Visit a bay that wildlife knows as a variety of sanctuaries, and people know for its views - as well as views of the wildlife in those sanctuaries. Look east across tide flats to see the North Cascades anchored by Mt. Baker. Turn and look west across a lagoon and open wetlands, home to birds and spawning marine life. Visit the forest atop the bluff and find a different wetland surrounded by vegetation. The life is there, but it may be harder to see. Walk the trails down to the beach for another perspective on the bay. Watch for tides. Be careful where you step.
Many drive by on their way to and from Deception Pass, or are distracted by fresh produce along the main road. Overhead, the birds share airspace with traffic on approach to the Navy's main airfield on the island.
A lucky few neighborhoods ring the shoreline, a position from which to enjoy ever-changing conditions provided by tides, as well as the weather that comes in from the Pacific down the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Ocean water and ocean storms steer between two countries, and have done so for millions of years.
As oceans rise and fall, the flats highlight the changeable geography of Whidbey providing opportunities for today's long island, and the past and future's possible archipelago.
Look to the grasses and flowers for seasonal colors. Even the shades of the soil shift with the change in the weather. With this much life, very little is static. Expect growth and change, a continual reason to visit more than once.
My few visits spread across twelve months are one small slice of a very long story, yet more than a single Saturday visit and therefore tell more of a tale.
Twelve Months at Dugualla Bay Preserve is the ninth installment of a five year photo essay of Whidbey Island's nature. (Do the math.)