Another Home Run for the Land Trust

Whidbey Camano Land Trust has just published its 2010 Annual Report and, once again, it is a beauty. Using a handful of extraordinary images, the report conveys the inspiration we islanders draw from our natural environment. It illustrates why we live here and feel such a strong connection to the land.

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee, by Craig Johnson. Click on images to enlarge.

By any measure 2010's blockbuster achievement was saving one square mile of Whidbey Island from development -- the Trillium Community Forest. That was far from the only work the Land Trust did. The  report tells the Trillium story and also highlights several other land protection successes on Whidbey and Camano islands.

If you did not receive the annual report in the mail, click here to visit the Land Trust's website, where you may download and view a PDF of it.

Hummingbirds in the nest in Freeland, ready to fledge. Craig Johnson photo.

If the name "Land Trust" sounds a bit intimidating, the organization is not. Its members and staff are just everyday people who love our island lifestyle and want to help keep some land in forests, farms and wetlands to sustain wildlife and provide places for the public to find peace and rejuvenation. Anyone may become a member simply by making a contribution. Those who contribute year-after-year soon find themselves part of an extended family with some very lovely people who share their great passion for these beautiful islands.

It's no surprise many Land Trust members are bird-lovers, because birds really bring home the importance of healthy habitat in sustaining diverse, highly specialized creatures. Besides, birds just make us happy. Virtually everything the Land Trust does in protecting forests, agricultural lands, shorelines and wetlands supports wild birds, many of whom travel immense distances every year in their continental or worldwide migrations.

For the second year running, Craig and Joy Johnson of Freeland donated wild bird images that make the report so visually stunning. "I just love birds," Craig says. "If my images can inspire someone to do something good for the birds, then I've been successful."

The annual report's graphic designer, Jen Pennington, chose Craig's image of a juvenile, Chestnut-backed Chickadee for the front cover. As a would-be photographer myself, I marvel at the exquisite detail of every feather in that image. Craig photographed the bird as it was being fed by a parent. "I had no way to conceal myself, so the birds knew I was there," he said. "The parent would call the young bird into the vegetation before feeding and I had only a brief window to snap the photo before the bird went deeper."

The report also prominently features Craig's gorgeous image of two newborn Rufous hummingbirds in their nest near Freeland. Craig found the nest when it contained two eggs. He carefully and respectfully documented the birds' development every day from birth until they fledged and flew away, always maintaining a safe distance so he did not interfere with the mother or juveniles in any way.

Northern Harrier (left). Western Tanager (right), by Craig Johnson.

Craig's phenomenal series of daily photographs of the nesting hummingbirds may be found on his website. After you go to the website, click on the link identified as "Rufous Hummingbird Nesting Show.

Craig and Joy Johnson published a children's book inspired by their experiences in photographing the baby hummingbirds in Freeland. The Amazing Hummingbird Story of Red Rufous is on sale in bookshops, gift shops and wild bird stores all over Whidbey Island, and may also be ordered by mail directly from the Johnsons. Click here for a preview of the book. To order, e-mail Joy Johnson at joyofwriting@whidbey.com.

Nature Has It Figured Out

Forest ecologist Elliott Menashe of Greenbank Consulting.

In a half-wild, half-civilized place like Whidbey Island, water always seems to be getting in the way. We saw this recently when rain pounded relentlessly day-after-day, triggering many mudslides on South Whidbey and the appearance of swampy "seasonal wetlands" in people's yards including, I confess, my own hard-packed driveway.

I live in the woods and don't see this problem on my forest walks -- only near the house where I have "improved" my yard with poorly-draining lawns and gravel.

On a rainy day, the woods simply are lovelier and softer than ever, but our impervious, hard-surfaced yards often don't fare so well. Water "ponds" in low spots and, depending on the terrain, flows downslope, weakening bluffs and carrying pollutants and particles of soil toward Puget Sound.

This beautiful, absorbent wetland is in South Whidbey State Park.

This is exactly what my friend Elliott Menashe has been trying to illustrate for years to homeowners, developers and contractors. "Improve" with care. Minimize disturbance. Benefit from the forest's phenomenal, natural ability to absorb and purify water.  Think before you scrape and screw up something that's already working beautifully.

