October 15, 2020 – As we raised sails leaving Friday Harbor a bald eagle was making repeated dives for a duck who managed to elude him. Passing Low Island an eagle roosted on the ‘No Fishing’ sign. We took Spring Pass up to one of our favorite National Wildlife Refuges, Flattop Island. The soft lighting today gave picture perfect views of the harbor seals hauled out on the sculpted honeycombed sandstone. Glassy waters mirrored patterns of the the fruit cake geology of Flattop’s Northern cliffs.
Today we took the Northern shore of Spieden Island through New Channel. Sublime serenity. A peregrine falcon held position high on the bluffs. Coming into Haro Strait we made straight for the border. A humpback whale was north bound off Lime Kiln Lighthouse an hour earlier and we were hopeful the whale would be visible in the golden lighting over the olympic mountains. With no humpback showing we came in to Kellet Bluff and back to the South shore of Spieden Island and caught the now ebbing current back to Friday Harbor.
Bald eagle swooping down to catch a duck
Bald eagle swooping down to catch a duck who kept diving to get away
Bald eagle swooping down to catch a duck
The duck the eagle was after (looks like an American Widgeon)
Bald eagle swooping down to catch a duck
Bald eagle perched in the trees
Bald eagle perched on the No Fishing Sign
Another bald eagle
Harbor seals hauled out near Jones Island
Harbor seals hauled out near Jones Island with fall colors
Young deer with interesting fur coloring
Paid of bald eagles
Bald eagle nest
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Flattop Island with beautiful reflections
Harlequin ducks
Bald eagle
Harbor seal resting in the kelp bed
Bald eagle resting near Elephant Rock
Bald eagle fast asleep
Peregrine Falcon
View of the Olympic Mountains
Looking across Haro Strait
View of the Olympic Mountains
Black oystercatchers on Sentinel Rock
Fallow Buck on Spieden Island
Great blue heron standing on bull kelp
Mouflon Ram on Spieden Island
Route Map 10-15-20