June 26th, 27th, morning of the 28th- Starrivagan Campground has very nice board walked nature trail that ran around the edge of this estuary, the area where a freshwater river or creek meets the salt water ocean.
Estuaries are affected by the tides, and, as a result, nutrient rich salt water flows into the area, creating a habitat rich in wildlife.
The grasslands of this estuary provided the perfect grazing area for deer.
This is a Sitka Black-tailed deer. These deer are found in other areas than Sitka, that is just their name.
Along this boardwalk were a number of viewing platforms. This one, the bird viewing platform, is the most elaborate.
From here, we saw this Great Blue Heron……..
As well as a Common Merganser duck who happen to swim by.
Hearing the eagles cry, we looked skyward………
But, I never seem fast enough with the camera to catch an eagle in focus.
So…..I just have to be content with getting the shot when they are nice enough to pose. : )
Now, I have to say that it was not without a bit of nervousness that we headed down the boardwalk trail…..
This sign was posted at each of the trailheads, and the campground host had made a point of telling us that a Brown bear had been hanging out and feeding on the estuary grasses. This kind of information excites the photographer in me, but seeing all the very real evidence of bear poop ALL along this boardwalk can make one pretty skittish.
We never did see the bear…..I was a bit disappointed…..but a lot relieved!
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