"A Trip to Sandy Point Beach with Mom and Dave"

Top two: assorted mushrooms on the trails behind the beach, Canada flower berries, and bottom: an aster going by.

"Who, Me??" The marsh off the trails behind the beach

The marsh stream going inland

Rosie returns to the trail after a pit stop to check out the water.

Family Photo Ops

More nifty bright colored mushrooms!

Rosie coming and going on the trail so I can keep an eye on her.

Jewel weed

Top Three: Me eating lunch on my front "porch" at Sandy Point Beach

Bottom: Dave and Mom look for rocks and shells

Cormorant

Mom and Dave ponder the meaning of life

Me and Rosie on my "porch" finishing lunch

Rosie and her various poses

Rosie and me pose for some team photos.

Rosie plays with a stick in the water and on the beach

Top: Cormorant, Bottom: Osprey

Group Pictures on Sandy Point Beach, Dave & Mom

Top to bottom: Sea Lavendar,

Osprey,

Osprey,

Cormorant,

Cormorant,

Osprey

Beach Combers: Top- Dave looks around the far side of the beach while Mom (bottom) returns from testing the water temp. TOO COLD!

A cormorant snoozes

Rosie waits for someone to throw her toy out into the water so she can begin retrieving (over and over and over...)

Top: Cormorant Bottom: Osprey on a nest

Dave does lunch by the waterside at high tide.

A Hawk Visits Saxl Park This Past Spring...

This past spring, my husband and I took the dog out to Saxl Park for a run and a game of frisbee. We did our usual walking around as I checked to see if the wood frogs were in the vernal pools yet, check the ice thaw in the pond, and at the end of the field (Close to Cascade Park area), up in a naked tree was this hawk. I was excited as I had my good camera with me. I was cautious so I wood not scare the Hawk off, and I told Rosie to down stay. I couldn't believe my luck... a hawk right out in the open begging to be photographed! No leaves in the way, no branches to conceal... just a hawk happy to look around him while I snapped several pictures. (By the way I have no idea why this is being underlined as that is not even an option given.)

The hawk we saw was identified as a Cooper's Hawk. He was hanging out in a tree in Saxl Park, checking out the menu selection in the area. The local Crows were not thrilled with this Hawk's presence in their turf. In the upper right of the photo you can see the end of a Crow's wing as he and his shiney black buddies dive bomb the tree the Hawk is sitting in. The Hawk in the meantime seems to totally ignore or not even notice the Crows dive bombing antics and continues to turn his head around and up and down checking things out before he flies off in the opposite direction (towards the river). The crows had resettled somewhere else by that time.