Bouncing birds

A mixed flock of waterfowl were diving off-shore among choppy waves. The main flock was harlequin ducks; a bit beyond them buffleheads and  common mergansers and a few mallards joined in the fun. As long as I stayed still, sitting on a rock well back, they came in close to the shore, where the low tide left their favourite morsels close to the surface.

Harlequin ducks. The males are the bright coloured ones.

A harlequin pair, taking a break.

Common mergansers. The female is brown, the male showy.

As seen by the big camera, which doesn't zoom well.

The buffleheads were too bouncy, too fast; the only photo I kept of them went instead to "The Worst Bird Photographs Ever" on Facebook.

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Una bandada mixta de pájaros buceadores nadaban cerca de la playa entre olas agitadas. En su mayoría eran patos arlequines; un poco mar adentro les acompañaban porrones coronados y serretas grandes. Por un rato, algunos patos de collar se les arrimaron. Mientras que yo me quedaba quieta sentada en una roca a alguna distancia, se acercaban a bucear donde la marea baja dejaba expuestos sus bocados favoritos.

Fotos: patos arlequines, y (foto # 3) serretas grandes. Los porrones brincaban sobre las alas demasiado; la única foto que guardé de ellos, la mandé al grupo en Facebook dedicado a "Los Peores Fotos de Pájaros "

 

Winter greys and tans, with a spot of purple

The sun came out and dried up the morning's rain. The wind died down; the waves forgot to pound the shores. Mallards chattered among the grasses at the edge of the Campbell River estuary.

At the bird blind, I met a couple of gulls.

Looking towards the city, hidden between the wetlands and the hills.

This gull allowed me to come up close. Gull guano feeds the abundant lichen on the rail.

And this gull kept his distance. He seemed to think I might try to steal his delicious crabmeat. I got the shell, and gave it to a duck.

Distant mergansers, against the light.

Beautiful purple-headed mallard.