Creature of habit that I am, after I spent the morning birding Theler Wetlands I headed to Port Orchard for my Chili Relleno with Green Sauce at La Palapa Mexican Grill. For me, at least, a great day birding (or hiking, for that matter) should include a meal at a favorite restaurant.
I started going to Port Orchard many years ago because the marina was a great place to see seabirds. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been true for me since they started reconstruction last year.
I though perhaps it would be different this year when I got this nice shot of a Great Blue Heron on the roof of one of the boat docks as I entered the marina.
He looked almost as cold as I felt with cold winds blowing across the bay. Despite the cold, I walked around the marina as far as I could before I encountered a gated area. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a single bird in the marina. I did manage to get this shot of a Horned Grebe in winter plumage just outside the marina.
I took pictures of a couple of flocks of Widgeons, but I preferred this close-up of these two who already seem to have paired up.
Dissatisfied by how few seabirds I saw, I ended up driving all the way to Manchester Park looking for Harlequin Ducks I’ve seen there in the past. I did see ducks on the way, but more often than not they were in areas where there weren’t any places to pull off — just private docks with warnings not to trespass
I never did find the Harlequin Ducks, but I managed to get a shot of this male Greater Scaup, a bird I rarely see,
and as Ruth Sullivan always used to say, “one good bird” is all you need to make your birding successful.
That heron! Also, I am always in search of the best Chile Relleno. Thanks for the tip!
These photos are wonderful, as always. I love the ripples and other effects in the water.