June, 2023
On another drive around this beautiful Bay View area, I found a nice spot where I could park and walk to the beach. I thought I would stop and look and enjoy it for a few minutes. I ended up staying there over an hour. You know how it goes. 🙂
When the people in the photo above walked away, I walked out that little path to see what they were seeing.
I turned to the left to see their view, and snapped the photo below. The small hamlet of Bay View is off to the left, outside the photo. But WAY off there, on the very far, way far left side of the water … do you see those small black dots?
Wow! At least 20 Great Blue Herons. I’ve never seen more than two or three together in one spot. They compete with each other for food, they don’t share! But look at this.
I liked that one heron in the photo above who seemed to be looking up at the sky. I wonder why, she was looking up at the sky, maybe she looked for shade, with nothing to do but wade.
Ok, enough poetry. 🙂 These herons did not seem to be feeding. Do any of you folks have ideas about why they were gathered there? Too late in the year for breeding. They all seemed like friends. They seemed to have fewer feathers than most Great Blue Herons that I see … maybe these folks are juveniles? teenagers?
I wish I’d been closer so I could get more detail, and better focused photos, but you get the idea.
So then I turned and simply walked along the beach. And … I started to notice a whole lot of tiny white “sticks” on the beach, especially in the moist dark areas of the beach.
Here’s a closeup below. Lots of white little sticks.
Ah but no. Not sticks. Shells! There must have been thousands of them, millions?
If any of you folks can help me identify these, I’d sure appreciate that. I look online and get all sorts of results for the Sanibel Islands, or Hawaii, or the California coast, but nothing specific to Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest of the State of Washington.
And, in the end, I had a wonderful walk along a perfectly beautiful beach on a glorious sunny day here on Puget Sound. Nothing could be better. The tide was out … my shoes made squishy sounds as I walked … birds were everywhere (ok, mostly seagulls) … and it smelled so luscious and rich. 🙂
Cool! I know nothing about the shells. But I love it all. I especially like the cows in the new header photo. That fire photo with the face in the fire was SO cool, but I got tired of it. I like the cows. 🙂 and the herons.
Ok, less fire, and more cows and herons. Got it. 🙂
Those heron are wonderful. We’ve never seen so many herons together either tho we’ve been camping and beach walking here all our lives, just to the north of you. They do indeed look like maybe they are juveniles since they don’t seem to be feeding. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for a similar consortium of them. 🙂
How do you always find new stuff? This is great.
Janey
I don’t know how I find new stuff, Janey. I do know that I’m curious, and drive into places where there’s a sign that’s interesting, or stop at wide spots along the way (to see why they are wide and why other people have stopped there). And I search the internet … I get lots of ideas from that, not all of them pan out. And I chat with local folks … I get lots of GREAT ideas from them. As well, I’ve noticed when I’m camping with friends, I don’t find these new things … but when I’m camping alone, I’m much more prone to adventure out and talk with the locals and check out odd and interesting things, and/or just stand and watch silently on the beach.
Hey, if you find more info about a “consortium” (great word) of herons, do let us know. 🙂
WoW! I’ve never seen more than ONE blue heron at a time. Well, except during nesting time when they’re all in the rookery with the youngsters.
I know nothing about shells…but hopefully someone will!
How do you remember so much detail from a year ago?
Me too, Dawn … one heron at a time … or maybe a few but those are always MANY feet apart, not close like these were.
I take hundreds of photos on each trip, hundreds. So they trigger memories. Sometimes I take a photo just so it WILL trigger a memory, and not necessarily as a photo to keep for the image it shows. I also suspect that when I know I’m going to blog about something, that helps me cement it in my brain. On the other hand, who knows what has fallen out! 🙂 Thank you for your great comments and questions.
Yes indeed, this is a group of juvenile great blue herons. They look skinnier and scrawnier than adults, and they have disheveled untidy feathers, and they are often found simply standing about and looking at whatever they are looking at. The photo of the heron looking up at the sky is priceless. 🙂 Nice photos. Love the beach.
