by Marcia Wilson

2024-2025 winter saw a lot of bad weather for the South Puget Sound. What many people don’t know is that our native birds travel under harsh conditions and wind up here in the Clover Park Technical College campuses and the Outdoor Lab in Lakewood.

The lesser snow goose:

Lesser but not least

“Snow geese are flat out the strangest and most high-energy bird that waterfowl hunters chase.”—Corey Mulhair, Weather and Snow Geese, Feb.18, 2021

It has been several years since a snow goose was last seen at the college wetlands. Blindingly white, this medium-sized goose has bright pink feet and a stumpy beak.  Like the last sighting, this goose joined a flock of Canada geese and became a part of their migratory plan.  Geese are hardy, but the snow goose may be the toughest of all.  They will fly in nearly white-out conditions at levels of extreme cold. In fact, they use the existing snow lines as directional beacons. A snow line is the boundary line between snow and land that is too warm for snow.  Like the Cackling goose, they nest in the frosty tundras of the Arctic.  Frankly, the sight of one is almost a guarantee that somewhere, the weather was truly aggressive. The plural of snow geese in flight is called a blizzard–for their white feathers as much as their ability to fly in winter storms.

Once in a blue goose moon

“Snow geese are weird”—Ibid.

Sometimes, thanks to precise meteorological conditions, snow appears blue.  And sometimes, Lesser Snow Geese are Blue Geese.  These are Snow geese with blueish-slate colored feathers and the patterns can be erratic, making them look like other species. They easily mingle with other geese, which is why this one is “standing guard” while its Cackling cohorts take a rest break.

Eurasian widgeons: look what the wind blew in

A native to Eurasia, these hardy little ducks are blown to Washington State from Siberia.  They are extremely rare visitors.  Residents find them in large flocks of the native American Wigeon—which is spelled according to Webster’s Dictionary rules, without the ‘d’.  Both ducks are easily spooked and will fly off if they feel threatened.  They have an ambivalent attitude to cars, so birdwatchers often pull over to the side of the road or by a park to study their behavior. They can be found in freshwater or saltwater and their high-pitched whistles are a key to their identification.  Their name in French, “Canard siffleur” means “whistling duck”.  The Spanish Silbón Europeo, means the same thing. The whistling is one of its most unique traits, but the Latin name, Mareca Penelope, comes from the Greek word for “weaver”. Widgeons craft deep nests on the ground that look like woven basketry.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

This tiny bird is disproportionately powerful.  It can live in almost any climate from Central Alaska to the Yucatan, but its olive-green feathers make it hard to find in the green seasons when leaves are out. Winter is the best time to notice its bossy presence. The males wear a “crown” when upset, by raising a head-tuft of orange-red.  This little fellow was exploring the shrubbery at Buildings 15 and 14 for the many small insects in hiding. Small but mighty, they, along with the warblers and chickadees do a fine job of keeping the campuses pest-free.

Yellow-Rumped Warblers

Another year-round resident to the Campuses and marsh, February to March sees the YRW , or “butterbut””in highly active swooping and diving maneuvers as they challenge everything that could possibly infringe on their territory. Other birds, humans, cars and deer do not escape their scolding.  A flock has been seen around Buildings 16 and 11, looking for insects.  They make do with fruit when there are not enough bugs.  Opportunistic to a fault, the YRW will wait for spiders to catch insects for them, and casually pluck them out of the webs. Along with the spiders!

Waxing wroth

The YRW eats the fruits of the North American Wax Myrtles and bayberries without harm. No other warbler has this ability and the native Pacific Wax Myrtle may be why this little bird can thrive further north than many of its other kin.

Northern Pintails

Seldom seen in the warm months, this is one of the most beautiful and hardy ducks in North America. They can be found even on the northern coast of Alaska.  Their population is in decline, thanks to the decreasing acreage of their ideal habitat: the shallow, open wetlands and grasslands of marsh and field.  The South Puget Sound’s Prairie is ideal habitat, but our mild winters have led to waterways choked with weeds. When the City of Tacoma cleared off the invasive Canary Grass and blackberries from a section of the CPTC marsh, it became a hot piece of real estate for the pintails. They stayed longer than their usual allotment of 2-3 days just wallowing in the grass and feeding between naps. Look for them in the winter, but winter migrants rarely stay long.  The winds bring them in, but they will leave just as suddenly.