Fur and Feathers Journal, 2024, Day Two Entry Four, Great Birding

 Entry No. 4

Great Birding

Karl is sitting on the gravel bar that appears in front of camp at low tide.   He stands and waves at us.   “Bear or moose,” he shouts.

 

It’s shortly after breakfast—and after Karl washed the dishes and took his folding chair and book out to the gravel.

 

We gather our cameras and head out in the direction Karl indicates.   Getting there means climbing down a bank about six feet high to the tidal flats, but I make it without falling.

 

Off in the distance, far out of range of our long lenses, is a moose out in the open meadow.   It spots us and begins moving.

Too far away for a good shot.  Unusual to  see moose in bear country.

 

I try to get closer and come upon a pile of bear scat.  It has not been touched by the tide, so I figure it might be from the bear that Karl had rendezvoused with near the outhouse this morning.   I check around, find  bear tracks, and follow them a few feet to the bank.  

 

The bank is much lower here and I see where the bear climbed it easily.   I also see a bear trail into the forest in the general direction of the outhouse.

 

By this time, I’ve taken a couple shots of the far-away moose and returned to the group.

Nice rack.   That's something you can say to a moose but never to a woman.

 

“You know the old question, “Does a moose poop in the woods?’ ”   I ask.   

“ The answer is, 'No, it doesn’t.   It poops on the beach and then goes into the woods.’”   I tell them about the bear trail heading toward camp.

 

As we reach the high bank by camp, someone spots a couple bald eagles high in a spruce and we take a few shots.

 

 

As we’re eating our bratwurst lunch, a bear strolls along the far shore of Shelter Creek.   It is the right size as the clamming bear so we believe it’s the same bear.

 

We watch it make its slow progress.  We take photos at intervals and go to the high bank spot to watch it walk through the meadow with Iliamna and the spires in the background.   It’s a breath-taking scene on a beautiful day. 

Black spot along the meadow is the bear, dwarfed by Iliamna.

 

In the afternoon, I go to my tent to get something and my sleeping bag tempts me with an invitation I can’t resist.

 

Next thing I know, Ronnie’s shouting at me and it’s dinner time, which is a huge bowl of delicious, homemade loaded baked potato soup.   We see some shorebirds called yellowlegs right in front of camp.

 

Soon, Karl is back out on the gravel bar and waves to us that he sees a great blue heron.   We scramble.  The bird had been in the trees around camp earlier.

 

It’s a long way off, like the moose in the morning.   We saunter along, dodging water left by the receding tide.

 

The first bird we are close enough to photograph is a kingfisher perched on an overturned tree root structure.

Kingfisher is almost in the center of the photo.

 

As we’re watching that, I spot a raptor in flight, jack up my shutter speed and shoot!

 

It’s a northern harrier.   Another great bird spotting.

Woo-hoo!   Bird in flight and it's in focus.

 

I get some so-so pictures of the heron and we head back to camp.

 

Much later, Eddy walks out to the beach.

See him?   Follow the green at left out past the center where the land meets the creek mouth.   That wee black spot is Eddy.

 

Sigh, it's our last night here.  Tomorrow we will head to the lodge.

Clouds moving in portend an overcast day tomorrow.   Here's hoping it doesn't rain.