Urban Phantom

The Urban Phantom has been relocated.

The black bear that seen earlier this week in Seattle was found yesterday in Everett, WA, just 30 miles north of where is was first sited. The bear turned up in another urban area, so wildlife officials tranquilized him and transported him out of the urban area. Hopefully for him, the adolescent male was dropped off along Highway 2 in an area that is not already claimed by an older, stronger bear. In the end, I'm happy the animal did not meet the same demise that the poor creature found in the University District three years ago.

According to wildlife officials, at no point were humans at risk from the bear; they claim that the bear was more at risk from cars or from dumpster diving. Evidently, human food doesn't do much good for bears. It probably doesn't do best for humans either!

Final Day

Today's my last day in clinic or hospital. At least of medical school. How will my wife and I celebrate? By packing, of course. But school is not quite over. After two days off next week, we teach second years procedures for a few days and then have a week of a summary course called "Capstone." I think that consists of advanced procedure training and learning the basic stuff that may have slipped through the cracks the first time.

Anyway, I am so happy to be finished with one more task that I could yip with joy. Fortunately, I can save myself the embarrassment because the neighborhood coyotes are at this moment doing just that. Well, at least they are yipping for some reason.

If you would like to read more of my reflections, consider following this link to my column at The Differential.

Seattle Bears

No. We are not getting another sports team. (Though I hardly noticed the NBA SuperSonics' absence.) A few years ago, a bear was found in Seattle's University District. It met a grisly demise at the hands of untrained law enforcement officers. Hopefully, the city has learned its lesson. Because there's a bear in Ballard. It's been sited in Seattle's West Shore: Magnolia, Ballard and the area. According to the Seattle Times, wildlife officials are involved. This guy is reading the ingredients on a tranquilizer dart.


I hope this bear is not destroyed. I wonder how much cash has been spent on the bear thus far. Multiple squad car chases and a helicopter have been involved... Read the article. You're not going to believe it.

Update 5/20/09

The bear, now named "Urban Phantom" has made his way back north and east of the city. Hopefully, we will find a spot more to his liking in the Cascades. Here's a map detailing many of the animal's sightings.

Snow Geese and Flying Home

On this Solstice Eve, the Pacific Northwest is getting slammed with a winter storm. And winter storms, we do not need! On Wednesday night Seattle received 1-2 inches (in most parts of the city), and look what happened:

Yes, that is a passenger bus that slid down a steep grade and plowed through a guard rail resulting in a cantilevered installation over I-5. Note the topography in the background. It's a good thing Seattle doesn't get winter weather very much. Susan and I are visiting our parents for the next two weeks, and hope to be able to leave Seattle tomorrow by plane. We also interview in the Bay Area on Monday and Tuesday! We'll be heading to the airport by bus extra early to account for difficulties from the the expected 4-8 inches of snow. If you want to see the view of the weather, here is a webcam view from the NOAA station across the street from where we live.

But we wanted to experience just a little bit of the current snow, so just as this evening's snow started to fall, we took a stroll around the golf course near our apartment. We were surprised to see a flock of about 30 large white birds circle and land on a nearby snow covered fairway. Upon closer inspection, I confirmed that it was a small gaggle of snow geese. I can only assume that they were in transit from the North Slope of Alaska to winter grounds in California or beyond.

At the time of writing, the snow has completely obstructed our view across Lake Washington. Unlike this Seattle-softened Midwesterner, I expect these birds to know what to do in the cold...

Eagles

One thing I know about wherever we end up next year after the residency search is that I probably will not be able to sit in my living room and take pictures like this. (This bird was probably 20 meters from my window.)


Granted this is an out-of-focus shot with a point-and-shoot digital camera, but that I can see this on a regular basis from where I type away on my various projects is one of several reasons why my wife and I will miss Seattle. I just wish I could have gotten the snow covered mountains or Lake Washington in the background of this shot. But really: yesterday, I saw a bald eagle, a red tailed hawk and a Cooper's hawk in the span of a few hours.

500 Coyotes

Earlier this week around 6 AM, we caught a glimpse of a bushy black-tipped tail. And this evening, there was the familiar refrain of yip yaweeee. What a great way to celebrate my 500th post! The introspective coyote, searching for his reflection in pavement puddles is not a bad representation of the recent self examination I've been doing in the residency application process.

I'm guessing this season will have more rain and introspection. Hopefully, more coyotes too!

Happy 500 to me!

A Woodland Riddle

Anyone out there up for a riddle?

