WHERE DID YOU PADDLE - November 2018

[alexsidles]

I had a lovely paddle yesterday morning around Union Bay, Lake Washington, Seattle. The winter ducks are starting to arrive: wigeon and bufflehead in great numbers, green-winged teal, and a few ring-necked ducks. The goldeneyes and common mergansers have not yet arrived, and although I heard canvasbacks are present, I did not see those, either. The best birds were a small flock of dunlin on the mud islands and a horned grebe out in the middle of the lake.

Beyond the birds, the most beautiful part of the trip was the excellent fall colors. Union Bay has several narrow passages, and the colorful leaves created spectacular canopies overhead.

01: Passing beneath a fallen log.

02: The new and old SR-520 bridges.

03 Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club practice.

04: Canada geese foraging.

05: American coots.

06: Double-crested cormorants.

07: Approaching wooden footbridge, Union Bay Natural Area.

Alex

 

[Astoriadave]

Lovely, Alex. My ex and I took our brand new 17 ft Grumman canoe out on some of these backwaters, back in 1972 or 1973, when it was all in bullrushes and there were no trees. It is really wonderful to see how grand those Foster Island natural areas have become.

Thanks for the photos.

 

[pawsplus]

Beautiful! I didn't realize it was that rural there!

 

[Tangler]

Went for a nice paddle around a local island this morning.
Saw Widgeon, Harlequin ducks, loons, grebes, Bald Eagle, Racoons, four young otters on a rock and a seal swimming by my kayak in clear shallow water.
Nice cliffs...

The view coming home.

 

[chodups]

Lovely, Alex. My ex and I took our brand new 17 ft Grumman canoe out on some of these backwaters, back in 1972 or 1973, when it was all in bullrushes and there were no trees. It is really wonderful to see how grand those Foster Island natural areas have become.

The Arboretum and surrounding waters were all part of the neighborhood I grew up in. We ice skated on the lagoon and traveled the waters on logbooms, rafts, row boats and home built hydroplanes. Foster Island was a burial Island for the Duwamish who called it Sti'tichi. They placed their departed in boxes and hung them from the trees. At that time the water level in the lake was about 9 feet higher so Sti'tichi was smaller and further from shore.

I still paddle here and when I am on the quiet backside of Foster Island I close your eyes and listen carefully. Someday maybe I will hear them speaking to me.