A young eagle takes wing from a tree on a Fidalgo shoreline. Off we go, too, into a new year!
I was pleased on many fronts with my visit this afternoon to Rosario. The vast majority of the snow was gone, the sun was shining and the temperature moderate. Icing on the cake was my first eagle shot of 2022. From Rosario Head.
It is an extraordinary neighborhood: the dunes area between the ocean and lake at Deception Pass State Park. This area is located south of the West Beach restrooms. Surf on one side, fresh lake water on the other.
The rewards stacked up quickly on my Wednesday morning walk, a morning featuring perfect light! Before I had returned to the car I had experienced sightings of a bunny, two eagles, multiple blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, American wigeons, mallards and a hummingbird. There were also brief encounters with a couple of old friends of the […]
Tomorrow, December 21, is the first day of winter. I celebrated “Winter’s Eve” with a rain-free walk at the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve (SHIP). I enjoyed sightings of an eagle, herons, wigeons, wrens and ducks. The message from Don & Reanne Hemingway Douglas on a small, water-filled plaque captured my sentiments: “Fidalgo Island Holds Our […]
As it turns out, the sun burned through early morning fog to present yet another beautiful fall day on Fidalgo Island. That does not mean my early Saturday walk was without rewards. Morning mist provided special lighting and circumstances including a bald eagle working on its nest. Tommy Thompson Trail is a great choice any […]
Kukutali, which in the native Swinomish Tribal language means “place of cattail mats,” is a wonderful near-island managed in partnership between the tribe and state parks. Walk a narrow band of land to this place of beach and forest. Beautiful trees tower above on the forest trail, with many madrona trees growing both in forest […]
Always beautiful, particularly so on a summer morning like today: the North Basin at Cap Sante Marina. The popular Rotary Park paved path runs along the base of Cap Sante to a gazebo near the marina breakwater. There is also a nice stretch of public beach.
It was 2013 when I glanced to the south cliff of Fidalgo Island from Canoe Pass Bridge and spotted this eagle. I have never seen an eagle on that snag since, so I am pleased to have this image in my archives.
Rather than subjecting myself to more news about the coronavirus pandemic I chose today to visit Deception Pass State Park. Fresh air, natural beauty and safe space between me and those who chose the same outdoor adventure. Not escape, but a welcome respite.
On my many trips to and from Whidbey Island over the years, I have only seen an eagle on this Fidalgo Island snag on two or three occasions. On this day in 2013 I was fortunate to find a parking spot and get to Canoe Pass Bridge in time to take a few shots.
Although these eagles were quite a distance from me in a Bay View field, I could see the eagle on the left had unusual coloring. A large drainage ditch prevented me from getting any closer for a more detailed image. My research suggests a genetic mutation called “leucism,” where pigment is absent from some feathers. […]