Can’t Forget Port Orchard

Regular readers know I always follow-up a trip to Belfair with a stop at Port Orchard and last week’s trip was no different. I continued seeing lots of hooded mergansers,

Hooded Merganser

though this picture is actually made up of three shots of the same bird. I’m so used to identifying birds by their profile that I’m sometimes surprised when I see them from a different angle. For instance this is the first time I’ve noticed the way the stripes run down the back of the merganser, and I’m always surprised by how thin their head is compared to its length. Do you suppose that’s an adaptation to help it dive?

I regularly see Surf Scoters at the Port Orchard Marina, so often that I tend not to see them at all even though I was originally fascinated by the colorful beak of the males.

Surf Scoter

Generally though I don’t see White-Winged Scoters. In fact, I only have a few shots taken at a considerable distance. They seem much more common in the Western part of Port Orchard.

male White-Winged Scoter

I think I could’ve gotten even more spectacular shots if I’d walked further down the pier, but I stopped when I got half way down the runway and saw this great blue Heron standing on the dock.

Heron on Dock

Taking pictures of birds often disrupts their routines, but I still try to do my best to avoid spooking them, particularly in winter when there’s little energy to waste.