I want to warn you at the outset that if you have a weak stomach, you might not want to read this blog. Some of the kids will love it, but others.....maybe not so much. Nuff said.
I just got back from spending a week in San Jose, California, sitting on panels and giving workshops at a steampunk conference called Clockwork Alchemy. Although I love my visits to California, I do miss being able to visit West Hylebos Park, so was anxious to get over there to see what had changed while I was gone. Of course, it was raining when I left the house and there was a 40% chance of showers throughout the day, so I wore my rainpants and raincoat. The temperature was 59 degrees F. when I left the house.
But, by the time I left the park the temperature had climbed all of the way up to 66 degrees F. and the sky looked like this. What had started out looking like a fairly uncomfortable day ended up being absolutely beautiful. I'd say it was downright pefect!
But, before I run off into the sunshine, I want to return to the beginning, which is where all great stories should start. So.....when I left the house this morning it was raining. My camera has been acting up again, so add that to the fact that I was trying to shoot in a light rain, and the result is cloudy, blurry, photographs. Never-the-less, I wanted to share these with you, especially since I recently posted a blog on bird nests. This beautiful little swallow was right outside of my front door. I noticed that it was picking up pieces of odds and ends with which to build a nest, so decided to follow it. I live in an apartment complex where the swallows return to nest each year. Last year, they chose to nest in our dryer vents. This year, most of them have avoided the dryer vents, selecting new areas to nest within the complex.
Some of them have chosen to build their nests in what used to be hallway skylights. The skylights were long ago boarded over, so no light comes through, but apparently the birds have decided these recessed areas make an ideal nesting place.
I spent so much time trying, and failing, to get a clear shot of this nest, that one of the birds stopped and stared at me, trying to decide whether I posed a threat or not. Not wanting to upset her further, I packed up my camera and left the scene.
I didn't get very far when I discovered that other birds had decided to build their nests on top of the hallway lights. These lights come on automatically every evening, providing warmth for the nests throughout the night. It's a swallow incubator!
I didn't get very far into the park before I discovered that a tree has fallen over the trail in between the old cabins and where the trail turns towards the meadow (in between the second and third benches).
If you stand in front of the fallen tree and look up, you'll see that there's a widow-maker, or broken branch, hanging in an adjacent tree that will probably fall on, or near, this same spot.
The indian plums are full of berries. Indian plum berries turn an almost blackish-purple when they're ripe. They're bitter and don't have much flesh, but they can be eaten. I wouldn't waste my time with them, though, as you don't get much bang for your buck. Salmonberries and salal are much tastier and have more meat and less stone.
The salal is in blossom. Salal berries can be eaten. They seem to be an acquired taste, as most people don't like them, but I love them and can't wait until they're ripe and ready to eat.
A lot of the salmonberries are ripe and ready to eat. I picked a whole handful to add to my salad tonight. I also ate at least another handful of them while I wandered around the park.
The twin-berries are ripe. Twin-berries are bitter, don't have much flesh, and aren't considered edible.
The plum trees are starting to grow fruit. When these are fully-grown, ripe, and purple, they are most definitely edible.
The Nootka roses are in bloom and smell so good.
The false lily-of-the-valley plants have erected tall masts of tiny white blossoms.
Creeping buttercup covers the park in a carpet of bright yellow flowers.
The Pacific water-parsley is so thick that you can't even see the water. Water-parsley is not edible. I know, I know, it has parsley in it's name, but you DO NOT want to put this in your salad. No, no, no......please do not eat this. Leave the water-parsley in the water where it belongs.
Garter snakes are in the grass and even up on top of the ferns.
The tadpoles now have legs.
The yellow pond iris is in bloom.
The dragonflies are back.
The bullfrogs are back.
And cottonwood fluff is falling from the trees.
We still have a dog problem in the park, despite all of the signage and Dana, Becca, and I constantly reminding people that the park is a protected wildlife area and that dogs aren't allowed on the boardwalk. Today, I ran into a man and his daughter who were walking a large yellow lab on the boardwalk. I stopped the father and told him that dogs weren't allowed on the boardwalk. He said, "Okay." I told him that the park was a protected wildlife area and that he'd have to take his dog back. He said, "Okay." I reminded him that West Hylebos Park is the only park in Federal Way where dogs aren't allowed and suggested French Lake as an alternative. He said, "Okay." Then, he walked around me with his dog and continued down the boardwalk into the park, leaving his daughter standing on the boardwalk beside me. I have to admit that I was furious, so found myself yelling at his back, informing him as loudly as I could that he was breaking the law and wasn't setting a very good example for his daughter. All of which he ignored. What an idiot!
Now, for the icky part. This is where you should stop reading if you get a little queasy.
I walked down the Brooklake spur to the lake, looking for frogs, squirrels, and birds along the way. There was nothing on the boardwalk when I walked to Brooklake. On my return, I heard a twig or branch crack and stopped to see if I could figure out what made the noise, but I didn't spot anything. About halfway across the Brooklake spur bridge I spotted two really fresh owl pellets. They hadn't been there five minutes earlier. I looked all around, trying to find the owl that left them, but couldn't find it.
This is one of the owl pellets. When I found it, it was still soft, wet, and gooey, so it was a brand new pellet. Can you see the bones inside? Owls swallow their food whole. After they've absorbed all of the nutrition they can from their meal, they regurgitate the bones, skin, and other things they can't eat.
This skull was protruding from one of the pellets. See how long and narrow the jaw is. It even has teeth. This could have been a shrew.
This find isn't icky, but it sure is interesting. This bottle is floating in the water beneath the bridge on the Brooklake spur. It seems to be tied to something, but I couldn't figure out what. I could follow the cord about halfway under the bridge, then I lost sight of it. I wonder who put it there and why? It doesn't look like it was tossed in the water like trash. It looks like it was tied there deliberately. Very curious.
Red-legged frogs were everywhere. Sometimes singly.....
And, sometimes in groups.
Frankly, I don't know what this is. I spotted it and wondered what it was, so zoomed in on it with my camera, but even after zooming, I can't make out what it is. Whatever it is, it's in a pool of water on top of a water lily pad. To me, it looks like fur, or hair; and, at one point something is sticking out of the water that resembles a foot. I don't have a clue. It wasn't located in an area where I could fish it out and get a better look at it. When you look at it, what do you see?
This is for my friend, Martha, in Indonesia. Martha, I finally managed to photograph a butterfly for you! It may have taken me two years to do it, but I never gave up.
Teri I. Lenfest
Comments