It has been so long since I posted pictures on my blog that I had to spend hours updating apps that I use. Then I had to remember/figure out exactly how they worked.
I finally managed to process several shots I took at Fort Flagler on a very cold, very windy day. I knew that the weather wouldn’t be ideal when we went, but I was a little surprised how few birds we saw, probably because they were hunkered down out of the wind and as far away as possible from all the people out taking advantage of the sun.
There all forms of beauty, but this shot of Mt. Baker taken from Ft. Flagler seemed to represent the whole day — sunny, cold, magnificent.
We walked much further than usual before seeing this Sanderling in Winter plumage running up and down the shoreline.
A little further along we saw an equally confident Black Bellied Plover in its Winter plumage.
When I’m birding, I try to ensure I do not disturb the birds. However, it was impossible to get past these shorebirds without causing them to take flight.
As expected, we found a flock of Brant at the end of the peninsula.
On our way back to the car Leslie spotted three Black Oystercatchers where we often see them. They blend in so well with the rocks they forage on I’m not sure we would ever spot them except for those bright orange beaks.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see the Harlequin ducks where we usually see them. They were far offshore, challenging my new 200 to 800 mm lens. Luckily, that didn’t stop us from enjoying their beauty.
We got back to the car very cold and a little disappointed that we didn’t see as many birds as we usually do, but it still felt great to get out on a sunny day, especially since it was the longest I have walked since I came down with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Carpe Diem!