Category: Washington Coast

With sunshine predicted, we spread our wings and headed to Ft. Flagler and Port Townsend last Sunday.  Unfortunately, as is often the case here, the predicted sunshine was heavily filtered by dense, low-level clouds.  In fact, even though we had gotten up for an early start, I almost decided to return home when greeted by eye-level clouds and raindrops as we crossed the Narrows Bridge.

Sunrise highlighted the recent snow on Mt. Baker, but the mountain itself was hard to distinguish from the grey skies.

Still, I was grateful that we didn’t get rained on during the whole day, giving me a chance to photograph several birds I haven’t seen for quite a while, like this female Red-Breasted Merganser. 

Thanks to the miracle of modern cameras, Photoshop, and Topaz DeNoise all these distant shots are much clearer —and brighter— than they were in real life, and the water is even blue instead of gray as it appeared that morning.

Being able to see birds like this Common Loon that I rarely see locally made the hour-long drive worthwhile. 

Heck, even seeing birds we commonly see locally in a different setting, like these Double-Crested Cormorants, reminded me why we return here so often in the winter and spring.

The early morning light and the surprise of seeing this heron at Ft. Flagler even inspired me to take yet another shot of a Great Blue Heron, sitting on the post that is usually reserved for cormorants.

It didn’t take long before I was glad that we hadn’t been deterred by the cold and the overcast sky. 

It’s been a very strange Spring here, and I somehow managed  to miss the peak of the Spring shorebird migration. Luckily, I’ve twice managed to get shots of migrating shorebirds before the big migration started.  I’ve already posted shots of Dunlins and others, but I was hoping to get a better shot of a Black-Bellied Plover in breeding plumage before posting any shots of them.  Unfortunately, my Monday trip was  totally washed out, despite a much more optimistic forecast.  Resigned to the fact that this 

is the best shot I’m going to get of a Black-Bellied Plover in almost full breeding colors this year, I’m going to focus, instead, on some shots I got of one in the midst of changing from winter plumage to breeding plumage.

I got these shots at Fort Flagler nearly a month ago.  I’m pretty sure this is one of the small flock of plovers that overwintered there.  It must have adjusted to the presence of people because I’ve never managed to get this close to a plover before (which probably explains why I try so hard to get a good shot of them).  

I must have photographed this bird nearly a half hour as it fed

and flew up and down the beach in front of me.

In the past I’ve always tried to focus on the striking black patch on their belly that gives them their name, so until I got these shots I’d never realized just how beautiful their wing pattern is. 

Spring Migration is the best time to observe many shorebirds like the Dunlin.  In large flocks  some are still in their winter plumage which seems to blend well with their habitat

while others are wearing flashier breeding plumage — which seems worth the risk when you’re trying to attract a mate.

Since they are in desperate need of food to fuel their migration, it’s easy to observe how they forage, and, occasionally, as in this shot, see the worms they are finding in the beach.

Most of all, though, it’s the best time to see just how colorful, how beautiful their breeding plumage really is.

If you can’t find happiness in the midst of such beauty, you’re probably not going to find it anywhere.