At this time of the year, one can hardly turn around without bumping into another "Best of 2014" list. Last year, I did a "Best of 2013" bucket and it would be a nice tradition to continue. So, in that spirit, here's my list of the most exciting discoveries and observations of nature that I was fortunate to experience this year.
Here's one that technically doesn't count for the 2014 list although these Ancient murrelets were observed after the "Best of 2013" bucket was published. This special sighting was a great way to usher in a new year.
Ancient murrelets, New Year's Eve 2013, Protection Island NWR
I didn't even attempt to do a "Best Buckets of 2014" because there is just no way I can select only a few of the amazing things that I've learned from everyone else's buckets and bucket comments this year. Many of you have truly wonderful highlights from this year and I'm eager to be reminded of them. So please, think back over the year and tell us in the comments about your most exciting moments observing nature around you.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Snails, fish, insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located.
Follow me through the threads of memory to my personal 2014 list.
All photos in lightbox mode.
10. Surveying Chum
This fall, I got the opportunity to help with the Chum salmon survey being done by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) on Chimacum Creek, here on the NE corner of the Olympic Peninsula. Walking through the creek in chest-high waders with live salmon swimming around our legs was an incredible experience. It was also rewarding to know that we were contributing data about this year's run of spawning Chum.
Unrequited Chum Salmon Female, October, Chimacum Creek
9. Candystick in Fort Townsend State Park
Fort Townsend State Park is known for being a natural forest area and for its diversity of parasitic plants. This year, we were excited to find an isolated patch of Candystick in the park.
Candystick (Allotropa virgata), just coming up, Fort Townsend State Park
Candystick (Allotropa virgata) in bloom
8. Late summer wildflowers on Hurricane Ridge
We regularly take a couple of trips each summer up to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park to see wildflowers. I've made it a project to try and collect enough data to be able to compare different years and have some expectation for what might be blooming at different times during the short summer season.
Here is a lovely summer flower and its seeds from the high meadow on Hurricane Hill Trail in late July. This is from our second trip and most of the spring flowers (from only a month before) had already gone to seed.
Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum), July, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic NP
7. A Western tanager that spent the summer with us.
I've seen tanagers high in the tops of trees before. But this is the first year that a pair has made its summer home in our yard and visited our bird feeders regularly. What a delight!
Western tanager, May, on my bird feeder
6. Humpback whale off Westport
Matching mole proposed a pelagic birding boat tour out of Westport WA. Not surprisingly, many of my 2014 highlights come from that trip.
I'd seen Humpback whales before in Alaska, but these were the first I'd seen in WA waters. They put on quite a show for us.
Humpback whale, July, off Westport, WA
5. Grouse at Hurricane Ridge
This grouse was standing stock still about 5 ft from the edge of the trail. Hikers were walking right past it until we stopped to take photos and created a "grouse-jam."
Sooty grouse (used to be called Blue grouse), July, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic NP
4. Mola Mola off Westport
Another highlight of our pelagic boat tour was this bizarre creature, an Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola, floating near the surface of the water.
Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola, July, off Westport, WA
3. Velella
Another amazing sight from that tour was the Velella, aka sea raft, by-the-wind sailor, purple sail, and little sail. These are free-floating hydrozoans that live on the surface of the open ocean. They feature a small stiff sail to catch the wind.
Close-up of Velella floating on the deep blue sea, July, off Westport, WA
2. Chocolate lillies at Hurricane Ridge
On our first-of-the-season wildflower walk up at Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park, I had my first sighting of the Fritillaria affinis. I imagine that it has been blooming on previous hikes, but I've never seen it before. You really need to be looking for it since it doesn't stand out in bright colors. It is also known as Mission bells and Checker lily.
Chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis), June, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic NP
1. Pelagic birds
Clearly, the focus of the pelagic boat tour was the chance to see some birds that can only be seen far out at sea. Since I added 10 birds to my life list on this one day trip, it only sort of feels like cheating to include several of my favorites under this one item on the top 10 list.
Northern Fulmar, July, off Westport, WA
Black-footed Albatross, July, off Westport, WA
Fork-tailed Storm-petrels, July, off Westport, WA
"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time and Wednesday at 3:30 pm PT on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
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