During this difficult and uncertain time for Westwind, we believe it is more important than ever to connect you to the landscape, plants, and animals of Westwind.
We will be posting weekly notes from “The Captain’s Log”, based on observations taken at Westwind by our Site Manager (and Ferry Captain), Scotty Evens. “Historically, the captain’s log was a form of log entry record-keeping that was used since the first captains sailed Earth’s seas in ancient history. The log was used to inform the captain’s superiors of what was happening on a mission and to record historical facts for future generations.”
We hope you enjoy these entries and most of all, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Westwind soon! To help us through this period of loss, please consider making a charitable contribution to help get Westwind back up to full sail.
Entry no. 1 – March 26, 2020
By Scotty Evens
Life in the time of COVID-19 has brought to Westwind something new and something as old as time.
It has brought the voice of nature to the forefront. A couple of weeks ago I joined a writing group and I chose to use this unique time to view Westwind with a different pair of goggles. Having lived at Westwind for quite a while I thought it would be interesting to challenge myself to become even more in tune. With these blog posts I hope to capture her voice and relay it to you all.
The migration continues and the Rufus hummingbirds have returned in force. They had been trickling in but are now HERE! Setting up their territories and starting to look for mates. The whale migration has started it’s march north to Alaska and are saying hello with their spouts as they pass by. This time of year you’re likely to see whales almost every day. You just have to slow down a little bit and gander at the ocean and they’ll show themselves. The Stellar Jays, though not migratory, seem to be increasing in number and are busy gathering nesting material.
The elk herd has changed from its winter pattern of movement to adding in grazing out in the estuary. The fresh green high-protein shoots coming up must be a strong attraction for them. The bulls still have their headgear and as usual the cows could care less because they run the show. One of the sea lions that died on the beach two months ago still keeps giving life and has not yet been totally consumed.
The Salmonberry seems to be the gathering spot for the birds. Juncos, chickadees, Spotted towhees, hummingbirds, Stellar jays, flickers and wrens not to mention the early pollinators all seem to be attracted to it’s bursting new life of brilliant pink flowers and delicate buds.
I’ll leave you with the Trillium which started blooming last week It’s delicate beauty, timed just right to promise and hope to us all. Which is just what we need in these times.
