Two weeks ago I spent several days at Long Beach, Washington, on the Pacific Ocean. It was windy and cold, as you would expect in February! However, there were some interesting winter birds to photograph which made up for the chilly weather. Some of my favorite birds were the tiny Sanderlings that darted around the beach, scurrying away from the incoming surf as they looked for food. I especially enjoyed the Sanderling in the photo above that was blowing bubbles.

There were also quite a few Bald Eagles in residence, including the stately pair above perched on a tall pole in the dunes next to the beach.

I also spent some time looking for ducks as part of my ongoing project to photograph all of the duck species that are found in Western Washington. This group of Hooded Mergansers was swimming on a small pond just off the beach. That’s some pretty amazing hair on the females, especially when backlit by the sun!

Stay tuned for some more bird photos from the beach in my next post. It will include several raptors–A Red-Tailed Hawk and a Harrier–some more ducks, and Trumpeter Swans.