I know the odds that my scope will be "fenced" to another birder is
next to nil but I thought I'd alert everyone to a very unfortunate loss
that happened yesterday. My husband, Chuck, borrowed my vehicle to do
some oil painting at a pocket park along West Marginal Way, one of the
parks along the Duwamish River in West Seattle. He'd been there the day
before without birding equipment so took my scope with him yesterday to
ID some of the birds in the vicinity.

Not 10 minutes after returning from a lunch break and while he was
setting up his easel, the rear window was bashed in and several items
were stolen. Among the most precious ones were: my Leica APO 77
(straight view) spotting scope with cover on a Bogen carbon fiber tripod
(serial # 040-104), a violin that took him nearly a year to finish w/3
bows, and his briefcase. These are not the normal things a thief would
try to sell on the streets and we've alerted the pawn shops, police,
etc., so maybe they'll show up. (yeah right, my cynical side says....)

Be that as it may, let this serve as a reminder that most of us have
invested in very expensive gear, our gear is subject to loss from time
to time, and this area is one that is frequented by several of us
birders.

Georgia Conti
West Seattle
georgia.conti at seattle.gov