Wildlife (Mostly Birds) at the Slough

I visit the Slough … they live there

I’m a frequent visitor to the Slough, but for the animals pictured here, the Slough is their home. I love watching the rhythm of their lives. Below are just a few favorites from among hundreds of photos.

This Bald Eagle pair had the best view of the Slough until their nest blew out during a big storm in December 2021. I keep waiting for them to build back.

I dig the Great Blue Herons, especially when they take flight like modern-day pterodactyls.

The Northern Harrier can usually be seen gliding 20 feet off the ground, hunting for prey, though I finally caught him sitting still in the second photo.

I love this little Merlin, who we usually spot in the distance as we get to Dead Tree Mile—but he rarely lets us get close enough for a picture.

I could go bonkers posting pictures of ducks and other waterfowl, many of them passing through on their migratory routes, but I think the Common Mergansers are my favorites, especially when they take off, barely lifting their feet above the surface of the water.

Ah, and then there are all the little brown dicky birds singing and hopping about. Below, a Golden Crowned Sparrow and a couple of shots of the little Song Sparrow with the golden voice. I’ve left out so many! Some of the best singers—the Marsh Wren and the Common Yellowthroat—are notoriously difficult to photograph, and so they’re missing for now. Go out and listen for yourself.

I love the ring around the eyes on this Ruby Crowned Kinglet; the sharp beak and distinctive eye band of the Bewick’s Wren; and the flighty buzz of the Bushtit, which can usually be found with a dozen friends, skittering through the bushes ahead of us.

He may be small, but this Anna’s Hummingbird takes no shit from other birds, rising into the air and dive bombing those who dare come close to his favorite perch atop the blackberries just opposite Dead Tree Mile.

Of course, it’s not just birds out at the Slough. At the right time of year you can see slugs performing their bizarre mating ritual.

We’ll often see Harbor Seals pop their heads out of the water to check us out, but in the fall they’re even more visible, surfacing to get purchase on their salmon dinner. We see River Otters quite a bit too—though I’ve yet to capture a photo I really like. (Speaking of difficult to photograph: my pics of the Virginia Rail or the American Bittern are just too bad to share).

Then there’s the slow-moving, enigmatic Hefalump … he (or she, I can’t tell) is hard to explain.

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