May 22, 2024 – We had plans today to visit Yellow Island Nature Preserve, but when a report came in from the ferry of a humpback whale headed down Upright Channel we changed course. We scanned for quite a bit but never found the whale (nobody else did either), so we went back to our original plan. It was amazing to see how much the island changed in about a week. Almost all the blue Great Camas was finished for the season. The island was full of desert parsley and there were still some harsh paintbrush left. The broadleaf stonecrop was looking great and the island is a fun little paradise every time we go.
Route map 5/22/24
Crow in Madrone tree
Canoe ride from San Juan to Shaw Island
Canoe ride from San Juan to Shaw Island
Sailing in the San Juan Islands aboard Sailing vessel “Peniel”
All smiles
Harbor seals
Bald eagle
Bald eagle in nest on Cliff Island
Harbor seals near Yellow Island
Our sailboat and tender at Yellow Island
Yellow Island Nature Preserve
Caretaker cabin at Yellow Island Nature Preserve
Our daughter exploring Yellow Island
Our daughter imitating a Pacific Madrone tree
Wildflowers on Yellow Island
Butterfly on Yellow Island wildflowers
Yellow Island signage for wildflowers
Wildflowers on Yellow Island
Licorice fern on Yellow Island
Harsh paintbrush and desert parsley on Yellow Island
Our daughter exploring Yellow Island
Our daughter studying the flowers
Our daughter leading our passenger on the trail
Desert parsley on Yellow Island
Yarrow (?) on Yellow Island
Wildflowers on Yellow Island
Harsh paintbrush and desert parsley on Yellow Island
Wildflowers on Yellow Island
Great camas on Yellow Island
Broadleaf stonecrop on Yellow Island
Broadleaf stonecrop on Yellow Island
Nootka Rose on Yellow Island
Bee on Death camas
Puget Sound gumweed (?)
Prickly pear cactus and Broadleaf stonecrop on Yellow Island
Bald eagles fighting over food on Low Island
Black oystercatcher on Low Island
Bald eagles on Low Island
Bald eagle with food in talons on Low Island
Pacific Madrone tree on San Juan coastline