Kay – Page 305 – Sequim Daily Photo

The very old anchor

As I mentioned in another post recently, divers retrieved an old anchor off the coast of Whidbey Island that they think may have been one lost in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver’s first European expedition exploring the Puget Sound region. Logs from the voyage noted the anchor’s loss from HMS Chatham. Historians have been uncertain where the anchor came to rest with many supposing it was near Bellingham. A diver, Doug Monk, discovered this one when his air hose snagged on it. He and a partner, Scott Grimm, arranged to raise it this month and it is on display until the end of this month at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. This view is from the base of the anchor looking up its center; either side of the curved base extend left and right out of the shot.

The anchor is being bathed in fresh water to clean out salts in anticipation of transport to Texas A & M where marine archaeologists hope to date it. Though it’s available for public viewing, the conditions aren’t good for photography. Last Tuesday the water was murky and the overhead shop lights above where it is displayed filled most frames with reflections. Here I hope you can see that the metal of the anchor itself is so aged as to look almost like very worn driftwood.

The anchor is thickly encrusted with sea life. There’s a worm casing resting on top of a variety of shells and barnacles in this shot.

Scott Grimm makes a case for this being the Chatham anchor. Quoted in the Peninsula Daily News, he says, “If this isn’t it, where is it? And if this isn’t it, what’s an 18th century anchor doing off Whidbey Island?”

In season: butterflies

I was happy to come upon this butterfly last week. And here’s another universe where I’m a rank amateur: butterfly identification. But if the photo I found through Google led me right, this is a Lorquin’s Admiral.

I can’t tell you much about butterflies except they’re another part of the working class that we can thank their services: pollinators.

Pollinators transfer pollen in plants and fertilize them. We eat dozens of food crops that rely on pollination from apples to lemons and squash. Though bees do most of the heavy lifting in this area, butterflies also provide this service.

Dorjun revisited

I originally posted a photo of Dorjun, a beautiful boat built in 1905 here. I wasn’t totally happy with the shot because I wasn’t able to do her justice. But I found her in the water in Port Townsend a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t resist trying again.

After her service with the U.S. Livesaving Service, Dorjun was sailed through the Strait of Magellan.

She’s 26 feet long and has been beautifully restored.

Boat lovers like to see a boat out of water, all the better to see what’s under the waterline. But I rather like seeing this beautiful boat launched and ready for another adventure.

More avian “LBJs”

I’m a rank beginner when it comes to identifying birds and have only lately tried photographing the smaller ones. I’ve known people who’ve broadly classified them as “LBJs,” Little Brown Jobs. I’ve cracked open a couple of bird books and done my best here. This one looks like a white-crowned sparrow to me.

I should stick with “LBJ” for this one but I’ll stick my neck out and suggest it’s a Savannah sparrow. I know. It looks a lot like yesterday’s finches. But it’s got a bigger eye with white around it and there’s some pink on its bill. Anyone who knows better is very welcome to comment and set the record straight.

Birdsong

First we came upon this sweet tweet singing its little heart out, quite a lovely song. I’m fairly certain it’s a female house finch, Carpodacus mexicanus. Update: This may be a fox sparrow. [Thank you, Ken.]

Then, not much further along the trail, here was another one singing away just as beautifully. Birds typically sing to establish their territories, so I guess we encountered a birdie version of “This land is your land, this land is my land.”

And if I’ve given you an earworm with this Woody Guthrie song, my apologies. Click here if you want the rest of the lyrics.

The repurposed birdbath

I thought the deer was headed for my soon-to-bloom dahlias so I threw back the door, stood in the doorway, clapped my hands, and shouted, “SHOO!” The deer gave me a calm, wide-eyed look. Then she hopped up and started drinking. When she was done she gave me another look as if to say, “Hey, could you get out here and keep this thing a little more full?” Really!

A return to Fort Flagler

We camped at Fort Flagler State Park early this month, our second trip there. It’s fast becoming a favorite place. Fort Flagler was originally a military installation tasked with protecting entry into Puget Sound. Like many such sites, the setting is spectacular and now permits public use in a gorgeous area boasting great natural appeal. But the human history, the remains of the old bunkers, is haunting and stark. I rarely see shots in black and white, but Battery Downes at the Fort was an exception.

I’ve been to abandoned ghost towns, Native American ruins, other decommissioned bases, and places left behind. As stark as this place is, it somehow has a greater human presence than I’ve felt at other similar spots. I’m not sure why.