When you drive (or ride) across the Lake Washington 520 bridge, have you ever spotted the eagle that hangs out on the light post near the west end? I’ve been keeping an eye on that darn bird for about three years now and that’s the extent of my bird watching.

But King 5 News broadcasts live web cam footage from a nest, far up in an old Douglas fir tree, along Lake Washington of a family of eagles. Surely the same one as far as I can tell

Check it out the eagle cam, it’s actually pretty impressive and the nest is not your ordinary back-yard-bird nest!

Here’s a shot of papa bird and the location of either newly hatched baby birds or mama bird. Because the clarity isn’t great, I can’t be sure.

But here you can watch for hours: http://www.king5.com/news/pets-and-animals/Seattle-Bald-Eagle-Cam-120984229.html

Courtesy of WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife, CritterZoom.com, and SMI WiFi. SMI WiFi is a company in California who, without their generous equipment donations, very little of this would be possible.

Did you know that an elephant can poop up to 80 lbs of (eh hem) doo a day? Fascinating!

Elephant waste is a prime ingredient to the Woodland Park Zoo’s bi-annual Fecal Fest and distribution of Zoo Doo. Twice a year, zoo keepers shovel pounds and pounds of non-primate herbivore waste into the back lots of the Woodland Park Zoo. Then for six months, the compost process of all that poo creates some of the riches soil in the Pacific Northwest. And you can get some of it!

Zoo Doo photo courtesy of the Woodland Park Zoo

Enter the lottery right now for your chance to take home some zoo doo. Spring Fecal fest postcards can be submitted March 1-18, 2011; Pick up dates are April 8-24, 2011. For more information about how to request and pick up your doo visit the Fecal Fest website. 

Doo is a fully composted blend of animal manures mixed with straw bedding, grass, leaves and wood chips from the grounds of the zoo. This 100 percent recycled product comes from, elephants, hippos, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and oryx among others creating nearly one million pounds of compost each year saving $60,000 per year in disposal costs.

Questions about Zoo Doo or how to obtain it? Call the Zoo Doo Poopline (I’m not kidding) at 206.625.POOP or email webkeeper@zoo.org

Believe it or not, zoo doo makes a great gift for the green thumbs in your life I know this from experience (You’re welcome, Dad!)

How:

Only one postcard (I used a 3×5 index card) per person is eligible for the drawing. Phone orders will not be taken. Send a standard postcard to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA 98103. Include the following information:

• Name
• Day/evening phone numbers
• Preference: Zoo Doo or Bedspread
• Amount of Zoo Doo or Bedspread you’d like to purchase (anything from a garbage back to a full-sized pick up truck load)
• Weekday or weekend preference for pick up

A segway from Shannon’s post yesterday leads me to the Woodland Park Zoo’s Turkey Toss, where I’m not sure the carnivorous creatures gobbling up these innocent birds are so concerned with the herbal ecstasy of lemon and oregano.

On Saturday, November 20 from 10am to 2pm zoo staff will chuck raw turkeys at animals that I’d rather not get involved with. According to the zoo, they call this an “animal enrichment” activity for prey such as jaguars, snow leopards, lions grizzly bears and komodo dragons. The zoo also claims that the turkey treats are a part of the zookeepers’ ongoing efforts to help improve the lives of the zoo’s animals, promote natural animal behavior, keep animals mentally and physically stimulated and engage zoo visitors. They do it all for us!

Photo courtesy of: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Here’s a list of lucky participants and feeding times

• Jaguar, 10:00 a.m.
• Snow leopards, 10:00 a.m.
• Lions, 10:30 a.m.
• Golden lion tamarin monkeys, 11:00 a.m.
• Ocelots, 11:30 a.m.
• Grizzly bears, Noon
• Willawong Station, 1:30 p.m.
• Pigs, 1:30 p.m.
• Komodo dragons, 2:00 p.m.
• Lemurs, 2:00 p.m.
• Tiger, 2:00 p.m.

