Yellow Lake Fauna Description: Avians

This seems to be the first documentation of the species that inhabit Klahanie's Yellow Lake. That's a big shame, as this lake harbors a massive amount of fauna diversity, not to mention floral and fungal life. In the past 50 years, there has been so much wildlife in and around this lake that it was impossible not to make a documentation of some sort. Most of my observations revolve around the Yellow Lake area and the surrounding forests. The lake is not extremely big, but it harbors a multitude of species. I classify the areas affected by Yellow Lake into different sections. The first one is the wetlands, where the water from the lake runs through a shallow creek and gathers in a particularly marshy area. This habitat contains lots of tall grasses and other plants, particularly from the Typha genus. The second habitat is the open waters. This is a small section in the center of the lake where there are no lilies or other aquatic plants. This section is often frequented by flocks of ducks and other aquatic birds. The third section is the back of the lake, where it is difficult to access. This makes it a preferred spot for herons, coyotes and other generally reclusive diurnal animals. This section also contains lots of dead wood/debris, so decomposers and anything that eats decomposers frequent this area. The final section is that of the forest/riverbank. This section represents the area where the forest meets the water, containing the most diverse range of species by far. Now that I've described the areas in which these species can be found, I can start describing the species themselves.

Let's start with the Avians. The most recognizable species of this group at Yellow Lake is the Anatidae family (Ducks, Geese, and Swans). There are currently only two permanent resident species of Anatidae at the lake, Mallard and Wood Ducks. Both species boast an average of 25 individuals on each side, and more females than males. During the day, the Wood Ducks and Mallards mostly loiter near the small dock or at the edges of the lake, waiting for handouts of birdseed and raisins. During dusk, they begin to grow more and more active, until they eventually fly off in large groups towards the back of the lake, where they sleep in individual groups of 4 or 5, on logs or on debris, but rarely on the riverbank itself. In the spring and fall, mating season begins. Some Mallard couples temporarily fly off to more secluded areas in order to raise their young, but a great many remain.
The Mallard and the Wood Ducks are the two permanent species of duck at Yellow Lake, but during the winter months, hordes of visitors arrive. The first visitors usually arrive in late September. The first species to arrive sometimes varies, but most of the time it's the Ring-necked Ducks. They usually arrive in waves, and the majority stay at Yellow Lake for only a few weeks, sometimes less, before continuing their migrations. This makes Yellow Lake a truly wonderful place to watch wildlife, especially ducks, because many species use Yellow Lake as a "rest stop." But there are sometimes a few stragglers that stay at Yellow Lake for extended periods of time. This year, for example, the majority of the Ring-necked Ducks stayed at Yellow Lake for only a week or two in October, hastily continuing their migrations. However, a few individual Ring-necked Ducks are still here in late November and are expected to be here in December as well.
After the Ring-necked Ducks arrive in September and October, they clear the way for a staggering amount of new arrivals. American and Eurasian Wigeons arrive in small groups of three or four at around the same time as the Ring-necked Ducks, but the moment the cold weather starts to come in, they are pushed out quickly. In my opinion, the amount of time a species stays at the lake can also be a testament to the temperatures it is willing to withstand.
Canada Geese are an example of species that come and go via migration patterns. Massive flocks of them darken the skies in late autumn and in winter, but surprisingly, only a few individuals stay at the lake each year, and never for long.
Once November rolls around, more and more species arrive at the lake. Buffleheads roam the outer edges, but a few are enticed by the lure of easy food that people are giving out and come closer to the dock. Northern Shovelers also poke their heads every once in a while, but there are many more females than males, and hardly any adults of the latter. Hooded Mergansers also appear rarely in very small numbers, but they generally prefer areas such as Lake Sammamish or Beaver Lake.
Green-winged Teals have occasionally made appearances, but hardly any males have appeared, and it can be difficult to distinguish female ducks between each other, especially from a distance. All in all, members of the Anatidae family arrive in large numbers during the winter months, making it one of the best places to spot ducks in the surrounding area.
Aside from Ducks, Geese, and Swans, there are still many other birds that inhabit the area, both aquatic and not. A few years ago, in around 2017-2018, there were common sightings of a lone male Double-Crested Cormorant, but he disappeared a while back. I have no proof as to whether he died or not, as I haven't seen any feathers indicating that a predator got him, but I do know that this year, in 2023, I saw two more Double-Crested Cormorants at the lake. They could have been his offspring, though I doubt it. Whatever the case, I am glad that Yellow Lake has new residents belonging to the Phalacrocoracidae family. They are somewhat rare to see, and at dusk they always fly off to some faraway lake (possibly Allen's Lake) to sleep.
