Slightly Different Birds

On Sunday morning I tootled up to Edmonds to see some salt-water birds.  There weren't many about, but Truman and I enjoyed our visit anyway -- or at least, I enjoyed it and Truman tolerated it, as usual.

First we checked on the marsh, where there were a handful of Killdeer, and then we strolled down to the public fishing pier.

The pier turned out to be public only for humans, not dogs, so I just watched a few Horned Grebes and Western Grebes way out on the water, and then made Truman pose for photos.

I'm not sure what the guy in this sculpture is so excited about (other than the fact he seems to have a gull on his head).  Truman was not excited at all.

Nor was he terribly enthused about the seal sculptures.

He did not care much for the train that pulled in to the station, either.

It was only after strolling all along the promenade that I spotted the sign informing me that dogs were not allowed there.  We saw only three people on the way, none of whom seemed to care, and in fact, all three of them were delighted to see a dachshund in a stroller.  As one should be!

We had a nice, though chilly, stroll, but since there were hardly any birds about, I decided to continue the quest by driving over to Water Street, a residential street that is on a bluff overlooking the Sound and from which I've seen good birds before.  There was a lone Red-breasted Merganser too far out for photos, and these fabulous Surf Scoters just barely close enough for halfway-decent pics:

It was good to get out and about a little farther away, and to go birding somewhere other than the Montlake Fill.  Of course, I'm pretty sure my next dozen or so bird outings will be to the Fill.  It's closer, and dogs are allowed -- as they should be!