Quadra Island September 2-12, 2026

 

The day I arrived back it was really a windy day with big whitecaps, and while I’m unloading a humpback breeched several times and did some tail slapping too….close enough to see easily but too far out to get photos with the iPhone.      

The first couple of days back on Quadra are cool and rainy but I sneak in my local 4 mile RT walk every day along with blackberry picking.  

                                  A guy practicing with his parasail at the Spit.

                       A so so photo of an otter that was on “Eagle Rock” 

              Next door, at the green rental house, someone held a small wedding

              Magical lighting the evening of the wedding after rain earlier in the day

 Sun rise is happening quite a bit later now that it’s September, and it’s farther south on the horizon now too

                                    Hairy woodpecker on Kay Dubois trail

                           American red squirrel on the Kay Dubois trail

On Saturday, I did a 9 mile kayak.  The usual suspects photographed.

On Sunday, I hiked to Maud Island/Seymour Narrows, what has become my favorite hike on the island.  Because of a tree down across the road the hike was 8.5 miles RT rather than the 6 it normally is.  By the time I finished the hike the tree had been moved, by probably another group of hikes that had severe Al people to aid in moving the tree.  I couldn’t move it with just me.

                                                          Northern red legged frog

                                                                Saltwater lagoon

Sunset Sunday night

Sunrise Monday morning

On Tuesday two humpbacks cruised by around 7:30am.  I did an 11 mile RT paddle in Kanish Bay, making it out to Nixon Island and to Granite Point, the northwest point on Quadra for the first time and the beginning of the Okisollo channel.  

      A rare bald eagle sighting at this time of year…most of the eagles have moved to salmon rivers to feat on the fall salmon spawning runs.

A beautiful sunrise on Wednesday.

A 9.25 mile RT paddle to Hyancinthe and Open Bays, and Breton Island.

                                                            Black turnstone

                                                   Green sea urchins

                                                               Green sea urchins

                  A raccoon along the shore of Open Bays (I saw a weasel too, but no photo)

                                                                     Surf Scoters

                                                        Surf bird

                                                                Oystercatcher

Some more sunrises and a shot of big leaf maples.

A whale cruised by around 7:30 am, pretty close.  I headed back to the Spit and did a 13.25 mile RT kayak out to the King Islets via the Bretons and Dunsterville Island.  

Hardly any boats anchored in Drew Harbor now that its after Labor Day.

                                                             Cormorant taking flight

Saturday, Sept. 12th. 

Morning sunrise

My normal 3.5 mile local walk

Morning whale swimming by

Cormorants on “Eagle Rock”

Another 3.5 mile local walk - Haskins farm and Fir crest trails

Great blue herons in flight