Recently, an old Great Blue Heron has been making appearances, since late August of 2023. It was shy at first, only staying at the far ends of the lake, but eventually it habituated itself to humans and came closer and closer. Now, it has a preferred perch on a dead log right off the riverbank, a few meters from the left side of the dock. It still doesn't get too close to people, which I see as a good sign. It doesn't always appear at its perch, as it is sometimes seemingly absent from the lake entirely. When it does this, I used to think that it was in the reeds somewhere, hiding, but it may actually sometimes move to another body of water entirely.
In addition to Cormorants and Herons, there are two Pied-Billed Grebes at Yellow Lake. They appear more frequently during the warmer months, but they can make occasional appearances during winter. They are shy towards humans and don't come very close to shore. They dive frequently for fish and insects.
Speaking of which, I would like to say that I have never seen a fish at Yellow Lake. I probably never will, since fishing is banned there, in order to keep the lake clear of fishing lines and other harmful detritus. But even though I cannot see any fish there, I am almost certain that there are fish there. I don't think that the local ecosystem could support so many fish-eating creatures such as Cormorants, Herons, and Grebes without having some source of fish. I cannot give an exact number of the fish or a perfect description of the species, but I presume that there are at least a few bass and trout, if not more species.
Aside from Grebes, there is also a resident American Coot at Yellow Lake. It is fairly used to humans and bobs around the lake, looking for food. At bigger bodies of water, such as Lake Sammamish, I have seen massive groups of American Coots, but at Yellow Lake, there is only one permanent resident Coot. However, I have occasionally seen a second Coot, but it is pretty rare, and I presume it either died or joined another lake's ecosystem.
In terms of songbirds, the forest around Yellow Lake harbors Song Sparrows that linger around the nearby neighborhood and the dock, Warblers that chirrup around the thick underbrush, Wrens that scurry around the forest floor and the sides of the pine trees, Ruby-crowned Kinglets that hop around bushes, and many more. I've only seen this many types of Passerines recently, but that may be due to recent wishes to learn more about Yellow Lake. These songbirds can be hard to come by because they frequent the less used paths, such as game trails, with a few exceptions. Spotted Towhees and Dark-eyed Juncos are fairly common in the area, and they can be seen on swathes of grass, pecking for grubs and for crumbs left by messy picnickers. Brown Creepers like to hide on the bark of tall pines, away from people. Chickadees, both Chestnut-backed and Black-capped, are also a frequent sight in the open woodlands near the lake, and so are Red-breasted Nuthatches. I have also seen a few pet birds that have escaped their previous homes around the lake, most of them being small parrotlike birds, such as Budgerigars. Rufous and Anna's Hummingbirds also come through occasionally, though they prefer backyards filled with flowers and hummingbird feeders over rough forested terrain.
Robins and Varied Thrushes come in small groups and loiter around backyards and lawns during the early mornings, and flocks of them fly above Yellow Lake and perch in surrounding trees. They aren't the most common visitor to the lake, but they make rare appearances.
Downy Woodpeckers can be seen in groups of up to two during mating season, flying across the open air above Yellow Lake. Pileated Woodpeckers prefer deep forest, but they occasionally inspect the dead trees near the riverbank for insects. Northern Flickers will sometimes be seen at the crowns of trees, inspecting the landscape, and watching for a food opportunity. Sometimes the Pileated Woodpeckers will bully the Northern Flickers out of dead trees, in order to keep the food for themselves.
Out of all the woodpecker species that inhabit Yellow Lake, I would have to say that the Hairy Woodpecker is the most cunning. I have seen them stick their beaks into hummingbird feeders and sip out the nectar, as well as seen them team up in pairs to chase off other woodpeckers from a tree. Though they are very intelligent, they tend to avoid Yellow Lake and its open skies, preferring to feast on birdfeeders that lie in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Steller's Jays can be heard alarming from the treetops or can be seen gliding across short distances. Like the hummingbirds, they prefer the bounty of the neighborhoods over the dense forests, but they sometimes perch in the tall pines at the edge of the lake.
A female Belted Kingfisher inhabits Yellow Lake, and she can be heard/seen early in the morning, when she flies around and perches on overhanging branches, waiting for fish. She sometimes visits other lakes too, so it can be hard to predict when she might be at Yellow Lake.
When it comes to Birds of Prey, there have been a few rare sightings. In 2015 through 2019, there used to be a family of Barn Owls in the area, before trees were cut down nearby for road renovations, driving them out. During particularly hot summers, Ospreys have also been known to circle Yellow Lake, though they're not permanent residents. A single Merlin appeared briefly this summer, catching dragonflies and other small animals, and perching on several dead trees (It seems that the Kingfisher and the Merlin seem to perch on the same types of trees) before suddenly leaving, probably towards other, larger bodies of water.
Finally, we come to the topic of Gulls. There has almost never been a gull sighting at Yellow Lake in past years. However, with the recent rains that 2023's winter brought, a Glaucous-winged Gull has also arrived. It seems to be a "regular," with its preferred perch of a dead log in the center of the lake. It might be a scavenger, but it might fish for its food as well. It has appeared several times before, and I hope to see it in the future, as well as all the other birds.

Publicado el 26 de noviembre de 2023 a las 02:59 AM por bigfoot123