When I was in Fairbanks for my obstetrics and gynecology rotation, I was fortunate to have a few days off so I could get out and experience the Alaskan landscape. Alaska is so big that it is impossible to make generalizations about the land. The people, the flora, the geology, the weather - it's difficult to write about the place without over-generalization.

One thing about interior Alaska that is hard not to notice is the trees. Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for several years, I've rediscovered a connection with the colossal organisms that define the landscapes here. Evergreens are, after all, the reason Seattle can claim the title of Emerald City. It isn't surprising that one of the first things I noticed after landing in Fairbanks was the diminutive stature of the area's trees. Black and white spruce, paper birch, alder and poplar are the main species there. And none of them grow much taller than 40 feet! Old growth forest consists of tree trunks less than a foot in diameter. The short growing season conspires with the extreme winter cold to limit tree height and diameter.

There is something else peculiar about interior Alaska's trees. There is a much higher frequency of burl formation there than any place I've been. Woodworkers know burls to be valuable sources of figured wood. Laminates, sculptures, and bowls derived from burls are things of beauty. Hikers and orcharders know burls to be those funny bulbous growths along the trunk, roots and limbs of trees. One of the more affected trees I encountered on a hike is shown at the left.

The strangest thing about burls is that no one really knows what causes them. Theories range from insect infestation, mechanical damage, genetics, fungus and soil contents. What I know is that when a medical student who has been a biomedical researcher and is an amateur woodworker encounters these misshapen trees in the forest, the first thing he thinks of is a riddle. That's right, the trees speak to me! This one said:

You doctors, you searchers, you cutters of flesh;
You sawyers, you sculptors, you dry aesthetes:
Gather together to crack my mystery.

So then, my witty readers... What do you think it all means? What was this telling me? How and when might we be able to figure the etiology of this I'll put up what I think it was telling me next week, and provide grades on your responses. I hope some brave readers will offer solutions to this mystery, first.

Denali!

Details later. I've got to focus on school for a while.

The abbreviated version is: phenomenal views, lots of animals, fantastic hiking, a national park anyone could fall in love with...

Interior Alaska's Granite Tors

Tors are spires of metamorphic rock at the top of hills, bluffs and mountains, often in stark contrast to rolling hills on which they sit. In most cases, tors are the residual volcanic rock from old mountains that has not eroded like its surrounding substrate. They often appear as old and weathered spires. Remember the hilltop ruins where Frodo Baggins was stabbed by the witch king in The Fellowship of the Ring? That's what tors look like. Over the years, humans have associated tors with sacred places. The celts thought them to be hilltop sanctuaries of the gods. I think some of them look like chickens.

And yes, my mind's eye does often employ MSPaint highlights in the field. Maybe the spruce grouse we saw on the way up to the ridge put poultry on my mind. Perhaps I was a little hungry 10 miles into our journey. Or maybe I was thinking about my friend Atis. It was the first weekend we had off since his wedding!

These chickens - I mean tors - are important clues to interior Alaska's natural history. As a nice little article from the University of Alaska Fairbanks points out,

they have a special significance, for they are monumental proof that Pleistocene glaciers did not cover the areas where the tors are found. If glaciers had covered the areas, the tors would have been scraped away by the ice. Thus, the tors demonstrate that central Alaska was open to the migration of plants and animals even during the height of the last glaciation.

Interior Alaska has been a really nice place to see a surprisingly diverse collection of flora and fauna. Not being frozen for thousands of years is a good reason. Another (much more recent) cause is that the area around Chena Hot Springs was recently scorched by a sizable forest fire so the areas we hiked through were in various stages of recovery. GoogleMaps actually caught the fire with its satellite! It wasn't the exact location of the hike, but it's close enough...

What the satellite could not capture was this cute hoary marmot. If the rodent had known the satellite was taking pictures, however, I'm pretty sure she would have posed just as much as she did for me.


This hike was unique in that its primary goal was to explore a geologic formation. It was a mammoth walk to see some mammoth rocks. We did the entire 15 miles in one medium to long day. Stopping for lots of scenery and snack breaks, we finished in about 8 hours. The granite tors trail is one of a quite nice collection of trails in the Chena River valley. Trailheads are along Chena Hot Springs Road as you drive from Fairbanks to, well Chena Hot Springs. If you're okay with walking though some burnt forests, this hike will reward you!

All photos may be enlarged for better viewing...

