Stiff and sore from too much squinting at the computer screen, too cold (maybe too lazy), once I got outside, to face a long walk in the woods or on the windy shore, I chose instead to drive around in circles, south, north, east, looking for birds to watch from the car.
Like these:
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Cormorants on a float |
I see these sitting on the float every time I drive by, always too far for a good look, so I go on by. Not this time. Taken from the car window.
UPDATE: These are Brandt's cormorants. They're in breeding plumage and have the blue skin patch on their throat (the gular pouch). The one just behind the metal circle has inflated his pouch; in the next photo I took, it had shrunk.
I've seen flocks of trumpeter swans and Canada geese in this field before. Yesterday, there were none. Not even a stray crow. Drive on!
And this was not a bird, but I found it at the bird blind so it belongs here, right?
And there was a whole flock of mallards. About them, tomorrow.
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No birds. |
I've seen flocks of trumpeter swans and Canada geese in this field before. Yesterday, there were none. Not even a stray crow. Drive on!
I was watching the treetops as I drove, searching for eagles. None to be seen; they're all probably down at the shore for the herring spawn.
At Tyee Spit, I finally found my birds. (And got out of the car, briefly.) I love the colours on this pigeon!
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A crow eating my cat food crumbs, quietly. |
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Gull, being quiet. Between screeches. |
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Mallard female, Tyee Spit, showing off her so-blue speculum. |
And this was not a bird, but I found it at the bird blind so it belongs here, right?
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The first pussywillows I've seen this spring. Begging to be petted! |
And there was a whole flock of mallards. About them, tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Estaba tiesa y adolorida por pasar demasiado tiempo doblada en frente de la computadora. Y cuando salí de la casa, hacía frio, no me daba ganas de caminar en el bosque o al lado del mar donde el viento trae hielo. (Y tal vez se podría decir que sentía un poco de flojera.) Decidí, pues, manejar en círculos, buscando pájaros que podría ver y fotografiar desde el coche.
Fotos:
- Como estos cormoranes. Siempre los veo al pasar, pero están tan lejos que no me detengo. Ahora sí. Son comoranes de Brandt, en plumaje nupcial, y la piel de la garganta es de un azul vívido. El que está atrás del círculo de metal acaba de inflar esta piel, llamada la bolsa gular.
- Campo sin pájaros. En otras ocasiones, he visto aquí los gansos de Canadá, y grupos de cisnes trompeteros. Esta vez, ni uno había. Ni siquiera un cuervito. ¡Adelante! Iba viendo las copas de los árboles, esperando ver águilas. Nada. Creo que todos están en las playas, para aprovechar el desove de los arenques.
- Y en Tyee Spit, encontré bandadas de pájaros. Entre ellos, esta palomita con sus colores tan vivos. (Aquí me atreví a salir del coche.)
- Un cuervo comiendo mis migajas de comida seca de gato. En silencio, pues estamos en Zona Tranquila.
- Y una gaviota, en silencio momentario. En un minuto va a estar gritando de nuevo.
- Una pata "mallard" (ánade azulón), mostrando su espéculo azul.
- Y esto no es pájaro, pero lo vi en el puesto de observación de aves; cabe entre los aves, ¿no?
Y hubo una bandada grande de patos "mallard", que dejo para mañana.
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