The Great Blue Heron is not exactly a rare bird here in Port Townsend, yet I don't see nearly as many here as in my former habitat of Everett WA with it's marshy Snohomish river estuary.

Herons like mudflats and marshes which Port Townsend is a bit short on. So on my way driving across town to Fort Worden, I spotted a big bird flying over, and assumed it was a Bald Eagle, which are all over this place. But getting closer to the big bird I noted it's crooked wings - and slow wing-beat. Is there any big bird that flaps slower than a Great Blue Heron?

Getting to my destination, the PT marine science center, looking for fish and plankton - no luck there- but I did find an immaculate feather on the pier -Blue-grey , perfect and about 10 inches long, it couldn't been have been anything else than a Great Blue Heron feather.

So that was my Port Townsend heron day.


Jeff Gibson
in Port Townsend Wa