A Break in the Clouds

The weather has been so bad lately and I’ve been so focused on reading Robert Lax that I totally forgot that I managed to get out and shoot some pictures on one of those days when the sunshine actually showed itself for a short period. Since I completely missed the sunshine at Port Orchard the last sunny day, I decided to head out there first in hopes of getting some shots in the sun.

No such luck. Even though I left Tacoma in full sunshine, it was almost completely fogged in when I got to Port Orchard.

 Sun through the Fog

There’s a reason the Husky mascot is named “Sun-Dodger.” You can never really count on sunshine around here during the winter, and forecasts are seldom right — unless they predicting rain.

Still, I managed to get at least one shot I liked in what little sun did show up.

Horned Grebe

I love the bluish-green water in this shot of a Horned Grebe in non-breeding colors.

On the way out of town I got so close to this Great Blue Heron that it was nearly impossible not to get a good shot,

Great Blue Heron on Dock

especially after I adjusted it in Photoshop. This is almost what a great blue heron would look like on a sunny day.

Ironically, it was still sunny when I got back to Tacoma, though the clouds were starting to move in there, too. I decided to stop at Titlow, where I managed to get this year’s first shot of a Bewick Wren.

 Bewick Wren

It was still sunny as I neared home, so I couldn’t resist driving down to the boathouse since there’ s no excuse for missing any sunshine when you’re retired.

There weren’t too many birds around, but I enjoyed watching the Barrow’s Goldeneye who seem to be starting to pair off

Pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye

and try to pair off,

Barrow’s Goldeneye courting

though this female seemed to be indifferent to both suitors.

I probably forgot these were in the camera because there’s nothing too memorable about them, but I did like the shot of the grebe and I enjoyed the break from the gym and the black-and-white world of books.

2 thoughts on “A Break in the Clouds”

  1. Those are great shots! I have a Grebe of some variety that’s been visiting the retention ponds, but it’s very shy and I can’t get a good shot. It dives beneath the water if it thinks I’m too close (or maybe it’s Bodhi!).

    1. Probably Bohdi, though Buffleheads look a lot like grebes and they are notoriously shy, diving whenever anyone approaches.

      The grebes in the marina seem largely indifferent to people, but that’s sometimes not the case in wilder areas.

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