Happy New Year's Tweeters all -

A friend and I had our 3rd Annual New Year's Day birdmeet. This year a closer to home jaunt to Marymoor. Though a short visit, at the water lookout point we found Bufflehead, Scaups, a pair of Goldeneye, many coots, etc. Got to try out the new scope which worked great. Main discovery - you still need to be able to id what is in the viewfinder!!! :)

A Cooper's (or large Sharpie?) kept moving from tree to tree and would fan it's tail as it sat there. Drying from a New Year's Polar Bear dip? Quite beautiful and Cooper-ative subject.

Three Trumpeter Swans flew over - eerily beautiful in the hazy light.

Another hawk further away - friend thought a Redtail, but I didn't think it was large enough. Any idea on how to get scale/size of bird in distance?

Next class - Raptors. Please advise if you hear of one.

Caryn / Wedgwood

Now that I think about it - remember seeing (almost) in the new scope on Christmas Day a hawk which I thought sure was a Cooper's so the one yesterday in comparison must have been a Sharpie (or....????) I know they are close. Sure wish there was a button on the scope to identify what you are seeing! Smartscope? (They make smartphones don't they? :)))