I live close to the Puget Sound shore, a 5-minute walk. After almost 30 years, I’ve come to know the seasonal comings and goings of tides, flora, fauna, and flotsam. A favorite is when the brant come through on their way north. Sure, some also winter here. But the population noticeably upticks in spring as the northbound flocks come up from their wintering estuaries in Baja California. They check in here, to feast on the eelgrass and sea lettuce.
On this day, the wind was blowing just enough to chop the
Sound surface and roll wind waves up the sand flats or dash against the
rocks. The brant looked to enjoy bobbing in this mild turmoil, ducking
their heads down into an approaching wave to emerge past it, as would a surfer
making their way out beyond the break. They looked happy, with beaks full
of sea lettuce to fuel their journey north.