I have a hunch this feeding session will be slightly more aggressive than the annual Pumpkin Bash that zoo residents take part in after Halloween has come and gone.

The Turkey Toss is free with zoo admission.

Happy Cinco de Mayo (or Cinco de Drinko as I like to say)! If you need a list of fun things to do, check out our very own Melissa’s list from last Friday (Cinco de Mayo Seattle-style).

What I’d like to talk to you about today is volunteering for the Seattle Humane Society. Do you have lots of down time during the day or on the weekends? Like to groom, walk or socialize animals? Like to take pictures and write catchy bios? Interested in becoming a vet and want to get a taste as an assistant? Want to be a public advocate and attend local events? Seriously, you’ll find something you will love to do at the shelter. Give a little time and I promise the animals will reward you. Check the Seattle Humane Society website for a full list of ways to get involved.

The Seattle Humane Society is completely funded by private donations. It is also a no-kill shelter which means all animals that come in are given as long as it takes to find a home, regardless of age, beauty, or infirmity. It is not associated with the King County Shelter in Kent.

Volunteering gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction, not to mention the wonderful sense of community. Animals in shelters are all innocent victims, and every single one deserves love, attention, food and shelter… at the risk of sounding too much like Sarah MacLachlan, they need you now more than ever! With King County moving to cut/eliminate the budget for tax-funded shelters, places like the Seattle Humane Society are becoming more strapped for cash and space. Current proposal for handling animal services can be found here.

So can you help? I just attended my first volunteer orientation meeting last night! I’m pumped and ready to get involved. If you need help getting started, email me at jeanine at bellesofthesound dot com, and I’ll help you. Let’s do it together!

Two hot-ticket events coming up in Seattle this week, one tonight and the other this weekend. One event might trigger your inner fashionista and the other your four-legged friend.

Friends First:

There’s a lot of chatter from my fellow Belles about cats. Which is fine, but I’ve had several requests to break the mold and give a shout out to man and woman’s best friend. So here it is, cats are fine, but dogs are better!

Saturday, March 13 kicks off the 2010 Seattle Kennel Club, Inc. Dog Show! The show and exhibition, running March 13-14the Qwest Field Event Center, features several shows focusing on different areas of competition, junior showmanship, seminars, tours and education booths. In my opinion the highlight of all that jazz are the special attractions from the Seattle Police Department K-9 Unit and the Emerald City K-9 Freestyle Dancers. Yes you heard me right, I think I’ll go just to check out this dog and person dance demonstration (I wonder what it’s like to have that much time on your hands?).

I think being a show dog must be tough, but from the looks of it, it seems to be harder on the handlers and owners. Check out the Web site for ticket prices and schedules. Good luck to all the pups walking the runway this weekend.

Speaking of Runways…

Tonight at the Showbox SODO (5pm and 8pm) the students of the Art Institute of Seattle host their version of “Project Runway” with its 12th annual fashion show of student design.

“Wear in the World” features an eclectic showcase of style and design in celebration of global fashion. The exhibition is created and produced by students from the fashion design and fashion marketing programs at the college.

In addition, this year’s event features Kendra Todd as celebrity MC and guest model. Kendra Todd is the first woman, as well as the youngest competitor, to win the popular NBC show with Donald Trump, “The Apprentice.”

There’s a sweet deal for high school students to see the matinee  (5pm) free of charge, otherwise tickets for the 5pm and 8pm show are $20 in advance, $30 at the door.

No excuses for a boring week and weekend, check out and support these awesome community events!

…and think about helping Seattle’s cuddliest homeless.

When I decided to move to the big city (big for me, anyway), I’d never lived alone before. I’d had roommates in college, and lived with family before and after school. When I was with family, animals were always part of the equation. So when I got my first real taste of being on my own, things felt a little too strange. That’s when I decided to adopt.

After researching for a while, I went down to PAWS Cat City in Greenwood. The cats are allowed to roam (it’s called ‘open-colony’), and aren’t kept in cages, so it’s really easy to get to know the residents. Also, if you’re looking for more than one cat, it’s good to know if they are okay with other animals. I had mine pegged that same day, and took her home with me the next.

