A Walk Through Nature: My watercolor journal of the Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island

My two friends and I each Spring monitor the Wood ducks and Mergansers during their mating season on the three ponds in the Earth Sanctuary for research purposes.  It takes two hours (2 miles) to walk a round trip around the three ponds full of wildlife in the sanctuary.   Just standing quietly observing and listening to the sounds  around the ponds, we eventually spot, with our binoculars, water ducks, a variety of birds including osprey, bald eagles, owls, turtles, bull frogs, and river otters.  We recently spotted a newly built beaver nest jammed with dead branches, fresh cattail reeds and mud.

The sanctuary is a very serene and pristine property hidden away on the island.  Visitors respect the wildlife by being quiet not to disturb the wildlife habitat since voices can carry distance across the water.   Every week when we venture out to do the monitoring we are amazed by its beautify and the new surprises we experience and see.

After monitoring the sanctuary last year, I decided to create a watercolor journal about the scenes and wildlife seen during our monitoring.  I selected a Japanese fold style design for the sketchbook and used 140 lb cold press paper.   The weight of the sheets have enough strength for the journal to stand on end, within the front and back cover.  The fold opens up and will stand on the ends for easy display.  I hope you will overlook the pour quality of my visual editing via the camera and computer.

Journal cover

 

Introduction to the Earth Sanctuary

Beginning of the stroll through the Sanctuary to Monitor the Woodduck and Merganser activity during mating season

Standing still observing the Fin Pond, I caught a deer from the corner of my eye eating fresh alder leaves from the tree.

Near Middle pond there is a bench for visitors to rest and observe the wildlife while enjoying the quiet and serene beauty.

Unidentified ducks on Fin Pond with an eagle perched on a rotten stump in the bog. Fog glove blowing in the breeze near Fin pond shoreline.

Suddenly we heard a clatter of Red Winged Blackbirds, looking up toward the noise was a great horned owl passing by us with the Red Winged Blackbirds on its tail. The owl escaped deeper into the woods away from the pond

The Native American Prayer rock on shore of Middle Pond

We came upon the Canada goose that we think was nesting on a small patch of island in fin pond. We saw several fresh water turtles bathing in the warm sun on a rotten log partially submerged in the pond. The Osprey (sea hawk) was perched near her nest at the top of the tall fir tree.