Between the heavy rain and recent illnesses I haven’t managed to get out to get any new pictures, but my finger infection is finally healed enough that I can type without cussing at the keyboard. Luckily way back when we had our short dry spell I was out taking pictures every day and now I have time to process them.
Our longest trip during that time was a favorite, a visit combining Ft Flagler and Port Townsend, beginning with Flagler where I hunt for Harlequin Ducks. On this visit, with especially high tides, these small Sanderlings dominated the scene, alternately landing in front of us
quite close and at very high speeds, making it difficult to focus the camera on them.
Luckily, there was always the bold, or overly trusting, bird that would run straight back toward you once the flock had landed.
Even while focusing on the shorebirds, I scanned the horizon, looking for the Harlequins.
As usual, there were lots of birds just offshore, but the male Red Breasted Merganser particularly caught my attention,
even though it was really too far away to get very good shots.
I didn’t see a single Harlequin until our second stop, and they were so far out that the best I could do was very that they were actually there.
Despite waiting nearly a half hour to see if they would come closer to shore, they never did, though meanwhile this crow stopped by to see what I was up to.
