Summer escapades

Its been a while since I last published anything and now that I have some time I feel compelled to do so. Summer on the coast, being out here has been a opportunity to relax and also spend time in refection of things scientific and philosophical.

Over the last week or so I have had the opportunity to experience some of the best that the Washington coast has to offer. Warm sunny days, clear cool nights, days filled with exploration and discovery. Looking out over the Puget sound the sight and sounds of waves crashing on the beach while in the background songs of sparrows echo over the sounds of the wind whistling in the pines do give a feeling a relaxation and solitude.

I also have been quite privileged to visit some extraordinary places. Yesterday my class went out to Protection Island. This is a National Wildlife Refuge which however is closed to the general public. I had the opportunity to go on the island and take part in an annual census counting the nest sites for the Glaucous winged gull. It was quite the interesting experience walking among the colony counting the nest sites. I was able to see a number of nests with eggs, a few with chicks already hatched and a few with the eggs just in the process of hatching.

And while there were many upsides to this event there was the downside as well. Gulls tend to fly above you as you walk through the colony and as they do sometimes you become the recipient of white or greenish grey - depending on the gulls diet - substances that in the warm sun does dry relatively fast. However the experience as a whole was more valuable and fun that this distraction did not mar the overall enjoyment.

Once again this afternoon I am expecting to head out on a boat to do some additional counting as part of the class. Not a bad way to spend the summer.