A Whale of a Time

When in Valdez a few weeks ago, my wife and I took a glacier and wildlife boat tour of Prince William Sound. We couldn't get very close to the Columbia glacier, but we did see a trove of wildlife. Including breaching humpbacks. I don't have time to crop them into figure-like insets, so here are a few glimpses. Seeing these whales kindof made me feel like I was saving for retirement...

The classic fin shot:
A good breach, if a little skewed on the horizon...

Those mountains in the background were 100 miles away.

The forecast doesn't look so swell for this weekend at Denali. I've heard that it's nice there no matter the weather.

Photos as Proof

The pictures I take tend to fit into four categories:

1. Fun Portraits
2. Scenic or Art Shots
3. Proof Photos
4. "I could blog about that someday"
   

Of these, you'd probably expect to see the last variety here. But since I'm explaining this to you, and included a cryptic third category, you should have picked up that I'd post type 3. Proof photos are not of the best quality, composition or interest, but they do prove that you've seen what you claim. Celebrities, animals and landmarks find themselves in this category. You get to see some animal proof photos from a trip we took to Valdez, Alaska a couple of weekends ago. Arranged in a photo montage, here is evidence of both black bear and brown bear sightings. The black (on the left) is a clear call. The brown, spotted at mile post 3 of the Richardson Highway (where the road to the pipeline terminus turns) was with a cub. Note the pronounced shoulder as she trotted across the road and the large, round ears. Black bears can be brown in color, but methinks this was a grizz!Anyone able to support or deny this claim?

Update 6/8! This is definitely a black bear that happens to be brown. Grizzly bears look a lot different. Had to go to Denali to gain the needed experience to make this assessment...

Alaska + Animals = Alaskanimals

It's fun to be in Alaska for the summer. The birch trees budded, bloomed and filled their limbs with leaves in about a week. The animals don't mess around either. As soon as it thaws, the fauna get out to load up on calories. Our animal list is phenomenal so far. And it's only been three weeks. Even less if you nix the time we spent removing gall bladders and delivering babies. So in 5 days, we've seen...

Hmmm. No one likes a list. Now that I've uploaded the files to my laptop, I'll periodically post pictures of what we were able to catch with the camera. Hopefully, I'll catch up before we go to Denali this weekend. The first two animals are two of my wife's favorites. Ironically, I've also found specimens of each for future use in Wunderkammern. In one case, a hoof and another case a foot. Lucky for me. Not so lucky for the donor.

Welcome to Fairbanks

9:30 PM

As in, I took this photograph of my rental car at 9:30 PM.

I'm in Fairbanks for my obstetrics and gynecology rotation. My wife will be doing surgery. Today consisted of finding the hospital, the outpatient clinic, and a delicious Korean restaurant in a bowling alley's basement. We also paid visits to the Safeway for groceries. This evening, it's 63 degrees and party sunny. Notice in the photo above the power cord hanging out of the Subaru's grille. This isn't some alternative energy scheme, when temperatures drop, a preheated engine increases the chances of successful start and also reduces emissions. We don't expect to use the plug. After all, we noticed college co-eds from the University of Alaska walking down the street in shorts and bikinis this afternoon!

In Spokane, our apartment was adjacent to Lincoln Park, which offered a nice place for evening strolls. Here in Fairbanks, we're just next to a bird sanctuary called Creamer's Field. On our exploratory walk this evening, we saw sandhill cranes! Some were engaged in their silly mating dance.

And The Sky Went Wild

The Wild Sky Wilderness is a reality!

Just northeast of Seattle is an area of amazing beauty and spectacular scenery that until today was just a patch of government land. Today, after many years of politcal wrangling, it has been Federally designated as wilderness, thereby protecting it for generations to come. This wouldn't be possible if Richard Pombo (R-Ca) had not been defeated in 2006 and if George W. Bush wasn't trying to salvage his 2000 campaign promises of expanding national parks and preservation areas.

The photo above shows an area just up the ridge from the Skykomish River, nearly at the point where I wrapped my canoe around a boulder two summers ago. I'd like to blame the scenery on my faulty steering, but really, I just read the river wrong... What's nice is that the 'Sky' river is just on the border of this soon-to-be pristene area. It will now be difficult to develop the river, thereby preserving the land, the sport and the fishery in that basin.

Put the Wild Sky Wilderness on your list of must-hike outdoors destinations. But not too many of you...

Photo credit to Joshua Trujillo and the Seattle P-I.

Pigeon Brained

This takes the urban naturescape to a whole new level.

