Double Bluff, Whidbey Island

 Looking down the beach

Double Bluff beach entrance

We wanted to get in one more hike before our big vacation trip but I did not want it to end in a broken leg episode as it did before the cancelled trip last year; therefore, the terrain was to be level this time.  No falls allowed, especially falls that might end in broken bones.  We chose to do a beach hike at Double Bluff on Whidbey Island.  It was sunny, warm (almost too warm) with beautiful views of the Sound.   

Driftwood lean-to on the beach

There were several lean-to type shelters that had been built of driftwood on the beach some of them were fairly large like the one shown above.  A few of the structures had decorative things attached like shells, flip-flops and fishing gear anything that might have washed up on the beach.

 Eagle on tree top

Great Blue Heron

The picture above shows two herons, one with outstretched wings.  We were quite a distance away so they look small but in reality they are huge birds with an incredible wingspand of about 6 feet.

Highlights of the day included the spotting of two little rabbits running alongside the road, eagles soaring in the bright sky above the bluffs, and three Great Blue Herons wading in the water.  The herons would fish for a while then fly to a different spot.  They went back and forth along the shoreline putting on a show for us as we sat on driftwood eating our picnic lunch.   Probably the oddest thing we encountered were the hundreds of caterpillars crawling all over the logs and sand.  The only vegetation was on the bluff, there were no leaves or much other greenery on the beach itself except seaweed and the vast stretch of sand led nowhere except to the water so these fuzzy creepers were like lemmings on a way to a certain demise.  

 Looking for things in the tide pools and lagoons

The tide was still going out and people were looking in the pools for sea life.  We saw some folks with nets but did not discover what they hoped to catch.  This beach has an off leash area for dogs and we did see several dogs.  Off leash dogs are suppose to obey voice commands but not all of them complied.  One small dog had gone a distance out in the water, was ignoring the owner's repeated calls for it to return and the owner had to enlist the aid of some girls to chase it back to the shore.  

 Looking up at one of the bluffs from the beach

 Closer view of bluff

 

I think this may be Yarrow

 Vetch

 Clover

Pink "Beach" Daisy

There were a few flowers blooming on the bluffs but not as many or as varied as we had hoped.  A stop at the Greenbank Farm for some specialty cheese and a ferry ride back to mainland completed the day.