One of Elliott's favorite articles on this subject is a highly-readable, two-page piece by Tami Pokorny of Jefferson County Natural Resources, "Drip and Splat." He's especially proud of this one because Tami brilliantly translated one of his emotional speeches into readable English.

For a printable PDF, visit http://www.greenbeltconsulting.com/articles.html

If the article seems insultingly simple-minded, please don't be fooled, because most people still don't get it.

To download a printable PDF of the two-page article, please visit Elliott's website and look for "A Stormwater Story: Drip and Splat" toward the bottom of the list.

If you've bought land and are planning to build, or even if you are just looking at land to buy, consider hiring Elliott or someone like him (good luck with that) to walk the land with you and share their insights. It will be an education and could save  many heartaches and expensive fixes in the future.

Mating season?

Adult male Hairy Woodpecker, on Sunday

Just when it looked like we had turned the corner toward spring, today we turned back sharply the other way.

A few days ago our Hairy Woodpeckers had been feeling pretty frisky, flying erratically around the yard and staking out their territories by drumming on our house and gutters. Northern Flickers had moved into the vegetable garden, pecking at the bare earth. The big behemoths of the woodpecker world, Pileated Woodpeckers, were drumming on large, resonant snags in the distance.

Now it appears we'll have a few nights in the 20s with the possibility of four to six inches of snow. Action will center on the suet feeder, where the woodpeckers can build up their energy reserves for the cold conditions.

Even though Hairy Woodpeckers are among the most common birds in our woods I find them uncommonly beautiful and fun to watch. Mating starts early, during the winter, but the real show comes later.

Northern Flickers load up on suet as the snow comes down.

That will be when whole families show up together at the suet feeder for the first time, later this spring. The newborns will be easy to spot by their disoriented, goofy behavior, often sitting dazed for long periods on a post or the lawn, as if not knowing what to do next.

When they finally reach the feeder they will cling and wait for their parents to feed them, beak to beak. It's one of the best shows of the season, right from my window.

Today's reality check.

Even as the woods transform themselves once again to a winter wonderland, the days are growing dramatically longer.  Can spring be far behind?

The Varied Thrushes -- Our Golden Visitors of Winter

I can't get enough of the Varied Thrushes that have been brightening the snowy landscape outside my window during this recent cold snap. When a late-afternoon shaft of light hits one of these birds, the effect is stupendous.

The thrushes appear in our yard just about every winter, drawn here I suppose by all the freeze-dried huckleberries we have to offer. Our many huckleberry bushes are a magnet also for Spotted Towhees and sometimes a Red-breasted Sapsucker.

But the real prize for the thrushes seems to be our Crabapple tree.  The tree blooms beautifully in the spring and then produces a bumper crop of fruit for which we don't really have a use.

As a result, hundreds of crabapples hang from the tree every year until about this time, when the thrushes and other birds show up and strip it. And from my standpoint, providing a winter meal for the wild birds is a perfectly good use for those crabapples.

Of all our winter visitors, the thrushes are the hardest to photograph because they detect the slightest movement inside the house, such as when I reach slowly for the sliding glass window to make an opening for my 400 mm lens. The click of the single-lens reflex shutter also drives them away. But the crabapple tree is just far enough from my office that they will continue feeding while I snap images.

Before I started watching birds, I had the idea our woods were full of mostly boring, brown birds of nondescript plumage.

The truth is just the opposite. Our woods are teeming with very colorful birds, incredibly specialized and with very different feeding and hunting habits. I have far to go in fully appreciating what is all around me and the dramas that take place every day in our yard. But I've learned just enough to to be dazzled and intrigued by the wonder of it.

For Craig Johnson and wild birds, the benefits flow both ways

Note: My best tip for anyone planning to attend Sound Waters University, Saturday, Feb. 5, at South Whidbey High School, is to sign up for any class taught by Craig and Joy Johnson. They photograph and paint wild birds, write about them, publish books and educate. This year they are teaching "The Woodpeckers of Whidbey Island." To get on the mailing list for Sound Waters enrollment, which opens Jan. 7, click here: Sound Waters University, and then click on the blue button marked "Join our Sound Waters Mailing List." For more about wild birds: Craig and Joy Johnson's website.

Craig Johnson with a little Downy Woodpecker on the screen saver.