According to the Seattle Times, someone has been shooting pigeons with a blow gun. Given that most pigeons have pigeon brains, a shot to the head seems not to be fatal in several instances. The pigeon above was alive and a

quite athletic, good flier.

I have trouble approving of or denouncing this activity without additional facts. Does the shooter intend to eat the pigeon? (Probably not.) Is this part of a larger pigeon eradication effort? (Again, not so likely.) Is the problem with this the sport itself or the failure to quickly kill? (PETA probably thinks both, but I lean more heavily on the latter.) Is the pigeon from Capitol Hill or the University District, where piercing such as this would immediately elevate himto higher social circles? (Actully, the injured birds have been found downtown at Third and Union.) Wait a minute, Third and Union is awfully close to Benaroya Hall and the Seattle Art Museum. Is this some kind of sick urban art project? Hmmm... Where can you get a metal dart blow gun?

Image from Franziska Edwards and PETA

Getting Along Just Fine

This photograph taken in the Seattle backyard of two of my dear friends provides evidence of a harmony between species that some might say is impossible. These two people have a way of making the unimaginable real. They also got married yesterday!

Congratulations A & C!

April X Begets May Y

If April showers bring May flowers, what do April flurries bring?

Curries?
Worries?
Slurries?

This message brought to you by a man and his duck.

Duck Curries, that is.

A Prized Nest

Old-tyme readers may recall that I enjoy cataloging nature around my apartment. Blog posts and art projects are my primary documentation. One of my favorite little birds is the common bushtit. Not only is the bird's name funny, it is a fun bird to watch. I often see them traveling in groups of 15-30 birds, hopping between bushes and trees in search of insects and berries. As very social birds, they tend to cheep up a storm. Last year, one of my birding friends alerted me to the fact that these birds build amazing nests. I never imagined that North American birds constructed anything other than, well, birdnest shaped nests. Bushtits build socks! Employing nature's wonder-material (spider webs) as the main structural element, these little birds build deep (and toasty) sacks.

After a year of casual searching for a nest, last weekend I spotted one during my required daily ambulation period! (Too much studying turns my brain to sludge, and walking/running around is excellent DVT prophylaxis.) These nests are amazing. Here's a photo of the nest I found; it's silhouetted against a typical Seattle grey sky:

Evidently, bushtit nests are warm enough that the jelly-bean sized eggs need only be incubated 40% of the day. The nests are used for a period of 8 weeks and support two broods each year. If they are disturbed, adults will abandon the nest and build a new one. It takes 3-5 days for a nest to be built. In urban areas, crows like to tear apart the nests and devour the babies; some observers report that the crows do this 'just for fun.' Humans also tend to collect these nests. Sadly, a week after I snapped this photo, the nest was gone. Someone clipped the branch from which it hung. I have since spotted two other bushtit nests in the area. Hopefully, those socks will support a few broods before falling victim to predators.

If you're in Seattle and want to know where the other nests that I've spotted are, I'll tell you if you promise not to disturb them!

For more info about bushtits or any other bird in Washington State, visit the BirdWeb site. It's an excellent resource for pictures, habitat, songs, distribution and behavior. (That's where I got the nice little bird picture above.)

Mooned!

The moon passed through the lower aspect of Earth's shadow (also called the umbra) this evening resulting in a total lunar eclipse. My previous attempts at photographing the eclipse failed for three reasons.

1. No good camera
2. No good telescope
3. No tripod

Thanks to Spokane's cloudless sky, look what I can do now!

Actually, I didn't need any of the above to get this image. Instead, I found a nice picture with the help of Mr. Google, then I rotated it in Photoshop to get to just the right angle, then voila! A striking representation of what I saw in the Spokane sky tonight. Well, except that the craters and plains on the moon's surface are in the wrong location...

Update! My former labmate from PhD land was interviewed on Seattle's King5 news about the eclipse. Watch the news segment here, and read about the Green Lake experience on her blog.

Flicker

My wife and I installed a homemade bird feeder fashioned from a gallon milk jug on our back fence. So far, the only critters who frequent it are a pair of squirrels. We've seen a bevy of quail in the park on the other side of the fence, and a few stragglers have investigated the seed strewn in the snow by the messy rodents. But to my knowledge, no birds have actually visited the feeder proper. You can imagine my delight when I saw a flicker sitting above the feeder trying to decide if it was safe to jump down to munch on the delicious seed. It's fair to say that:

The flicker was on the fence about the bird feeder.

Photo lifted from the NaturalVisions Birding Website.