Westport Loons

With a single day of sunshine forecast for the week, Leslie and I headed out to Ocean Shores and Westport last week. Once we reached Ocean Shores we quickly realized it was the high winds from the Northeast that were keeping the fog at bay. While the surf

was quite spectacular, the only birds in sight were a few gulls enjoying flying without having to flap their wings. We saw so few birds that we left too early to eat lunch at The Galway Bay Irish Pub, our usual rest stop.

Luckily, my major goal was to see Common Loons at Westport, and the winds weren’t a factor in the harbor. Westport is the only place I can rely on seeing loons, and I wasn’t disappointed. A large Common Loon in breeding colors was waiting for us at the end of the ramp as we entered the marina.

It’s always hard to tell if you’re seeing a few loons in different places or a lot of different loons, but I got lots of chances to take photos in varying light. Shots like this where the green collar and the red eye are visible are a favorite.