San Juan Islands Sea Kayaking from Anacortes

I got a call from Shane (at Island Adventures) the other day, he was watching two Turkey vultures soaring over his house. I know it sounds a bit strange, but those much maligned birds are a harbinger of the changing seasons. When we see them here we know that warmer weather is just around the corner.
Turkey vultures are big, heavy birds and are relatively weak at flying. Like Bald eagles they depend on rising air columns (thermals) to lift them high in the air giving them enough altitude to soar long distances in search of their next thermal. In the summer months the San Juan Islands heat up enough to create these important air columns and so the Turkey vultures are able to take up a temporary residence in search of carrion. Some even nest here in the islands. In the cooler months those same thermals disappear and so do the vultures. Usually they head south to California and Baja, Mexico where the warmer temperatures create the rising air columns that are so important to the birds.

We have had some great trips this last week. Although it looks like the wildflower bloom is still a few days away, the seals have been incredibly social with us. On Thursday I had one individual following us for about two hours! Also, the Bald eagles appear to be returning in large numbers to the San Juan Islands. We rarely go more than a few hours between sightings!