The beach

Had a walk on the beach today before we leave. There are so many more mussels this year (mytilus edulis or edible mussel.). They are annual so will grow bigger by summer . Some years there aren't any -it's so interesting. Also need to keep track of our oysters which suffer greatly in Puget Sound from ocean acidification - these are huge pacific oysters. ( there were none in 1990 when we first came here but a neighbor brought in spat from desolation sound and now they cover the bay !). The big difference this year is so many fewer ducks than usual! Even tho I don't have the camera for photos of ducks I've been looking for them- usually we see lots of loons, mergansers, golden eye, buffleheads, and scoters -this year a few. Even the numbers on the Christmas bird count were down. Too warm? They didn't need to winter this far south? I will have to do more research.
Too cold and too frosty on the dock to row -so we're packed and ready to go back to the city and it's schedules, fortified with all the sights, sounds and scents here in the gulf islands.