The Ascent of Charles Island

The Eagle dropped down from the trees - the trees between Dead Man's Curve and Welch's Point. It headed out, straight across the bay just four or five feet above the water - well within its wingspan. Eagles don't fly like this when they are going somewhere - it's not efficient. They fly like this when they are hunting - it's stealthy. It has spotted something by Charles Island, now a mile behind me. With binoculars, I wouldn't be able to see what it sees, even with the water barely rippled in the calm air. That's a tip on how excellent an Eagle's eyes are. Finally, maybe three quarters of a mile out, the Eagle pulls up to circle about thirty feet above the water - another trait of hunting. The prey has dived. It might be the lone Merganser I passed out there. It swoops, circles again, and swoops, tagging the water. I think it was a miss. The Eagle flies off out past the island.

I made the annual ascent of Charles Island. That's a black humor inside joke that references my time in the Northwest, in sight of Mt. Rainier. It seemed that every year, some visitor from parts east would come to climb Mt. Rainier. Now, PNW weather isn't all that bad, if one is patient. The impatient ones, with only a week of vacation, often set off only to find themselves in sopping wet, cold, and windy conditions where they can't see more than ten feet. Sometimes, they disappear. Charles Island, just a tantalizing mile from shore, has that same effect, drawing the "no PFD - borrowed boat - drink a beer or six" folk out to big water. Sometimes, they disappear.

The island is an important rookery for Egrets and Herons. It's closed to the public during nesting season. 

Where a Laughing Gull once stood

I headed out of the harbor, rounded the island, where I found a Tern, a pair of noisy Oyster Catchers, several Great Blue Herons, some Canada Geese, lots of Cormorants, one Laughing Gull, and a few Osprey, and then did the mile over to Welch's Point before returning.