Sometime Pictures Simply Cant Speak a Thousand Words

The cool fall air and colorfully leaved trails on San Juan Island are not only  harbingers of another winter yet to come.  This time of year you wake up to the hoots of various owls, the animals are foraging with resolute courage and the sunsets over the Haro Straits begin to burn with colors not seen in summer months.

For me, the season, although my absolute favorite of the year, brings about a bit of nostalgia for all of the wonders experienced since the unfurling of the first little forest flowers in March. I cannot help but look back over the year in photos, pining for the youth of spring and the robust colors of summer. And I realize, that sometimes photos simply cannot speak the thousands of words I would love to portray about the inherent beauty of the Islands we call home.  Described as  "jewels," with their "timeless beauty" referred to so often that it almost becomes trite... you have to wonder how do you truly encompass the magic known as life in the San Juan Islands? Since I am not a writer, that task (thankfully) will be left to others.  I will, in the interim, do my best to "describe" with my lens- a photographic diary of images and thoughts so that I will remember each day and give each person a glimpse of a surreal reality. Can you tell I am nostalgic?  Some reasons why, and these are not the "best of"- just little snapshots of life on an island miles off the coast of Washington State:

Days spent at the local coves swimming with Bogey..ok she swam, we threw sticks.

Low tides have so much to offer, thankfully, while we sat on the rocks at Lime Kiln waiting for the whales.

Countless hours spent at dawns throughout the summer at American Camp, watching for fox pups and waiting for the perfect shot which never came, but enjoying their antics nonetheless.

Reveling in the majesty of the hundreds of eagles perched on rocks an in trees across the expansive waterfronts.

Following the moulting of a local elephant seal, waiting patiently for his true beauty to emerge.

Days spent on the water with the Marine Mammal Stranding network, where with sadness comes majesty...an interesting juxtaposition.

A once in a lifetime visit to Stuart Island, courtesy of the Whale Museum!

And my reason for living on San Juan Island ....the most enthralling animals in the world.

The first of many glorious winter sunsets over the Haro Straits.

As the southern resident community of whales spend their days this week at the mouth of the Fraser River desperately seeking out the last salmon of the season, we patiently wait for the inevitable last glimpses we will have of our underwater compatriots this season- the lives around which most of the island's lives flourish during tourist season. And watch the beauty of the late fall sunsets unfurl.

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It's Tough Out There as a Little Dog- A Day in the Life on San Juan Island

Have you ever wondered what it's like for a puppy living on the west side of San Juan Island? Well, there's views...unlike a city dwelling puppy, the Haro Straits sits right outside your door. It's awfully fun to watch the sunrises and sunsets from the yard- the wilderness surrounding you and challenging your youthful expertise in scenting!

Little Miss Bailey celebrates her 11 weeks of life tomorrow...and what tales she has to tell. She has watched a superpod cross the Haro Straits, listened to the echoing blows of exhalations in the night, has been approached by curious mother deer and spotted fawn, to mutually determine if either presented any reason for concern.  She has hiked the trails at Lime Kiln and Cattle Point, frolicked with visiting children and kayakers at Deadman's Bay. She has traveled by ferry to Seattle and beyond, she has played with a Great Pyrenees in the surf at Anacortes. All in all, it's a dog's life.

It hasn't always been this easy though- life on an island (of course) has to throw you some interesting angles. It is just recently that the eagles have stopped circling when she plays in the yard. At 20+ pounds now, she's just too big to consider as a feast...unlike our neighbor's little pup three years ago- snatched from his yard one sunny afternoon.

And our little friendly foxes, while so much fun to chase and scent- pose yet another interesting twist. Not too long ago, I wrote a piece on Flickr about a relationship which had developed with a young fox in our yard.  Animal interaction at it's finest!

Well, this has been an interesting continuation to the story. This summer, we were able to determine this friendly little fox is indeed a female, when she brought her pups to the house one evening.  The pups were clearly intimidated by being so close to a human but the visit afforded me the honor of meeting them from afar.  Once Bailey arrived on the scene, the little fox, who we affectionately (if not somewhat unimaginatively...)call "Miss Foxy," has lingered longer and has come very close to the pup during each visit.  This was unnerving at first- I was always jumping to grab her up in my arms before the fox got too close and eventually trying to keep the determined little puppy from chasing the young mother.  It certainly seems as thought the young mother is simply curious about the new addition and acts as though she understands our mutual foray into new motherhood. Still, constant vigilance is in order.

All in all, life is good- but certainly not the usual childhood! :)

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Orca Calf Found Dead On Henry Island

Sadly enough the news that was posted August 4th was not what many want to hear- the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network has recovered a body of a dead orca calf on the beaches of Henry Island.  While it was originally sighted on July 26th, the fetus was not reported to the Network until August 1.   In the meantime, the body was scavenged and was in an advanced state of decomposition when researchers arrived on scene. 

According to Amy Traxler, who runs the Network, “A newborn killer whale calf is usually 7 to 8 feet long and 300-400 pounds,” while this carcass was approximately 5 feet long with an estimated weight of 70-80 pounds, so it’s likely this calf was aborted.”  The placenta was lying next to the calf when originally discovered, she said, and it is believed the calf was born prematurely. Cause of death, as well as whether it was a member of a resident or transient pod, is expected to be determined in a necropsy being conducted by Dr. Joe Gaydos, the Stranding Network’s veterinarian and regional director of the SeaDoc Society , a research institution affiliated with the University of California-Davis.

A recent paper Gaydos presented to the International Whaling Commission suggests that an average of seven killer-whale carcasses are found around the world annually, making every killer whale stranding a rare opportunity to learn more about the biology and diseases of this species. Researchers will now try to conduct a necropsy to try and determine the cause of death as well as attempt to determine if this calf is, indeed, an offspring of the endangered southern resident community of orca whales.  At issue will be the amount of decomposition and whether or not there are any viable tissue samples to be found.  I actually assist in necropsies with Joe and Amy- and see firsthand what a loss a decomposing body can be to scientific efforts.

To respond to marine mammal strandings in San Juan County, alive or dead, please call 1-800-562-8832 and leave a message with your name, phone number, location, and other pertinent details of the stranding. You will be helping to better understand and protect the region’s marine mammals.

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Fox Pups on San Juan Island

Pupping Season is Upon Us!

Fox Pup Notecards - Customized
by

sandybuckley

We are very fortunate to have a diverse and varied animal population on San Juan Island that is supported by a community appreciation and respect for nature and her wonders. One of the populous creatures you will find on the islands are fox- a member of the dog family. On the island, there are several color variations of the red fox, including red, silver, and cross, as well as combinations of all three. We've seen them feast on birds, field mice and rabbits (especially down at American Camp- where it is always fun to watch them hunt the rabbit dens at sunset)- but they will also eat raccoons and ducks! Plants make up another portion of their diet- and the pups are often seen munching on the grasses around their culvert dens!

Everywhere you turn this month and well into the summer you will find frolicking fox pups in roadside culverts and grass embankments. So, if you're on the island, please take heed and keep them in mind!!!

Fox Kit Notecards Friday Harbor, WA
by

sandybuckley

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