On Friday at Sinclair Island in the San Juans I got up early and hiked
around the NW corner of the Island to see if I could spot the baby harbor
seal my students had seen the day previously. It was low tide and still
pretty dark as I went to the location, which was a sheltered area under a
large rock. The seal was not there so I sat down to enjoy the gathering
light at the low tide. After a few minutes I heard a swoosh swoosh swoosh
overhead and I stayed perfectly still in the shadow of the rock. A great
blue heron landed right literally right at my feet, which were tucked under
a small log. The bird hopped up on the log then walked to the end where it
stuck over a small pool. There we stayed for 20 minutes, me becoming more
and more uncomfortable on my barnacle rock perch but not wanting to shift my
weight and ruin the magic of being so close to this magnificent bird.
Finally the heron waded out a bit more, and using as much caution as I could
muster I tried slinking away unseen. Not so. I was about halfway to home
when the loud squawk told me the jig was up so turned and watched as the
heron was taking flight. Now that I could actually stand up again, I walked
over to where the heron was fishing and there, floating on the water, was a
fresh dry feather, which I tucked into my hat and walked, whistling back to
camp. Later that day a couple of students and I got a glimpse of a life and
death chase of a accipter after a stellars jay. They wove in and out of the
trees, the jay making a call I have not heard before. Probably the jay
version of, Oh SH*T!!!. We were going to walk over to see if there was a
kill but a huge river otter came bounding up ths shore in the opposite
direction and we got distracted and forgot about it.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer

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