By DAN PEDERSEN

Is it crazy to think that specific birds coming into Craig Johnson's yard in Freeland recognize and trust him? I don't think it is. The winged activity in Johnson's yard on any given afternoon is a complex drama with many sub-plots. In the middle of it all, studying every detail and loving it, sits Johnson.

Researchers have documented that crows recognize specific human beings and will hold onto a deep grudge against people who do them wrong -- even alerting their friends about these human enemies. Other crows learn second-hand to recognize these evil-doers and join in outbursts of angry scolding and mobbing in the future.

Male Pileated Woodpecker at Johnson's suet feeder.

So it may not be a stretch to assume it also works the other way. Some of the birds that approach Johnson on his deck know they can trust him -- that he's one of the gentle, non-threatening, good guys. Some of Johnson's regulars are even Steller's Jays, corvids closely related to the crows.

"Oh, yeah, I think the big Pileated Woodpecker recognizes me for sure, just because I see that individual bird so much," Johnson says. "He knows I'm here. As long as I am mindful and don't make any sudden moves he will stay on the tree and won't fly away."  The tree is just a few feet away.

"And I'm probably getting some of the same Northern Flickers over and over." Johnson is generous with treats, tossing peanuts to the normally-wary Steller's Jays that sneak closer and closer on the overhanging limbs and hop toward him on the deck. "I can tell the difference between the different ones. Certain individuals will come almost within arm's reach."

Northern Flicker

He laughs because the very shrewd jays and a gullible Douglas squirrel named G-Dog compete for those peanuts and steal from each other, but the jays always win. They watch G-Dog stash them. When he turns his back, they raid the cache.

All five species of Whidbey Island woodpeckers visit Johnson's yard, taking advantage of native landscaping, nearby conifers and a suet feeder. "The Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers can be very tolerant when you fill the feeder," Johnson says. "I'd say I've done more woodpecker photography in the yard than in the woods because our back yard is so uncontrolled. They come and bring their young. All the species have brought their fledglings here except possibly the Sapsucker."

Watching those juveniles is one of Johnson's great rewards. "I have many photos from our yard where the juvenile Northern Flickers are watching the dad -- very intently watching him -- and he's feeding them ants from the lawn. I mention this so that maybe a few people will decide they can get along without using insecticides. I've watched the juvenile Hairy Woodpeckers, watched the red nape patch move from the forehead to the back of the head as they grow. I love that, especially this year with my health."

Red-breasted Sapsucker

The proof of all this yard activity is some sensational close-ups Johnson has taken with a simple point-and-shoot camera while sitting on his deck on sunny days. But this is where the story gets harder to write. Many people know of Johnson's incredible hand-held images taken with a big Nikon, single-lens reflex camera and a 400mm telephoto lens. Fewer people know Johnson no longer has that camera, nor the reason.

An aggressive, untreatable, neurological disease in the MS family is attacking his body, muscular control, vision, balance, computer-use, livelihood and, at times, mental focus. He cannot carry that camera any more nor go into the field to photograph birds. So now the birds come to him and that is an immense blessing.

"When you're out in nature it's inspiring. It's rejuvenating for me. When the birds come I don't think about my jobs or problems, or even my back ache. We don't have a TV here and haven't had one for 20 years. During the daylight hours in the summer especially, the outdoors is our break. I come out from my drawing table and sit on the deck and admire the birds. I'm thankful to have a yard like this, land that has not been over-groomed or controlled. Without that I wouldn't have the connection to nature. I'm not mobile. I'm very thankful the people who own this house agree (the Johnsons rent).  They're on the same page."

Tiny, Downy Woodpecker on Madrone branch.

"People come over here -- birders -- and say my gosh this is perfect habitat. The birders acknowledge all the ocean spray, the thrushes coming out, woodpeckers . . .  This little madrona tree next to the railing here, most people would cut it down, but just in the last two months, every day, there have been Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Bushtits flitting about, sallying insects, and tons of Chickadees. Having a habitat in your back yard can be huge for just being able to look out your window and take a break from whatever you're doing."

"That's what I tell people. There is a lot going on and if you have a nice, groomed yard, you are missing out."

Johnson points out that in addition to the therapeutic, almost meditative benefits of watching birds, he also benefits in human relationships. As the Johnsons deal with Craig's illness, they are being showered with love and support by many members of Whidbey Audubon Society who cherish them for their years of generosity with photographic images, watercolor art and educational presentations.

