Wildlife Photo Features - Great Blue Heron at Ronald Bog

Ronald Bog looking east. The shoreline was enhanced in last few years by volunteers who planted native plants and removed invasive weeds
(click on photos to enlarge and get a better look)

Monday Ronald Bog displayed an array of wildlife.
Here are a Great Blue Heron, Turtles and Ducks on a log

Ronald Bog is a City of Shoreline Park and is at the "headwaters" of the northbranch of Thornton Creek Watershed. (Cromwell Park is even further "upstream" and August 30th is the dedication of Cromwell Park renovation.) It is the largest watershed in Shoreline and Seattle.  It is home to 5 species of salmonids including chinook. The presence of a Great Blue Heron and other recent sightings of Osprey indicate the presence of fish.

Long ago Ronald Bog was "mined" for peat. This created the "lake like" habitat. 

The Great Blue Heron and turtles utilize a dead tree in the water. Logs and other wood in wetlands and creeks provide valuable habitat and are known technically as "LWD" or Large Woody Debris.

Ronald Bog is a well known bird watching site by Seattle Audubon members

and brings visitors to Shoreline

Many insects are present around Ronald Bog. 

Here is a native butterfly lighting on a native Vine Maple

Many kinds of ducks frequent the Bog. A Grebe was also

sighted at this outing.

Downstream, the City of Shoreline is beginning work on a project to improve Thornton Creek's flow and prevent flooding.

City is storing large culvert sections until they are installed under 

Corlis Place to provide improved stormwater capacity

Further downstream on King County property next to

the Metro Transfer Station, the creek flows in a section

of natural channel. The City installed "box culverts"

under road crossings that provide much improved fish habitat and 

protect surrounding neighborhoods from flooding.