As noted in my last article about birding on the beach, shorebirds abound daily. As summer wanes and fall begins, more and more shorebirds will be visiting our beaches and the mudflats of Willapa Bay. This area is critical for feeding and resting. These tiny birds travel many hundreds of mil…
CORVALLIS — Even though we've had a mild summer, conifers in the region are still getting hit hard by several years of drought, to the point that many are dying.
ILWACO — Mark Chesler is helping to bring green leafy tranquility to Ilwaco.
There is nothing lovelier than our ocean beaches on a warm, sunny summer's day, especially at low tide. At this time of year shorebirds abound as they stop here to rest and feed before flying off to their wintering grounds.
LONG BEACH — The 2019-20 razor clam season doesn't start until October, but the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is already busy making stock assessments, a major step in deciding how many clams can be harvested.
LONG BEACH – The Surf ‘N Saddle junior rodeo brought Northwest Junior Rodeo Association competitors to Long Beach last weekend, Aug. 3-4. A hundred twenty-five kids of almost all ages entered the event, divided into Buckaroo (five and under) Pee Wee (6-8), Junior (9-13) and Senior (14-18) ag…
At a time of year when snails and slugs would usually be under moist forest debris, recent rains brought the hardy snail out into the open, where it found refuge on a twig.
COLUMBIA RIVER — Fall seasons and regulations were set for some treaty fishing and non-treaty commercial fishing in the lower Columbia River Basin, with the Oregon-Washington Columbia River Compact's approval on July 30.
Summer is a good time to study or just notice bird behavior. Parents are feeding young and the young are trying to find their independence. Newly-fledged birds tend to follow their parents, stopping close to them, furiously flapping their wings and uttering begging noises that say, feed me, …
LONG BEACH — The 35th annual Sandsations took place July 24-27, with master and amateur sand sculptors competing for cash prizes utilizing unconventional tools in creating elaborate sand sculptures.
The unmanned "miniboat" built by Naselle Elementary School students has officially set sail.
July and August are the months to observe baby birds. Most birds have finished nesting by now.
Wednesday, July 24
OCEAN PARK — It was a taco salad night early this year when single-dad, Gordon Jensen, went into a local grocery store to buy lettuce. He was shocked to see the price, almost $5 a head. When you're feeding two teenagers, high food costs can sometimes get in the way of healthy eating.
SEATTLE — For female mosquitoes, finding their next meal is all about smelling and seeing.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the competition for the nesting box between the black-capped chickadee and the red-breasted nuthatch. After disappearing for a while to build a nest, lay eggs and raise their young, the black-capped chickadee parents appeared at the suet feeder with one offsprin…
PENINSULA — Seven gardens at homes up and down the Peninsula were open for the six-hour Long Beach Peninsula Garden tour Saturday, July 13.
CORVALLIS — Unsightly and seemingly uncontrollable, weeds have a way of taking over the garden in the time it takes to put the hoe away.
Have you ever been away for a few days and when you returned noticed that the birdbath was dry so you scrubbed it and filled it up. In my case, this is exactly what happened, and after 30 seconds the excitement began. The birds in the yard lined up to take a turn in the clean, fresh water. T…
LONG BEACH — The Long Beach Police Department will be conducting its annual Hunter Education Class.
CORVALLIS — Even though we've had a mild summer, conifers in the region are still getting hit hard by several years of drought, to the point that many are dying.
ILWACO — Mark Chesler is helping to bring green leafy tranquility to Ilwaco.
There is nothing lovelier than our ocean beaches on a warm, sunny summer's day, especially at low tide. At this time of year shorebirds abound as they stop here to rest and feed before flying …
LONG BEACH — The 2019-20 razor clam season doesn't start until October, but the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is already busy making stock assessments, a major step in deciding ho…
LONG BEACH – The Surf ‘N Saddle junior rodeo brought Northwest Junior Rodeo Association competitors to Long Beach last weekend, Aug. 3-4. A hundred twenty-five kids of almost all ages entered …
At a time of year when snails and slugs would usually be under moist forest debris, recent rains brought the hardy snail out into the open, where it found refuge on a twig.
COLUMBIA RIVER — Fall seasons and regulations were set for some treaty fishing and non-treaty commercial fishing in the lower Columbia River Basin, with the Oregon-Washington Columbia River Co…
Summer is a good time to study or just notice bird behavior. Parents are feeding young and the young are trying to find their independence. Newly-fledged birds tend to follow their parents, st…
LONG BEACH — The 35th annual Sandsations took place July 24-27, with master and amateur sand sculptors competing for cash prizes utilizing unconventional tools in creating elaborate sand sculptures.
The unmanned "miniboat" built by Naselle Elementary School students has officially set sail.
July and August are the months to observe baby birds. Most birds have finished nesting by now.
Wednesday, July 24
OCEAN PARK — It was a taco salad night early this year when single-dad, Gordon Jensen, went into a local grocery store to buy lettuce. He was shocked to see the price, almost $5 a head. When y…
SEATTLE — For female mosquitoes, finding their next meal is all about smelling and seeing.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the competition for the nesting box between the black-capped chickadee and the red-breasted nuthatch. After disappearing for a while to build a nest, lay eggs and…
PENINSULA — Seven gardens at homes up and down the Peninsula were open for the six-hour Long Beach Peninsula Garden tour Saturday, July 13.
