Look at what materialised out of the sea breeze!

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Many cruising stories document about birds dropping by their boats during their passage. To see a bird while sailing is good luck. To have a bird land on your person, can also bring good fortune your way. Albatross, boobies, gulls, terns, cormorants, and pelicans are but a few sea birds you might expect to spy. Other creatures that have hitched rides on vessels include rats, geckos, spiders, and cockroaches. As you can well imagine, some of these visitors are greeted with warm welcomes, others not so much.

On our recent adventure sailing to the USA, during the leg taking us from San Diego to Catalina Island, animal sightings were few. We were yearning for a sighting of some dancing dolphins, a breaching whale, or a flying ray. As the hours went by we had sightings of a fly, a dragonfly, a butterfly…

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Then, as the sea breeze was easing, and as the motor was brought to life, we were fortunate to be visited by a curious and uninhibited inquisitively eyed, little ball of black and white feathers, with a yellow fleck. His presence was timely; as it provided a breath of fresh air at a time when some of the crew members might have been thinking – “Are we there yet?”

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The feathered ball was indeed a helping hand, bringing interest to the sailing adventure.

Click below to view a short video of the little bird’s visit aboard Flapdoodle.

As quickly as he had appeared, he magically disappeared. We wondered if this distraction helped or hindered? Was he closer to his destination, or did his fling of curiosity take him off course, causing a delay?

At the time I write this we have been fortunate to have had a lot of visiting friends who have dropped by us and been a part of our lives here in Cruiseport Marina. It was a blessing to receive these visitors. Some of the meet-ups have been very short lived. We know that when our paths cross again we will be able to take up from where we were when we parted, regardless of the time between visits. May you all be blessed by the occasional surprise visitor.

A visit with someone, no matter how short, can be worthwhile. Better to have met, than to never have met at all.

FRIENDSHIP isn’t about who you have known for the longest, it’s about who flew into your life and touched your heart.

POSTNOTE: A friend kindly identified the bird as a male, black throated gray warbler.