Hairy Woodpecker drinking at a clean birdbath.

"If you care for birds, you care for people," Johnson says. "Whether you love whales, trees, birds, a clean lake -- if you care about any of those things, you're also about humanity."

Johnson says he has never thought of himself as a photographer. "Not really. I've done it, yeah, but I just love birds. I wanted to capture the images so I could show others who might not have the time to see what the birds were doing. Bird photography was never to make money. It makes me feel better to just give the images to Whidbey Camano Land Trust or use them in our books. I do it to help nature and promote learning."

For their woodpecker presentation at Sound Waters University on Saturday, Feb. 5, Johnson says he hopes to inspire his audience and perhaps encourage them to learn a little more about woodpeckers and about the environment. "Maybe someone will decide to keep an old, dead snag in their yard instead of cutting it down."

Craig and Joy Johnson are the authors of a new children's book, The Amazing Hummingbird Story of Red Rufous, available for $9.95 plus tax from many island bookstores and shops, and elsewhere in the Puget Sound region. The book features Craig's beautiful watercolor paintings of hummingbirds and is highly educational. To order a copy directly from Craig and Joy, visit their website: http://pugetsoundbackyardbirds.com/

Dec. 2nd - Meet the Remarkable People of Whidbey Island's Special Places

One of the great things about Whidbey Island is that almost everyone has a story. And any adventure is more fun when you're with a good story-teller. That is the premise behind Whidbey Island's Special Places And the People Who Love Them.  It's also why I'm excited about an event happening this Thursday evening in Clinton -- the first-ever gathering of many of the people I interviewed for my book.

Susan Berta and Howard Garrett

When I wrote the book, I kept in mind that many people fall in love with the island and take beautiful photographs of the views and wildlife. But beauty is only skin deep and pictures convey a shallow experience. I wanted to give readers something more meaningful that would convey why this island is worthy of our love, understanding and care.

So I built the book around interviews with local guides who could help readers experience the island through their own voices and eyes.

Ranger Rick Blaa

I chose 10 individuals and couples whose passions range from birds to orcas, to flying, diving, biology, forestry, cemeteries, lighthouses, land protection, recreation and small-town life.

Thanks to Clinton Librarian Debby Colfer, we will gather many of these people together for the first time at 7 pm, Thursday, Dec. 2.  She had the idea to invite them and you to an evening she calls, "Special Places, Special People," at Clinton Community Hall.

The event is to honor the community volunteers who help keep our library going, and Debby thought it would be fun to get her special people together with as many as possible of mine to talk about the things we love. We all think this is pretty cool.

Veronica von Allworden

So please join us. If you have a copy of Whidbey Island's Special Places, bring it along to collect a slew of autographs from people you'd be proud to know. I'll also have it available for purchase.

My good friends, Craig & Joy Johnson, will be there with The Amazing Hummingbird Story of Red Rufous, their brand new children's book, hot off the press. It is the story of a Whidbey Island hummingbird whose birth Craig documented from "egg" to "fledgling" in a remarkable series of daily photographs 1-1/2 years ago. Now, a little about "my" people:

Sarah Schmidt

Rick Blank of Coupeville is a park ranger at Deception Pass State Park, and he's nuts about owls and eagles, and doing interpretive education.  He loves "when the light bulbs come on" -- helping someone see for the first time the value of nature and how all life is connected.

Maribeth Crandell is environmental educator for the City of Oak Harbor. She loves trails and exercise, and creative ways of teaching.  The more she talks about exercise, the faster she walks, as I learned while interviewing and photographing her one beautiful spring day on Oak Harbor's impressive shoreline trail.

Howard Garrett and Susan Berta of Greenbank are the voice and conscience of orcas. As founders of The Orca Network, they have dedicated their lives to understanding and protecting these beautiful, bright, social animals that live alongside us in the waters of Whidbey Island and Puget Sound.

Maribeth Crandell

Roger Sherman of Coupeville is a farmer, historian, ship's captain and author whose land overlooks the historic homesteads of Ebey's Prairie. He's a walking encyclopedia of pioneer history and the go-to guy if you're wondering where the bodies are buried at Sunnyside Cemetery, and the story of each one.