The great thing about PAWS is all the help you get during and immediately following adoption. The animals are spayed/neutered free-of-charge, and you get coupons for a free check-up (good at many veterinary practices throughout Seattle), a carrier, free Microchipping, educational materials, access to a behavioral helpline, deworming and a free round of vaccinations. When I got Delilah, I also got all kinds of coupons for litter and food. It really helped offset the adoption costs.

If you aren’t in a place to adopt a pet of your own, there are plenty of awesome volunteer opportunities available at PAWS. You can man the helpline, assist at Cat City, walk dogs in Lynnwood, represent through community outreach, help with marketing, or assist in many other capacities.

Delilah

Extremely allergic, or don’t want actual animal contact, but still want to help? PAWS is putting onWild Night: A Gala Benefit for Animals. Held at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel, this night of fundraising includes a cocktail hour, silent auction, live entertainment, dinner, live auction and presentation of the First Annual PAWS Champion of the Year Award. The event is March 27th, and requires cocktail attire. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30, with dinner at 7:00.

Whether you would like a furry companion, are looking for a place to volunteer, or just want to hob-nob with fellow Seattle animal lovers, PAWS has everything you need.

O Hai! My name is Jeanine and I’m the resident news addict/social media enthusiast of this little ‘ol website. ‘Tis true, I’m completely and utterly attached to my daily Internet routine: Sift through Google RSS reader, check Facebook, open Tweetdeck and read the many Twitter lists I’ve compiled, open my four email addresses, check WordPress for comments (that’s where you all come in), read the Seattle P-I (yes, I remain loyal), and repeat throughout the day… obsessively. I’m one of those people that doesn’t leave work with unread emails laying around!

One thing I haven’t gotten into, yet, is Foursquare. I’m opening  this up to you all. Should I join or should I avoid?

Phew. Despite all the time I dedicate to Internet reading, I really am an interesting person. I ride the bus everyday and read tons and tons of books to avoid talking to the weirdos that also ride (currently, I’m burning through Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series). You’ll never find me at the grocery store without my reusable bags, or advocating for this simple way to reduce your carbon footprint. I love, love, love red wine. Once I purchased a bottle in Italy for $20 only to return to find out it was worth nearly $500 in the U.S. And no, I did not sell it. I happily drank it with two of my closest friends. Not bad for a beginning wine connoisseur, right? I guess it was similar to how gamblers become addicted, I was instantly hooked! Latest favorite is Shingleback’s Black Bubbles Sparkling Shiraz ($18). Give it a try! I also love happy hours… if you know of any good ones, please share!

Because of my social media addiction, I’m painfully aware of all the amazing, fun events happening in Seattle. Many of which, to my dismay, I simply do not have the time to attend. I’ll show up at as many tweet-ups, fundraisers, etc. as humanly possible. My goal is to impart the knowledge of these events upon you, so I may live vicariously. Check back on Wednesdays for my weekly list, or watch Twitter for my real-time findings.

I’m also a mega sports enthusiast. My boyfriend and I have season tickets to the Mariners and I am no fairweather fan. I’m proud to say that I reupped my tickets BEFORE Jack Z. spent the off-season making some killer trades for players such as Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, resigning Felix to a multi-year deal, and on and on. Don’t make me sports geek out on you! Ok, I can’t promise to avoid the sports subject on here, and in the interest of full disclosure, you should know I’m a rabid Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball fan! If you are a hater, Wednesday probably isn’t your day to read this blog.

Finally, you should know I’m a huge animal lover. I am the proud mama of two ornery cats, Jack & China. They keep me busy beyond my wildest dreams. However, I love that they don’t mind (or pee in the house) if I don’t get home late due to my spontaneous happy hour shenanigans, or when I run off on an overnight adventure. Take that dog lovers! How long can you leave your dog without a mess? Booyah!

So let’s see… social media, wine, sports, books, tweet-ups, happy hours, animals… yep, that’s about it! Strap in and enjoy the ride.