Vendovi Island
May. 5th, 2025 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvern
I went on a trip to Vendovi Island in the San Juans on Saturday. It was a private island for decades before it was purchased by the San Juan Preservation trust in 2010. Other than a house and boat dock at the north end, the owners left it completely undeveloped, meaning it still has a lot of native plants.
The island is open to the public five days a week in summer - if you can get there. Which means having your own boat or chartering one. My trip was organised by the local audubon society who chartered a boat, so I figured it would probably be my only chance to get to this island and I signed up the first day. Despite being arranged by the audubon society, it was scheduled with the flowering of native plants in mind more than birds (although there were birds).
The area by the house looking back towards the boat dock, with a flowering fruit tree.
Fringe cups in flower along the trail through the middle of the island.
Typical Pacific Northwest woodland understorey.
Paintbrush flowers close to Paintbrush Point overlook.
Flower-filled meadow at Paintbrush Point on the southern part of the island.
Madrone tree flowering at Paintbrush Point.
Tiny yellow flower clusters. Common lomatium, a member of the carrot family.
I think this is a serviceberry? Plants are not my area of expertise...
Camas lily near Jack's Back overlook.
Sunset Beach. Sadly the only people who will get to see it at sunset are the caretakers who live on the island because the visiting public are required to vacate before then.
View from the north point loop trail.
I never met a San Juan island I didn't love yet, and this was another one to add to the list. The day before the trip, the forecast was for overcast and 15mph wind, so we were delighted to find a calm mostly sunny day instead. Early May perfection!
The island is open to the public five days a week in summer - if you can get there. Which means having your own boat or chartering one. My trip was organised by the local audubon society who chartered a boat, so I figured it would probably be my only chance to get to this island and I signed up the first day. Despite being arranged by the audubon society, it was scheduled with the flowering of native plants in mind more than birds (although there were birds).
The area by the house looking back towards the boat dock, with a flowering fruit tree.
Fringe cups in flower along the trail through the middle of the island.
Typical Pacific Northwest woodland understorey.
Paintbrush flowers close to Paintbrush Point overlook.
Flower-filled meadow at Paintbrush Point on the southern part of the island.
Madrone tree flowering at Paintbrush Point.
Tiny yellow flower clusters. Common lomatium, a member of the carrot family.
I think this is a serviceberry? Plants are not my area of expertise...
Camas lily near Jack's Back overlook.
Sunset Beach. Sadly the only people who will get to see it at sunset are the caretakers who live on the island because the visiting public are required to vacate before then.
View from the north point loop trail.
I never met a San Juan island I didn't love yet, and this was another one to add to the list. The day before the trip, the forecast was for overcast and 15mph wind, so we were delighted to find a calm mostly sunny day instead. Early May perfection!
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Date: 2025-05-06 04:40 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2025-05-07 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 08:19 pm (UTC)We did see birds - nothing rare or unusual. And I heard a lot more than I saw, because there were plenty of trees to hide them while they were singing loudly!