Twin Islands and Mitlenatch
by Heather Harbord, 26 May 2016.
Ten members boarded the schooner, Misty Isles, at Lund on May 26th bound for Mitlenatch and Twin Islands. It was great to have extra time on Mitlenatch especially as the Tiger Lilies were coming into bloom in the meadow and the Glaucous-winged gulls were beginning to sit on eggs. The Stellers and California sea lions, Harbour seals, Pelagic and Double-crested cormorants, Black Oystercatchers and a few Pigeon Guillemots gave star performances which we watched from the zodiac. As the wind was a bit strong we only circumnavigated the southern part of the island on both sides of Camp Bay instead of going all the way round. As usual, Mike and his staff gave a knowledgeable presentation of what we were seeing supplemented by two of us (Janet May and I) who had been wardens the previous week.
We then went on to Twin Islands stopping at the rock where the Arctic Terns had been seen for the previous four years. Unfortunately, they did not return for us. The lodge at Twin Islands was fascinating and we enjoyed Mike Yip’s talk and photos of butterflies and birds. He is a wonderful photographer and some of us bought his books which he gave us a special rate on. The following morning, we were on the go at 7am for a bird walk with Mike. We did a bit too much exploring and didn’t have much time to spend at the swamp in the centre of the southern island where there was a Kingfisher and a Red-winged blackbird. In the well-fenced garden a wobbly fledgling robin looked down on us from a tree.
After breakfast, the owner of the lodge, Mark Torrance, showed us his solar power system which he can control from his computer. This was quite fascinating. As we sailed away after lunch, we put up the red sails, got into the dingy and admired our handywork.
Thanks, Mike and Jonah, for another wonderful trip on Misty.