Dive observation. Juvenile. Finger for size in second photo.
This observation involves three eagles. Two eagles were perched in the tree, exchanging vocaliations, when a third eagle flew up to the top eagle in an aggressive manner. The approaching eagle and the bottom-perched eagle attacked each other, locking talons and spinning around over the lake. A short time later, the original pair flew off together over the lake, and the third eagle flew off in a different direction.
Eating a Giant Pacific Octopus!
Low intertidal, on lined chiton.
Dive observation. Juvenile, only a few inches across. Camouflage barnacles!
I was Dock Fouling at Deer Harbor Marina and found this. I don’t even know where to start in classifying it.
Approx. 4 individuals in a patch of flotsam. Very nice surprise!
I love baby reds! This time of year they seem to be everywhere. At Mukilteo especially, I look extra closely at empty clam shells. This little guy was only an inch or so long.
A segmented marine worm. Dead, I think. About 3 inches long.
This is the first Pycnopodia I've seen on Seattle beaches in six years. Hope it's a sign they're beginning to come back after being devastated by Sea Star wasting.
This Bald Eagle was eating a Giant Pacific Octopus's 2' arm, then carried the remains to a branch on the bluff and kept eating.
Purple Ribbon worm observed in the process of swallowing a Nereid polychaete. Fourth photo shows the ribbon worm everting its proboscis and injecting the prey with a toxin.
Pregnant female with brood pouch
Unusual seven-armed individual! I've seen some with six, but this is the first with seven I've ever found.
This was found in a plankton tow off pier 60 in Seattle.
I kept waiting for it to uncoil to make me feel confident it was a marine worm of some kind.
It moved in a pulsing rotation by straightening and lowering what seem to be flagella or very pointed paddle-like appendages. These are rather flat and taper to the ends. What puzzles me is that even if this uncoils I am not sure this would demonstrate a bilateral symmetry I associate with most marine worm larvae.
I would love to hear what others think?
Beautiful Moon Snail operculum (trap door) found washed up on the beach. This is only the second one of these I've found.