After seeing so many Snowy Owls so close, I figured my trip to Tokeland was going to be little more than an afterthought. However, I haven’t seen the Godwits for quite a while and, creature of habit that I am, I decided the trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Tokeland. As it turned out, there wasn’t a single Godwit to be seen. In fact, there weren’t many birds out in the harbor at all, perhaps because of the dredging that was going on.
I hadn’t driven all that way, though, not to see anything. So, I went over by the boat docks where I spotted a small flock of Western Grebes. I took a few shots at a distance, thinking that they would certainly fly off as I walked closer. They didn’t. I thought I’d gotten close to them in New Mexico, but not nearly as close as I did this day.
I was amazed that they seem totally indifferent to me and went about catching
shrimp at a rather fast pace.
Although it was perfectly clear that they very aware of me,and at times stared right at me,
they came so close that they could’ve taken a fish or shrimp right out of my hand. In fact, they came so close that I nearly fell off the dock backing up trying to keep this one in frame.
Observing and photographing them up close was definitely the highlight of the day. I’m not sure I will ever need to take another picture of a Western Grebe. Unless, of course, I can find a pair doing a mating dance, something I’ve yet to see except on film.