Every summer we try and take a couple little ferry trips over to Lummi Island - which is about a 45 minute drive from Bellingham. We only got one trip in this summer, but it was a glorious one.
We saw this Great Blue Heron fishing in a slough
And a cormorant enjoying the lovely day on some pilings.
We like to have lunch on the porch of the little yellow cafe and while we ate this Great Blue Heron landed in the top of the nearby trees. Posed between two power lines, it was hard to get a picture of all of it without the wires interfering too much.
Given a slight chance, most anything will grow in Northwest Washington State. This Ash Tree sprouted atop a fence post.
On the drive around the island there were beautiful flowers blooming - our trip was in August and on a gorgeous day. This Hummingbird Vine was it its full glory!
And Mt. Baker was our magnificent view from the cafe porch. Boats passing and enjoying a day on the water.
Back on the mainland, on Lummi Peninsula, there is a fabulous view of Bellingham with Mt. Baker in the background. They have the best view of the mountain there I think
Mt Baker and the Sisters in one shot - always a favorite!!
And Bellingham spread out beneath the mountains.
There is a Reef Fishing fleet on the back of the island. The Department of Fish and Wildlife explains Reef Fishing, as done by the Indigenous Lummi Nation.
"Reef nets do not gill or surround salmon with a net. Rather they count on natural and man made structures to lead the salmon into a shallow laid net which is then lifted and the fish spilled into holding pens.
Minimal handling and stress coupled with the ability to keep the fish alive make reef nets the most selective fishing gear available. Reef nets are fixed to one location and only catch migrating adult salmon that swim through their gear"
Men stand atop the tall towers and give instructions to those in the lower area as to when the nets are ready to be pulled up.
The sight of the long line of Reef Fishers is striking on a sunny day.
And on the trip back to the mainland on the ferry we spotted this Whale Watching boat - with no passengers, coming in to the dock. The words on the side say that they guarantee that you will see whales on your trip.
12 comments:
Hello, I your heron photos. Great sighting of the heron and cormorant. It is neat seeing the tree growing out of the fence post. The Flowers are gorgeous.
I always love the beautiful views of the mountains, lovely shot with the sailboat. I have never heard of the reef nets, it is an interesting way of catching the salmon. Wonderful photos and post. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!
...you are surrounded by some beautiful country.
Beautiful scenery and pretty flowers! Thanks for the explanation of Reef Fishing. Love the Heron photos!
Have a wonderful week-end!
Love those views of Mt. Baker. I'm still learning to identify which mountain you're looking at around northern Washington/southern BC. We need to spend more time out there. Never heard of reef fishing before either. Thanks for your comment. We also ordered things from the Sears catalogue (or Eatons) when I was young, and it was so exciting when the package arrived. My grandparents bought their house from the Eaton's catalogue in the late 40's!
Hello! Great photos! I love those mountains.
What a wonderful vacation trip! Love the heron shots! The pictures of Mt. Baker are so beautiful! Love this.
Wonderful shots of birds and snow covered peaks.
I've only been to the island once and just for a short business trip with my sister. We are in Bellingham so little these days that we don't get out much to see the area. - Margy
Oh, what beautiful views! It looks like you had a perfect day to make up for your limited trips to the island. I've never seen reef fishing before. It looks like an interesting fishery.
Wow! I love seeing herons and I'm so glad that I can see them in so many different places through blogging. Your photos are awesome!
Ahhh, beautiful as always Bellingham set beneath one of the most picturesque mountains - you know how I love there!
The heron's a handsome bird and you did get some great pix JoAnn.
When I look at (and drool over) your wonderful nature pictures, I can't help wonder how many I have been able to get here in Japan without power lines zipping back and forth.
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