Special Report: Wild Weather

Hurricanes Matthew and Nicole recently devestated areas of the Carribbean, Southeast US, and Bermuda. These events remind us that as much as we think we have mastered nature, we are still just an insignificant blip in history. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are in the middle of a train of storms. This is nothing new, but the intensity is unusual. Yesterday's storm spawned tornadoes in Oregon and today's storm is the remnants of a typhoon from the western Pacific. Hurricane force winds are expected along the coast, with rain by the bucket. Power outages and flooding are just hours away. Check out these web cams to see the storm unfolding:
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park
Washington DOT

Solar-powered Cycles

You probably noticed by now that the days are getting shorter and the air is a little chillier. Fall has fallen! The sun gives life to everything on Earth through heat and energy for plant photosynthesis. It also triggers changes in life cycles, some of which are evident to almost everyone right now.

The most obvious cycle that is affected by the sun is the current situation with our tree leaves changing colors and falling off. Because Earth’s axis is tilted 23 degrees, we experience seasonal variances in the amount of sunlight we get. As we move through fall and into winter, the sun sinks lower in the sky and light that hits us is less direct.

Nature loves efficiency, and trees lose their leaves this time of year because with decreasing sunlight, they would expend more energy performing photosynthesis (turning sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy) than they would get from it. Chlorophyll, the active photosynthesizing pigment, dries up and the cells in the leaf stem die, weakening it to the point that it falls off the tree. Until spring arrives, trees and other plants live off of starches stored in their roots. That starch is the byproduct of photosynthesis.

Other seasonal cycles are the leafing out of trees, hibernation, and mating seasons. Some cycles run by the sun can be daily, not just seasonal. Dandelions and other flowers close their petals at night. Daily sleep cycles are also affected by sunlight. Animals don’t use an alarm clock, but they do have an internal clock.

Bigleaf maple

Even shrubs change colors

Something Fishy in Olympia

In our last Nature Minute, I discussed the elk rut and mating season for other large mammals. Today we jump into the rivers with the spawning salmon. Washington has seven salmonids native to its many glacier-fed rivers. They are Chinook, coho, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, plus steelhead and cutthroat trout. All of them hatch in rivers, migrate to the ocean, and then return to their birth river (most of the time) to spawn and die. It is believed they recognize their river by smell, although following Earth’s magnetic field can’t be ruled out. Pinks stand out from this group because they have a life cycle of exactly two years and only return to spawn in odd numbered years. All of these amazing fish might be found in the same rivers, but nature has its way of ensuring each species spawns in different areas at different times.

I had the pleasure of watching the Deshutes River Chinook at Tumwater Falls Park. 

This river is not in its original condition. Mills and hydropower stations were built along the falls in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and a dam near downtown Olympia created Capital Lake and eliminated the tidal marshes. However, there is still a decent salmon run every year and I got to be a part of it this year.

The spawning beds (also called redds) are below the lower falls. The splashing sound I kept hearing was the females using their tales to dig out a spot in the gravel for their eggs. 

Above and below: female Chinook salmon digging out redds

I didn’t see any salmon jumping up the falls, although there were a few below the upper falls. I also managed to snap a picture of one flying below the lower falls near the redds. 

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a.... fish?

Coho and chum salmon will be the next to come to Deshutes for spawning.

In A Rut

Spring is when new babies appear all over the woods and fields, but the miracle of life is starting right now with the rut, also known as mating season. Now is the time of spectacular antler battles as young males challenge the older, established males.

Among the hoofed mammals like deer, elk, and bison, one or a handful of males control harems of females. While we humans concern ourselves with obtaining the next shiny piece of technology to come along, these guys are driven only by passing their genes to the next generation. Do successfully do that, they must either challenge the big guy or fend off a challenge.

All that fighting sometimes takes a toll on dominant male. Fatal injuries are not common, but exhaustion with sometimes take a life. Other times, an opportunistic male with sneak in and steal a mate while the alpha is fighting a challenger.

This is peak season for deer vs car incidents because they are only thinking of one thing, and it’d not safety. They are crepuscular- most active around sunrise and sunset so use extreme caution at those times.

Elk are known for their bugling sound during the rut. This National Park Service link will let you have a listen at this eerie phenomenon.

Why are all these critters mating now? Because the births are timed to occur in spring when food is plentiful. If there is anything nature is good at, it’s timing.

A Day at the Beach, Nature Style

It’s Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end of summer, so let’s take a trip to the beach and check out the tide pools. Growing up in Pennsylvania, my only marine biology experience was seagulls and jelly fish at the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore. Moving to Washington opened up a whole new dimension of ocean life for me.

Washington has rocky beaches in some areas and sandy beaches in others. The best sandy beaches have large rocky outcroppings called sea stacks. At low tide, the rocks reveal their living treasures. I also had my first seal encounter, but unfortunately this harbor seal was a carcass.

Sea Stacks

My best tide pool walk was at Olympic National Park’s Ruby Beach. I just happened to time it with the super low tide that comes with a full moon and summer solstice. Instead of just the usual starfish and anemones, we were also treated to sponges, chitons, and even a shrimp. Higher rocks had an assortment of mussels, barnacles, and snails. Snails prey on barnacles, and I managed to witness this segment of the circle of life.

Giant green anemones

Ochre Sea Stars

Chiton

Barnacle (white) and Mussels (black)

Snail eating barnacle

Dash Point State Park’s sandy beach has a nice batch of sand dollars. These are living critters, not just fancy shells in a store. Live sand dollars are fuzzy and should be left alone. Only pick up the bleached white ones.

The tide pools of a rocky beach, such as Larabee State Park, are different. There, I encountered pools of standing ocean water teeming with life, rather than exposed to the elements like at Ruby Beach. Larabee gave up crabs, limpets, sea cucumbers, starfish, and anemones. 

Crab and limpets

Sea Cucumber

There was even a pig at the beach last time I was there. Apparently Washingtonians take their livestock to the beach. I came across a chicken with its human at Shilshole Beach in Seattle.

Pig at the beach

Chicken getting ready to hit the beach