Back to Shell Island

Yesterday we were at one of my favorite spots on the Oregon coast, Shell Island overlook near Charleston.  There was hardly any wind, calm ocean, and about 1500 sea lions, plus a mix of harbor seals and elephant seals.  We were in no hurry to to move on so I had time to sketch and paint, first the eagle

and then the elephant seals ... its courting time for the elephant seals.

When I sat down to post this I had to laugh at myself because I was pretty sure I've posted the same eagle on the same rock in years past.  At least I hope it is the same eagle.  Bald eagles live for many years and use the same territory year after year.

So I went looking to see if I really had posted the eagle.  I realized immediately that finding them on Nature Sketching was too difficult, but I did find both on my blog ... and just for the fun of it, here they are:

A stormy sea in November 2013.

A quiet, damp day in December 2012.  I was having difficulty getting my paint to dry.

Recent Sketches

A few pilings still emerge from the water in an old log pond near me.  This heron was preening when I sat down to sketch him.  He spotted me immediately and kept a wary eye on me until someone else spooked him.  I never grown tired of sketching great blue herons.

By afternoon we were at the Oregon coast.  First I sketched yarrow along the rip rap at Bastendorf Beach and then I sketched an elephant seal flipping sand at Shell Island.  The sea lions that share the beach with the elephant seal never flip sand.  I've heard the elephant seals do it of get a little protection from the sun.