injured or killed by another animal, or ended up dehydrated.

So let's hear it for Stabby the Angry Grebe, and wish them a good release back into the wild!

[orofeaiel]

Western Harebell

[cinnamonrollsledge]

“A hospital alone shows what war is.” - Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

[pamietniko]

beautiful details in a winter forest

Snoqualmie, Washington

[backwoodspriestess]

Fog is so comforting

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

I Know The End, Phoebe Bridgers / Masters of The Air (2024) / SAS: Rogue Heroes, Season 1 (2022) / All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) / Generation Kill (2008) / Band of Brothers (2001) / The Pacific (2010) / Jojo Rabbit (2019) / Saving Private Ryan (1998) / 1917 (2019) / Dunkirk (2017) / War Horse (2011) / The Pianist (2002)

[seabeck]

Yellow bonnets, species unknown

[coolthingsguyslike]

[todaysbird]

Today's bird is a Pacific Black Duck doing a perfect duckdive (and its buddy chilling on the log)

[pnwander]

western tanager

[emaadsidiki]

Wings Waves & Seagull Tales 𓆩(•࿉•)𓆪 (Western Gull) ⋋(•⌔•)⋌

[orofeaiel]

Western Panther

[cinnamonrollsledge]

I am young, I am twenty years of age; but I know nothing of life except despair, death, fear, and the combination of completely mindless superficiality with an abyss of suffering. I see people being driven against one another, & silently, uncomprehendingly, foolishly, obediently, and innocently killing one another. I see the best brains in the world inventing weapons and words to make the whole process that much more sophisticated and long-lasting. And watching this with me are all my contemporaries, here and on the other side, all over the world- my whole generation is experiencing this with me. - Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front HBO WWII Rewatch | Week 11 - Character + Quote

[abbymahlerphoto]

big sur, august 2023

nikon n90s, fujisuperia400 film