ACFL South 01.30.2023

Whistle Lake Wildlife

It was a chilly overcast day, and the sun was trying to shine. It looked very promising for photographing wildlife. The winds were calm, and another very peaceful day.

I started on the west side of Whistle Lake, going to make a full day of hiking. I found some fantastic wildlife, otters, eagles, a pileated woodpecker, hairy woodpeckers, and more. The forest and water edge has a lot of brush in many places. It makes it difficult at times to get a clear shot. In some areas, it is just a “wait for it” and predicting where the subject would be visible through the branches.

Bald Eagles Stare-Down

It was early morning when I spotted three Bald Eagles, two adults, and a juvenile. I watched the interaction between the adult and the two-year-old for about 30 minutes. Their discussion was for the juvenile to take flight. The look they gave each other was priceless. After a long stare-down, the young one finally took the flight to a new location.

This beautiful Bald Eagle was just across from where I was watching all the action from. This location is at the far south end of the lake. There was a lot of Eagle activity that morning. 

I located the two River Otters on the south end of the lake also. They were working their way along the shoreline that was heavily brushed. It’s a bit tuff to get a good shot. But the brush on the shoreline is great for adding protection for wildlife. It was great to see them in the lake and they looked healthy. Hope to see them again on my next hike. 

Dark-eyed Junco

The sun was starting to shine though out the dense forest as I worked my way out for the day. I found this one section on the east side of the lake that had a lot of Dark-eyed Juncos. I love their pinkish color beaks and slight hint of pink on the front feathers.  

Whistle Lake, Anacortes

01.30.2023

All images are © Chris LeBoutillier

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