It's that time of year :)

It's that time of year when I find myself pulled to 'where the river meets the sea'.

I didn't get far from home before I saw signs of wildlife ~ sea lions cavorting or basking on a sand bar

and farther down the beach, a heron looking out of its yellow beady eye.

I stopped for the third time when I noticed a few birds in trees overlooking a river.

I arrived at my destination, and thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple of hours observing the scenery and wildlife. I had taken a plastic bag to sit on the wet logs so I could just watch silently, without too much discomfort.

Just a few of the many ducks!

Harlequin ducks with their attractive markings:

and a little biddy one:

As I was sitting on the log, a song sparrow landed and sang just to my left:

I spotted a juvenile bald eagle on a post ~ at first I wondered what it was from the back!

Later I moved in from another angle:

I saw it, or one of its ilk, eating a salmon on the shoreline rocks:

Meanwhile, predators with sharp teeth were slipping through the waters.  It is difficult to know when they will surface, but the sound of their breathing and growling are indicators...screeching gulls descend when there is a salmon kill, and I hope to catch a good shot.  Nothing too momentous today, though, but I'll definitely be returning soon.

One climbing out and quickly back in:

Can you see what this is?

 Nothing goes to waste!


On the home front, I received the Shadow of the Wind book from Snowbird, which will be my next read.  Thank you for sending the book and card :) Nowadays, it is not often that I receive real mail, so it felt like Christmas! The history of this particular book and its travels to date can be found on Snowbird's blog here.

By the way, we have a nice new neighbour across the street who happens to have brought with her this very large Maine Coon cat!

 I wonder what SuperSquirrel(TM) (see Nikki's comment on my last posting) will think of the new 'kit on  the block'.