Fog, Even at Port Orchard

I was surprised when Friday’s forecasted sunshine hadn’t appeared by the time I reached Port Orchard on my way home. Usually the “morning” fog has burned off by the time I get there for lunch. But not this time, and, as a result, the shots I liked best didn’t turn out as well as they would have with better lighting, and there wasn’t even enough fog to create the effects I got earlier in the day ( like the ones on the previous post.)

This is the only shot I took of a female Goldeneye

WtrSkingDk

that flew nearly straight at me that turned out because the lighting was so low I couldn’t use a fast enough shutter speed to eliminate blur. Still, I’m fond of this shot because it somehow reminds me of myself when I waterskied, though the duck didn’t follow with my usual face plant.

The lack of sunshine was most frustrating in taking shots of this male Red-Breasted Merganser that I’ve been taking shots of for several weeks now.

NoisyMrgnsrShot

This is the closest I’ve gotten so far this year, but almost all the images are noisy and lack the crispness and rich colors needed to really show this bird off to its best.

Still, even poor lighting can have it’s advantages. For instance, it would have been a great day for portraits with no harsh shadows or shiny spots on faces. It even proved quite good for this shot of a male Hooded Merganser,

HddMrgnsrWHilits

a bird notoriously hard to get the right exposure on because of the dramatic blacks and whites. More often than not you end up blowing all the whites out on the fine feathers. But since this guy was mere feet away I managed to capture those all important white details, and even some details in the black areas, for good measure.

When Sunshine Turns to Fog

Seduced by Thursday’s sunshine and my weather app’s promise of another fine day, I skipped another workout at the Y and headed out for a day at Theler Wetlands and Port Orchard Marina. I should have known better, but at my age you can’t afford to miss many days of sunshine with so much darkness ahead.

When I reached Theler Wetlands I texted Leslie, “34°. Totally fogged in. Yesterday was the day.” It was still socked in when I reached home around 1:30. Not sure if the sun finally came out after I got home, but if so, I didn’t notice it. Friday was definitely a reminder that winter is not over, despite a few sunny, balmy days.

I walked a ways before I could see anything but fog. Finally as I walked along the Union River I saw this pair of Mallards floating in and out of the mist, almost dreamlike, a feeling enhanced by an almost eerie silence.

Pair of Mallards

I was reminded that I like dreamlike and eerie.

A half hour later the fog had lifted, slightly, and I could actually make out a small flock of Northern Pintails floating on a rising tide.

Northern Pintail In Fog

It must have been nearly 10:00 by the time I reached the turn-around-point on my walk, and I might not have seen a nearby Great Blue Heron stalking the wetlands in the fog if another walker hadn’t pointed it out to me.

Grey Heron in Heavy Fog

The heron’s grayish blue feathers seems like nearly perfect camouflage on mornings like this. No wonder it’s a year-round resident.

It wasn’t the day I’d expected, but quiet, meditative walks alone are nearly as rare as bright, sunny walks. Both are to be treasured.