CORVALLIS — Unsightly and seemingly uncontrollable, weeds have a way of taking over the garden in the time it takes to put the hoe away.
Have you ever been away for a few days and when you returned noticed that the birdbath was dry so you scrubbed it and filled it up. In my case, this is exactly what happened, and after 30 seco…
LONG BEACH — The Long Beach Police Department will be conducting its annual Hunter Education Class.
You may remember the story I wrote about seeing my first marbled murrelet after many years of searching. Well, the search for another North American species came to fruition a month or so ago …
LONG BEACH PENINSULA — Some of our area's lowest tides of 2019 are this week. These predictions for Cape D are representative of tides all along the Pacific County coast:
PENINSULA — The photos in this article illustrate the different types of homes that our feathered friends of the Long Beach Peninsula and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge use.
ILWACO — The ocean recreational salmon fishing season opened Saturday with local charter fleets reporting aggressive fish and frequent limits, often well before lunchtime.
OLYMPIA — Sport anglers will have the opportunity to reel in salmon off the Washington coast starting Saturday, June 22.
Freshwater ponds are communities that are generally full of wildlife. Many mammals, insects, amphibians and birds are all at home in freshwater ponds and their surrounding vegetation. I visite…
A new river otter family is in residence at the Port of Chinook. Mama takes her babies for some swim time, dock time, and then back to their rock den in the breakwater.
A limit of rainbow trout dangles from the stringer at Western Lake near Naselle, Wash.
An osprey prepares to eviscerate a Columbia River large scale sucker, a large portion of the bird’s daily diet.
Like most people raised in the Northwest, I have had some sort of contact with sports fishing nearly all my life.
As of June 1, it is no longer mandatory to use barbless hooks to fish for salmon, steelhead and trout in the Columbia River.
The big tease is on! Several species of birds are acting like they want to nest in the yard. A pair of black-capped chickadees seem to be competing with a pair of red-breasted nuthatches for a…
ILWACO — “Orca Day,” a free, family-friendly event recognizing the Columbia River’s role in the lives of struggling southern resident orcas, is being sponsored June 15 at Cape Disappointment S…
Action: Opens recreational halibut fishing on Saturday, June 15 in Marine Areas 3 and 4 (Neah Bay and La Push). Opens recreational halibut fishing Thursday, June 20 in Marine Area 2 (Westport)…
OLYMPIA — Anglers on a large portion of the Columbia River and many of its tributaries will no longer be required to use barbless hooks when fishing for salmon and steelhead beginning June 1.
OLYMPIA — Each year, thousands of Washingtonians go fishing — legally — without a license on “Free Fishing Weekend,” scheduled for June 8-9.
OCEAN PARK — John Fugitt has moved around a lot in his lifetime. He was a nomad of sorts, changing locations and jobs seemingly at the drop of a hat. But one constant always held true and that…
ILWACO — Wellspring Community Network, Ilwaco High School Youth Action Klub (YAK) and Sources of Strength are hosting the 2019 Color the Lake Fun Run this Saturday, June 1, at 9 a.m. at Black …
Thinking about spring and all the bird song that fills the air reminds me of that there has been relative silence during the winter months. Bird song begins with spring and builds throughout t…
White pelicans have found sweet spots of fish along Baker Bay and Ilwaco harbor. They have been spotted at various locations for several days. They were a species unknown in the vicinity of th…
OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled a public meeting to discuss possible changes to sturgeon regulations, including one affecting Southwest Washington. The m…
To go birding on the Peninsula is a treat. There are so many places and so many species!
CORVALLIS — When it comes to sharing space, humans and wildlife don’t see eye to eye.
LONGVIEW — Mark your calendars for Monday, May 20, when Martyn Kenefick will give a presentation on birding in Trinidad and Tobago, the twin-island nation that lies in the Caribbean just north…
The safety and beauty of Ilwaco High School’s Black Lake Campus provided the “delivery room” for a joyous spring event on Thursday, when a black-tailed doe gave birth to twin fawns. This is wh…
SEAVIEW — One day last week, gardener Terran Bruinier parked her bright yellow pick up with the matching equipment trailer in tow in front of the Shelburne Inn. She unloaded some equipment and…
OLYMPIA — Anglers who fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin will no longer be required to purchase an endorsement to do so beginning July 1.
PACIFIC COUNTY — Springtime comes with increased wildlife activity, which allows for exciting wildlife viewing opportunities statewide. However, with bears emerging from den sites and other hu…
ILWACO — The 27th Annual Black Lake Fishing Derby will be held on April 27, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
SURFSIDE — A cold and exhausted little fur seal pup from Baja, Mexico was rescued from south of the Oysterville beach approach by Seaside Aquarium staff on April 23.
In bygone days it was not thought to be a problem to release species of birds or animals from other parts of the world to North America and vice versa. In fact, the idea was supported and enco…
By the time you are reading this story the bird parade will be at its peak. Spring migration is one of the biggest parades on earth. It begins in February and carries on until the month of Jun…
A few years ago I wrote about the barn owl. It was important because there was one nesting in Grays River at the time. Now, I think, is good time to revisit the barn owl because my friends Jud…
OLYMPIA — During this year’s legislative session, pink has become the new orange. On April 10, the state House of Representatives passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5148, a bill ex…
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