Thanks for your help Mary. So juvenile herons are sort of like some human teenagers then, disheveled and unfocused and not real sure where they are headed. 🙂 Yes, I like that one heron who is looking at the sky too … she’s super and she makes me smile.
The shells look like augers to me. I’m told there are hundreds of varieties of augers and I’m no expert on any of them, ha! The internet says they are “predatory gastropods”. Sounds terrible — they look so benign. I wonder what they eat, there are so many of them on that beach. It looks like all of them would be under water when the tide comes in so maybe they eat something that’s in the saltwater. Fascinating!
Augers they are! With that word from you, I went searching online for photos of “augers”, and I found exactly those shells. Thank you!
The internet says they feed at night, at high tide, and they eat “marine worms” … yuck! 🙂
I’ve been a boater all my life on Puget Sound, lots of boats, lots of fishing, but I’ve never explored the beaches here. Guess I better, huh! This is gorgeous. And no I wouldn’t have had any idea about the shells, tho the herons look like herons and yes they usually are stand-alone birds. Great photos. Thanks Ann.
Yes, you better get out on some beaches, Rob. I didn’t realize how great a beach walk could be until I started doing them after I sold my last boat and bought an RV. Sure, being on boat is better, no doubt about it! But a beach walk is pretty cool too. Thanks Rob. 🙂 Fair winds.
Oh my word, this was so peaceful, and so full of life, and kindness. So different than everything else I get online. Just too much stress these days. Ok, I’m heading out for a walk on the beach tomorrow, and maybe I’ll find a place to sit, just sit, and listen to the world. Thank you.
Wow, there are great number of politicians that I’d like to require them to take a beach walk and sit and think about what they’re saying. No kidding, too much stress these days, Walt. Yes, go find that peace, it’s out there, and it’s inside you. You are welcome.
Perfect. Beautiful. And fun interesting stuff. Love the squishy sound of yours shoes (in my mind anyway). 🙂
Ha! Maybe next time I’ll take a video and share the squishy sound. 🙂 Thanks Sesapa.
I keep on being so surprised and impressed with the amount of water in the pacific northwest. Yes, I look at maps and see how huge Puget Sound is, but I still don’t have a real clue about what that means. And I haven’t even started on the Canadian islands. Love the squishy shoe sounds too. 🙂 We would like a video with sound next time you post something about a sound, Ann. squish, squish.
If those herons are juvenile, then I’ll bet that heron that’s looking up at the sky is wondering when it’s parent will be bringing it some fish for lunch. My wife brings me my lunch. If that stopped, I’d probably be looking up at the sky too. 🙂
Yes, yes, ok, you and Sesapa have me trained. Next time I will take a video of the squishy beach walking. 🙂
And I bet you are correct. Those juveniles are probably pretty used to ma and pa bringing them food such that they might still be expecting the same, or at least hoping for the same. Your wife is wonderful. Just like you are. 🙂
I like that eighth photo down, the one with the heron’s head curled down. I have no idea why I like it, but I do. If you ever get a closeup of a heron positioned like that, I’ll pay you money! I will. Somehow it speaks to me. Like that photo of the heron looking at the sky speaks to Mary of Makah. So peaceful. I’m listening to piano sonatas and loving the music and these photos.
I love that photo. Ok, Fran, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for a similar pose/posture where I’m closer and can get the heron in focus. And then you can send me money, whoop! 🙂
Aaah, piano sonatas. I’ve been listening to all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, in order. I’ve been through them once, just now starting a second trip through them. I love 30-1 and 30-3 and 31-1 and 31-3, but others too. I enjoy the peaceful ones the best.
Great photos. I’ve never seen so many herons together like that either. Or the shells on the beach here. You are like a magnet for new interesting stuff. And we get to benefit from that. 🙂
I am a magnet! I like that, thank you David. Especially for new and interesting stuff. Sometimes I think I am a magnet for such odd stuff, but mostly I love life and find it wonderful. Thank you for that thought. Stay cool over there in that heat.