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Yippee!

A Juvenile Eagle Appearing to Leap for Joy

One never knows what to expect when visiting the Dungeness Landing, and so it was on this particular day.

We had friends visiting from Tacoma, and while showing them the local birding sites, we counted over 30 eagles at the Landing that day…yes! And because that was and is such a rarity, I think I captured over 3,000 pictures of them with this one being one of my favorites.

To me it signals the joy of spring, warm weather, and new life, and I couldn’t have said it any better than this delightful creature.

Out of the Forest

Sequim’s Roosevelt Elk Herd

During a cold early morning at the intersection of Holland and Medsker Roads, I was able to photograph four female elk at a close distance as they came up the hill and out of the fog.

Not having seen them in this particular location before, I was quite surprised and a bit worried about their safety in such an open field, but later found that they have been known to graze there in the past, and not to worry about them, but to keep my distance. Although they may appear to be docile and friendly, they are to be respected and avoided, especially at close range.

Otter this World

A Female Otter Transports a Salmon Backstrap to her 3 Pups

Freshwater Bay in Port Angeles is a great spot to indulge the senses in not only the beauty of the peninsula, but in wildlife watching as well.

There we found this particular river otter swimming toward shore with a salmon backstrap in her mouth that she would soon share with her young offspring. Huddled in a rock cave on shore, they poked their heads out occasionally looking for her but when they spotted her, they retreated in anticipation of their grand meal.

Surprisingly, mama, although appearing exhausted, hauled her catch (the remains of a fisherman’s catch I’m sure) into the cave, then quickly went back in the surf to repeat the process.

Pretty as a Peacock

A Male Peafowl (Peacock) in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC

Victoria is fabulous city and Beacon Hill Park, located in the center of the city, is one of its crown jewels.

In this park you will find any number of peafowl. Yes…male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, but aside from that, these beautiful and people-friendly birds frequent the park, and as you might guess, visitors feed them, which undoubtedly brings them in.

The park is also a haven for herons, eagles, songbirds, waterfowl, human adults needing a break from city traffic and noise, and children seeking a petty zoo experience.

In addition to the above, you’ll find beautiful plants, flowers, trees, and fountains all in close proximity to downtown, Parliament and the BC Museum.

But the big draw for me is the birds. And I’m grateful that this particular one posed for me so beautifully. It’s a BC souvenir that brings me joy whenever I see and share it and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Local Antiques

The Knutsen House on Old Olympic Highway

Like most of us, I’ve driven past this farmhouse a number of times and always wondered about its history.

On the Peninsula Passage website in a very interesting an article by Lisa-Ann I found that it is indeed one of the original kit houses offered by Sears and Roebuck, and that it originally belonged to the Knutsen family, followed by a list of others. So if you’ve wondered about it too, I highly encourage you to visit the site and indulge your curiosities as well. Lisa-Ann is to be commended for her intense research, as well as her photos.

But because of the house’s age and uniqueness, I chose to render my version of it as a sketch, not because of a sketchy past…but because I envisioned it the way it must have appeared in the Sears catalog, which now makes me wonder about the original price as well.

Townsend’s Solitaire

A Townsend’s Solitaire Perched on a Lichen Covered Branch

Tucked among the trees along the Levee trail in Sequim, this wide-eyed solitaire caught my attention immediately and rightly so since it was my first encounter with one.

Solitaires nest on the ground and love Juniper bushes as well as their berries, so I was very lucky to have spotted this one on a branch above ground and within range of my camera.

And although the Levee Trail has changed dramatically in the last few years, one thing hasn’t; the birds still find a suitable home there.

Another Pavarotti?

An Eaglet Exercising its Vocal Chords

Shrieking at the top of his lungs, this youngster not only commanded the attention of his nest mate, but that of surrounding birds – and humans.

In this neck of the woods, his shriek is pretty much unmistakable, and certainly not comparable to Pavarotti, but that profile certainly reminded me of the grand master, and I found the look on the face of his sibling to be as equally entertaining.

These two were nest mates on Marine Drive a few years ago and with any luck and given enough food, they stayed in our area to build their own nests and to raise their own families.

But as far as brotherhood is concerned, eaglets, unlike humans, pretty much leave their attachments to siblings far behind and focus on survival – and maybe due to all the noise…