Either a large shrub or a small tree, it was flowering and observed multiple times on the waterfront trail by the Montlake Cut. The flowers were white or pink, small, had five petals, and were in bunches on top of groups of leaves. The leaves showed opposite branching of these rounded ends that were observed in pairs of 2-4 per leaf, with there being many stemming off of the branches.
Many cattails lining the water's edge by Lake Washington. They were about the same height as me, with the distinctive sort of tuft that was a couple inches long on the top of a tall stalk.
Seen swimming in one of the ponds in Union Bay Natural Area, there were two "ducks" floating in the water with a very distinctive almost complete red body color They were also slightly smaller than mallards typically. I'm not sure there is any other bird that can be seen in the Union Bay Natural Area that has that same distinctive red/cinnamon color to it.
Seen by the bay near the boathouse, I initially mistook this bird for a heron, until I saw it in the binoculars. The long neck threw me off, but it had short legs, as well as was all black with a beak that was hooked at the end. It was just standing on a small island out in the middle of the bay, but unlike typically is the case for cormorants, it did not have its wings spread to dry.
A plant standing about a foot off of the ground. It had leaves in pairs of two that came off of opposite sides of the main stalk. The entire plant was fuzzy, and felt like to the touch. Somewhat resembled deer-tongue. No flowers to be seen.
A low growing green plant with no flowers. Multiple stalks coming out of the same ground base with almost a fern pattern, but with leaves instead of fronds. Each branch off of the main stalk was opposite another, with the leaves coming off in pairs, tapering down until three at the very tip. Typically from seven to five to three. The leaves had serrated edges, and were mostly oval shaped.
A large shrub lining the paths of Ravenna park, this plant showed visible thorns, and was beginning to fruit, with no flowers present. The fruits resembled raspberries in shape, but most of them were whitish yellow, with a couple light orange ones. The leaves were compound leaflets in threes stemming from where the berries came off of the branches.
Very large, broad, green, oval shaped leaves extending from the same base area right next to a stream. No flowers present, but the yellow central structure was visible in some of the plants, although it was somewhat hidden and in multiple it was broken and on the ground lying right next to the plant.
An oval leaf with an indent where the leaf attaches to the stem, this was very prevalent on the ground near the stream. Some had a flower structure emerging from the stalk above the leaf, but it was very small buds on a stalk that extended maybe three inches above.
A plant that grew upwards and sideways and stayed relatively low to the ground, it had large oval leaves with three very well defined grooves going vertically down the leaves. The leaves were alternately branched, ending in a flower structure that was budding, with white flowers starting to emerge.
A large fungi on the side of a tree. The top of it was a dusty brown, and it appeared to have layers, or sort of folds as it slanted down to form an overhang, with the under side of it being completely white.
A large shrub or perhaps small tree that had a woody base and large leaves in groups of five or seven that have serrated edges and a sharp point at the end. Sort of oval shaped with very straight veins coming off of the main one. I have seen other trees with these distinctive leaves, so I assume that this is just a young one.
A fern standing about two feet off the ground, exhibiting opposite branching with leaves that tapered off in length near the end with slightly serrated edges. The undersides had no visible spores or spores that you could feel. The fern was somewhat soft.
A plant very low to the ground, it had small, yellowish flowers coming off of the main stalk in an alternating fashion. Around where the flowers start there are two, almost heart shaped leaves with serrated edges that occur staggered on the stalk. Some of the flowers on the tip of the plant were still budding and green.
A plant that was in this case about 4 feet tall, with a stalk completely covered in spikes, topped off by multiple large, light green leaves. At the top of some of the leaves an upward flowering structure with multiple budding white flowers stood.
This shrub stood about 5 feet tall with very thin, relatively short leaves that could possibly be considered needles. Intermingled were some buds as well as some blue flowers. The branches drooped down. There were no more berries as they all became buds and some flowered.
Stood a couple feet tall, almost a purplish brown bark that was smooth, with alternating branches that had sharp leaves that were not flat with about seven points. The leaves were very waxy and shiny, with a thick cuticle. Some of the leaves were reddish, while most of them were green. The leaves exhibited opposite branching.
Seen in my front yard, this shrub stood about seven feet tall, with reddish pink flowers, at the end of a grayish brown branch and on top of about 5-10 or so long, green, oval leaves drooping down. The flowers were in clumps of about the same as the flowers, and the bark was crusty and could peel off relatively easily.
Two canada geese spotted with a baby swimming near the shore of Lake Washington.
A grayish squirrel with rusty red fur around the head, underbelly, and tail. Scampered around the tree, and then up the tree just after I took the picture.
All black bird with a slightly curved beak perched on top of a light post
A darker head than the mallard and less shiny, and exhibiting the dabbling common for the shoveler; rather than dipping their head and upper body into the water, they just dipped their bills in the water as they swam. There were two females accompanied.
Definitely a cottonwood. Very tall, straight with few branches coming off in the lower section. Covered in ivy, its branches had the tell tale seeds with cotton that give the tree its name. There was cotton all over the path right next to the tree.
A ground shrub that extended more out than up, it had very distinctive, large leaves that were very textured, aside from just the defined grooves that went up the leaves, and were fuzzy on the bottom. The branches were very light brown, and at the top of the branches above the leaves there were clumps of small white flowers with long stamen. The leaves were almost chalky to the touch, and disintegrated when rubbed between my fingers.
A small shrub that extends up, with alternately branched, soft, oval leaves with lightly serrated edges coming off of a light branch attached to the main, brown stalk. At the top of the shrub there was a large collection of what appeared to be small, dead flowers that were now brown and dry.
A buttercup flower. Very yellow, flowers have overlapping petals that had not quite opened up all the way, and curve up in a sort of cup fashion. The stems had three thin leaves coming off in different directions but on the same plane.
A large clump of small, light blue flowers with yellow centers. Each stalk was lightly hairy, and had about four flowers each, with many more buds coming off of the stalk that had not yet started to open. Each flower had five petals.
A shrub on an incline by the water, it had dark red bark, with large, light green leaves that were substantially grooved. On top of the large leaves at the end of the oppositely branched branches there were clumps of small, white flowers with four petals and stamen that protruded significantly.
A tree with light brown, very flaky bark. The needles came off of the branch flat, and were light green, and soft with a sort of rubbery feel. There were no cones to be seen.
A large shrub or small tree seen with bunches of yellow, pea-like flowers hanging down from the ends of the branches. The bark was dark brown, and there was a group of dead and dry pea pods hanging down near one of the flower bunches. It was covered in ivy near the Montlake Cut.