Sequim Historic Railroad Bridge all lit up for the season

Historic Railroad Bridge in Sequim ablaze with lovely lights

 

Such a unique evening stroll.

The sun is setting by 4.30pm so the holiday lights make such a difference to our experience of the dark. Some decorations are subtle and others gaudy in the extreme but mostly they are a pleasure to see.

We popped out from our Eagles Nest room to walk the bridge at the Dungeness River Nature Centre which is a festive season attraction. The enormous wooden beams of the old bridge seemed to float above us, lit up by the full moon and the myriad of colourful lights. 

Strait of Juan de Fuca and Surfbirds

I have been deeply curious about the 'other' side of the Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula. The eastern slopes of the snow-covered Olympic Mountain range seem to rise straight out of the Sound and they are a beautiful part of the Seattle scenery on a clear day. To the west of the Peninsula is the Pacific Ocean and some of the wettest places in the lower 48 states!

Interestingly though, Sequim and surrounds along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, lie in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and get about 18 inches of rain a year as opposed to a high of 100 inches per year along the west coast. 

Luckily for Fred and me it was dry as we ventured out along the Bluff Trail at Salt Creek to bird. 

Wild beauty of the coastline along the Olympic Peninsula 

Salt Creek, walking the Bluff Trail.

Focusing on a bird we did not recognise, stout, short yellow legs, white belly, dark spots along the sides, orange on the bill and hugging the rocky outer coastline which is being being pounded by surf.

Some research and we realised we were watching aptly named Surfbirds in their winter haunt having come down from high in the mountains of Alaska!

Completely wonderful and my world list is now 2021.

Surfbird! 

Not to be confused with the dapper Black Turnstones also wintering here along the rocky Pacific shores.