The Eagle Outdoors

November? Already? It may be cliché, perhaps, but I truly don't know where the time went or goes. It was the end of August and we were fishing for salmon from the North Jetty. The first half of September, and it was mushroom time again. The final week of September and the Marina's Street Market, which began in May, was over. How did October get here, and now it, muzzleloader deer and elk seasons, and the waterfowl opener are all gone?

It's now November. Here, the greenhouse is up and running, the heater is on thermostat, and grow lights are on a timer. The pantry is filled with Julie's fall efforts. There are peppers, jam, beans, chanterelles, tomatoes (in any number of forms), banana raisin bread, venison, and cranberry sauce. Hungry we will not be; however, that might not be the case in other parts of the county owing to the (let's call it) "uncertainty" currently in our nation's capitol. What's my point? If you have extra, then share, donate, or volunteer. It's the right thing to do, I reckon.

There's a lot going on in The Outdoors as we wind down the year. Until the freeze comes above 1,000 feet, there are still mushrooms, chanterelles, cauliflowers, Hen 'o the Woods, lobsters, and an assortment of boletes. Elk rifle season is currently underway, and the second half of goose season gets underway just prior to Thanksgiving. There are still a truckload of stocked trout swimming around, so a trip to Lake Sacajawea, Kress, or The Radar Lakes might be in order. Fall bass fishing, too, can be good now, as both largemouth and smallmouth fatten themselves up for the cold water ahead. Might be worth a warmer, not-so-rainy afternoon spent down around the Elochoman Marina, eh?

It seems like there's always something to do outside, courtesy of Mother Nature. So take a minute and step outside, even if all you do is look around a bit. Turn an ear and listen; you're bound to discover something incredible.

Snowy Plovers

On Sunday afternoon, I got a text from my friend, Mike, in Albany, Ore. He does marketing/public relations for a waterfowl-related company south of the Big River. Despite being just 40 years old, Mike Callian is an old soul when it comes to the outdoors. A well-worn canvas jacket, original Browning Auto-5 shotgun, old school ways. I admire those qualities, particularly now when everything about the hunting industry has changed radically from when I first got my feet wet, literally, in the 70s.

In addition to all this, Callian is an accomplished photographer, shooting not only for Dave Smith Decoys, but for such recognized names as Ducks Unlimited and other notables. On Sunday, following a trip to the Newport area, Callian sent me several photographs he'd taken of snowy plovers.

If you dig razor clams on the coast, you've read the emails from the WDFW and you've seen the signage in the spring pertaining to snowy plovers that reads, "As in past years, WDFW is asking beachgoers to avoid disturbing nesting snowy plovers – a small bird with gray wings and a white breast – by staying out of the dunes and posted areas along the southwest coast. Snowy plover nests are nearly invisible, and it is vital to give birds the space to live and thrive during the nesting period, especially along the southern end of Twin Harbors – known as Midway Beach – and north of Second Avenue in Ocean City to the north end of Copalis Beach and the north end of Long Beach."

In the interest of space here, I'd suggest visiting the WDFW's website (wdfw.wa.gov) and reading up a bit about this fascinating little Washington resident. Interestingly enough, it's found only in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. Washington's population of snowy plovers, a species currently listed as endangered by the state and threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is estimated at a mere 100 individuals. Yes, I said, "100!"

Admitted 'bird nerd' that I am, I found it very exciting Callian not only captured one of these remarkable little birds on film, but that the plover had been trapped and banded. "There were probably 30 or 40 of them," he said. "The thing that got me was how incredibly well camouflaged they are, and how they seemed very (wary) of avian predators." They didn't run like a sandpiper, he went on to say, but rather moved very slowly and deliberately. "There were about 20 banded birds I could see," he said. "No numbers that I could see. Painted (colored) banded and plastic."

More clam digs coming

By the time this issue of The Eagle hits the newsstands, there will be four days remaining in this latest series of razor clam digs. Evening tides now, with digs scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6 (6:46 p.m. low @ -2.0) through Sunday, Nov. 9 (9:19 p.m. low @ -0.9). For those to whom it matters, these are the biggest low tides of the fall; that is, until we get into early December when there's a -2.1' low on Dec. 5, with -1.9 lows on either side of that dig. The limit remains at 15 per person, and all diggers 15 and older must possess some type of WDFW license, i.e. three-day, saltwater, shellfish/seaweed, or Combination.