Dick Malone of Oak Harbor is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and school teacher who loves history, forts and lighthouses, so it's not surprising he wound up as a volunteer at Admiralty Head Lighthouse, leading tours of these cherished island landmarks, and sharing his love and insights with visitors.

Craig and Joy Johnson of Freeland are passionate about wild birds. Joy is a writer. Craig is an artist, photographer and graphic designer. Together they have published several stunning books of wild bird photography, some gorgeous greeting cards available in local shops, and most recently their first children's book, The Amazing Hummingbird Story of Red Rufous.

Patricia Powell of Coupeville is director of Whidbey Camano Land Trust. She loves wildlife, and wildlife habitat.  Her organization has saved thousands of acres of natural habitats, scenic vistas, and working farms and forests, in partnership with island landowners.  "It's all about love," she says.

Patricia Powell

Roger Sherman

Elliott Menashe of Clinton is an environmental consultant and forester who helps landowners, developers and government find better ways to work with nature, not against it.  He took me on a long walk in the old-growth of South Whidbey State Park and opened my eyes to why such places are so priceless, and what they can teach us.

Sarah Schmidt of Coupeville, my good friend and colleague on many projects, is a biologist, bat expert, birder and principal author of Getting to the Water's Edge on Whidbey and Camano Islands.  She once remarked, "I love every bug, bird, bat and snake." That's Sarah.

Elliott Menashe

Veronica von Allworden of Langley is a pilot, diver and photographer who views our island from "under" and "over." She shared with me the story of gray whales that surfaced beside her while she was swimming in front of her Langley home. She is a volunteer naturalist at the Seattle Aquarium, an engaged member of The Orca Network and Whidbey Camano Land Trust, and has studied and spoken about whales, sharks and other marine life. Many island shops carry Veronica's gorgeous greeting cards of local aerial and underwater subjects.

Any community is as strong as the people who give something back. On Whidbey we are blessed with caring, gifted and engaged neighbors who build up their community in countless personal ways.

Dick Malone

On December 2, let's all get together and celebrate that spirit, and say thank you to our good friends for a job well done.

Special Places, Special People
Thursday, Dec. 2
7 - 8:30 pm
Clinton Community Hall 

Look Out for Red Rufous

The proud parents of a new book, Craig and Joy Johnson

No one has inspired me more to love the wild birds of Whidbey Island than our cherished friends, Craig and Joy Johnson of Freeland. Their books of wild bird photography are a local legend, and now they've branched into something new with a children's book that showcases Craig's gorgeous watercolor paintings.

The Amazing Hummingbird Story of Red Rufous follows a hummingbird from birth at Earth Sanctuary in Freeland on its long migration to Mexico and then back again the next spring to Whidbey Island. It is based on several weeks of daily photography a year-and-a-half ago in which Craig documented the incubation of two eggs, the birth and then the early development of two hummingbirds in their tiny nest.

Not only is this the "amazing story" of a creature that fascinates us all, it is also the amazing story of a talented artist and bird-lover battling some tough health issues that make it very challenging to paint. You would never know it from the finished product. Craig and Joy are hoping that modest income from the book will help pay some daunting medical bills.

If you have children or grandchildren, this $9.95 book would make a marvelous gift that will open their eyes to the wonder of birds. It is just starting to show up in island bookstores and shops, but I hope you'll consider mail-ordering your autographed copy directly from Craig and Joy. Order from Craig & Joy.  Or talk to me and I will get it for you.

If you order the book or a bunch of them from Craig and Joy, they will get the $9.95 apiece. If you purchase the book at a shop, only about $6.00 will go to Craig and Joy because the shop, of course, must be paid for stocking and selling the book.

You will want to sit and read this book to the children in your life and have a good conversation as you do. Then, go to Craig and Joy's website and click on "Red Rufous Book Section" to see actual photographs of hummingbird eggs in the nest on Whidbey Island and the young birds getting ready to head out on their own. Learn how hummingbirds survive the night.  See a hummingbird skeleton!

Some of the watercolors in the book.

As with everything Craig and Joy do, this book is much more than just a simple, charming story. It is an eye-opener and it is true to life. For children and adults both, it could be the start of a great, new adventure in bird-watching and a deeper love of nature.

And what a perfect Whidbey Island story.