I've been posting old photos on my blog that I took in Maine last winter. I've now started to post 2008 photos of the local area. I like to go to Port Orchard in winter because of the many water birds that you can find there. Here is a sample:

American Wigeon - http://akabirdnerd.com/birds/?p=6575

Glaucous-winged Gull - http://akabirdnerd.com/birds/?p=6577
Surf Scoter - http://akabirdnerd.com/birds/?p=6580

Someone on tweeters mentioned a Virginia Rail family at Theler Wetlands, so my wife and I went out to try to find them yesterday. We saw a Virginia Rail there in 2006 before I started my photography hobby. It was at the long strait bridge a bit before coming to the outhouse. The tide was right for our walk in, but no Virginia Rail. Does anyone know the area where the bird has been hanging out?

We saw a lot of American Goldfinch feeding on thistle along the trail. We also saw many Northern Flickers. All told we counted 27 different species. I won't give you an extensive list, but among the birds were Caspian Tern, Bushtit, Common Yellowthroat, peeps (maybe Least Sandpiper and Sanderlings), Long-billed Dowitcher, a couple of different flycatchers - maybe Willow and Western Wood Pewee. Theler can be hit or miss during the summer, but yesterday I considered a hit. We watched a young Bald Eagle swoop down to the ground and attack a Northern Harrier and then watched an aerial battle between the two. The Northern Harrier was faster and after a while the two birds went their separate ways. I think the Bald Eagle was just looking for a little play time. The Northern Harrier didn't back off. I find them to be pretty feisty birds. At this same location I watched a young Northern Harrier take down a crow in mid-air. I guess the Northern Harrier got tired
of its hassling. More than a hundred crows protested the event and blackened the sky. It was a sight and sound I'll never forget.

David Dilworth (AKA Bird Nerd)
Vaughn, Washington USA
http://www.akabirdnerd.com/birds
daviddilworth at yahoo.com
Creating Bird Nerds Through Education