Wildlife on San Juan Island

I just returned from a nice trip to San Juan Island, where I spent most of my time watching the wildlife.  I saw many wonderful critters, but no orcas*, alas.  Maybe next year.

I also saw a very cute, curly-mopped young man who worked at The Cask and Schooner, and I spent two evenings lusting for admiring him from afar.  I considered separating him from the herd and seducing him asking him out for a coffee, but

1.  I was only there for three days, and
B.  I talk big but I've never seduced anyone EVER so I am, in fact, a pussy.

Moving on.

The highlight of the wildlife sitings I had was pretty amazing.  I'm including some photos, but I did not take these (thanks Internets!).  I have no pictures from this event, as to why will become evident.

To start with, this particular event is fairly pedestrian.  You can see this activity probably any day of the week up here if you look for it.  However, I have never witnessed such at a mere ten feet away, as I did this time.

When most folks think of The San Juans, they picture

But the interior landscape is lovely too.  Rolly hills and valleys, golden pastures and lavender fields trimmed in evergreen, deep ponds and small lakes reflecting cobalt waters.  It looks like this

Lookit!  A lil lamb!

Note this story does not feature a lamb.

I was driving across the island from Friday Harbor to False Bay, and as I crested a hill, San Juan Valley was below.  The road was straight before me except for a small bend at the very bottom which skirted a good-sized pond.  At my eye level was a bird flying a wide figure eight.  My first thought was (just seeing his silhouette), That's a big gull.

As I descended, so did he.  His flight pattern changed to a circle, and became tighter.  I was about a quarter of a mile away at that point.  Then, his wings stretched wide and he just... floated, wheeling high without a flick of his wings.

He came lower, as I did, and as I got closer...I saw just how big he was.  Hum, I'm thinking, That's not a gull.**

It was an Osprey.

 

When I realized this, I immediately knew what I was about to see.

You know that rare moment, when your mind clears and time slows - some unnamed emotion shoots up your spine, your heart is in your mouth, because you know you are about to experience something incredible?


Only a hundred or so feet away from the pond, I watch him shift, in just seconds, from quiet watchfulness to full-on hunt.  He pinned his wings back in that dynamic double-v and dove down like a shot.

I was right at the edge of the pond, so close I could see the hook of his beak, the gold of his eyes.

With his talons out, the size of your own hands!....

He hit the pond and was back out in the blink of an eye, flinging water from his wings, the sun on the silver fish in his grasp.

Then he was gone, and I almost drove off the road.

The timing, the closeness, the BEAUTY of it - it was so...exhilarating to witness.

I'm still giddy.

Of all the wildlife I've seen, that moment ranks up in the top five of TOTAL BAD ASS EXPERIENCES.






*  I wasn't as bummed about the result this year as I was last - I'm trying to adopt the mindset of, The lower your expectations, the less your disappointment.  Works best in interpersonal relationships, which is a post for another day.
**  That's no moon!