December 30, 2015
Budd Inlet
Olympia, WA
Sending out the old year with a good day shooting on Olympia's Budd Inlet. The water birds were in full regalia, with much foraging going on. The diving Buffleheads were particularly wonderful to watch, as they repeated dove into the cold winter waters of Puget Sound. The Hooded mergansers swam by several times (and a large brace of Common mergansers could be seen further out in the bay). It was quite a sight when the cormorant popped up about 40 feet away with a freshly caught fish lunch in its beak - together they twisted for at least two complete turns before the fish was devoured.
There are several more sunny days ahead and I hope to bring in the new year with some outdoor adventures. Happy 2016 to you!
 |
| Hooded MergansersLophodytes cucullatus Males have the black head; Females are brown |
 |
| Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula Taking flight on Budd Inlet |
 |
| Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus eating a fish |
 |
| BuffleheadBucephala albeola diving for food |