I have been enjoying this recent thread, and re-living by proxy others peak
moments which have led them to this obsession referred to as Birding....

It took me awhile to get hooked. I can remember a vacation with my friend
Rhio to Cancun (84, 85?)....She had been trying for YEARS to get me
interested in birds, and here we were visiting the ruins of Chichen Itza.
She points out to me this swirling column of little birdlets: "Look at the
Blue-crowned....."...(Gnatgnats, BatBats??) I vaguely heard, as I continued
taking photographs of the amazing variety of flowers.....

It took a few more years for me to notice non-flowering life forms. Sitting
on my deck, looking at the winter waters of Rolling Bay on Bainbridge
Island, I discovered these bunches of bobbing black birds. I would watch
these varying-sized groupings while sipping my morning coffee. I was
entranced. I watched them as they cavorted, dove or just floated without a
care in the world. My newly purchased field guide revealed their identity
through mug shots: Surf, White-winged and Black Scoters.

Because of where I was then living, I focused on the bay ducks, and still
enjoy them, along with the grebes, loons and alcids. The cuteness of Horned
Grebe and the elegant, Swan-like bearing of Western Grebe still fill me with
smiles. I continue to appreciate the birds of winter.....although wish we
could do something about the cold weather that goes along with them!

Faye McAdams
Gig Harbor, WA
zest4parus at hotmail.com

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