Wildlife

Lake Burien is home to a variety of waterfowl and fish species and is visited seasonally by many migrating birds. The most visible creatures are semi-domesticated mallards who live and reproduce on the lake and seldom leave except for brief local flights around the area and down to the Sound. In the fall local ducks will become quite active as inherent migratory juices flow but most individuals are inclined to stay the winter right here where the living is easy. Local hatch is much reduced from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s when there remained a good deal of undeveloped land suitable for nesting, but the 1989 hatch, wherever it may have occurred, seems more successful than the several preceding years and hatch survival rate looks better. Possibly a reduction in bass population is saving some of the chicks from early demise.

Also prominent among semi-domesticated waterfowl are the spectacular and noisy Canada geese who have appeared in numbers only within the past few years. These birds multiplied profusely from the small Lake Washington core flock and are reported to be common in many of the King County lowland lakes. Much more gregarious than the mallards, Canada’s seem to enjoy visiting around in a 10-mile radius or so, and specialize in dropping in for 3:00 a.m. visits heralded by shouted greetings back and forth. The Park department estimates population into thousands, and attributes increase to a shooting ban. Burien headquarters for honkers is often the lawn at Skarbos and waters at East end though no locals are neglected.

Fully wild migratory ducks (although even they may become semi tame if they stay around for a few months) are mostly teal and widgeon with a scattering of bufflehead, ruddy and a reduced supply of coot. These latter formerly grazed waterfront lawns in such numbers as to maintain a ˝" height, fertilizing profusely all the while. There is a sizable population of mergansers who arrive in late Fall and stay for several months simultaneously and systematically diving and sweeping the waters to considerable depths, taking a heavy toll of all fish up to about seven inches long. Their ability to "fly" under water lets them out swim their prey. These birds remain quite wild during their stay-over.

Other common forms of bird life who are all too familiar to residents are crows and seagulls, both of which are proliferating. Crows which formerly were fair game for target shooters have become protected in recent years and have multiplied greatly. Gulls may be using our lake more as a stopover on their route back from inland County garbage dumps. Whatever the reason, we have had big increases, especially Fall and Winter. One exciting bird species appearing this spring was the Bald Eagle and also a large, reddish-brown lesser or immature eagle. An adult bald eagle was repeatedly seen for several weeks making periodic passes around the lake at high speed and low elevation with its distinctive wide span (seven feet to eight feet) and slow wing beat. The frequent sightings suggest that more than one bird was involved.

Debbie Pierson sighted one on a number of instances perching high in a tree overlooking the lake, and once in the act of scooping a fish from the lake.

The raccoon appears to be the only remaining wild mammal around the lake, with its gypsy lifestyle it is frequently seen working the shoreline late evening and early mornings scrounging for aquatic edibles, feeding on fruits summer and fall. Occasionally a whole family passes the day sleeping high in a convenient firtree. A sturdy and feisty animal, it can hold its own with most dogs and a group can even kill a domestic pet if so inclined. Gloria Sealey once had to dash out with a broom to rescue her small dog.

In the fall of 1990 or 1991 a mature American Bald eagle dangling a limp seagull from its talons was seen flying west up the lake, pursued by a group of excited crows. The eagle landed high in a hemlock at Ball’s waterfront apparently preparing to consume his quarry. After a period of simultaneously trying to hold onto his perch, manipulate the gull and repel crows, he elected to abandon the project and in apparent disgust flew off, dropping the gull carcass into the lake just offshore. Whereupon, gull miraculously recovered, checked his vital systems and flew off too.

Also in early 1991 (and again in 1992) there occurred a prolonged visitation from a medium size otter, believed to be a lake or stream variety (as opposed to the sea otter or the large river otter). Apparently a lone animal, it stayed several months , residing mostly under Upthegrove’s dock from which it foraged much of the shoreline for crawdads and other aquatic creatures The abundance of fecal deposits along the shore suggests a virtual wipe-out the crustacean population.