Lonesome, twosome, and moresome

The tide recedes from the shore, so far out, it unveils a rocky marine ecosystem beneath the waves. The theme for the Feathered Friend's #SMaP contest is 'Together', so I decided to take the opportunity to show some of the feathered denizens of the Pacific Northwest.

Although the theme is together, I'm going to start with a solitary figure that is often seen exploring the shores with quiet, still, and stoic demeanor.

The herons actually live together in colonies, but when they hunt, they keep their distance from each other. They can be quite aggressive to one another if they're within sight of their hunting grounds.

"This ocean ain't big enough for two of us"

A more communal bird is the infamous Canada Goose. While there are some year-round residents, the noisy ones seem to arrive in late winter or early spring. You can hear them downtown as they honk and settle on parks, fountains, or on top of buildings for more swanky views. This pair was having a feast on that hill.

I haven't got any idea what they were munching on, perhaps fresh young grass.

My entry photo for the contest is of a highly communal bird- the barrow’s goldeneye. I always see them in groups, all day floating on the ocean, or so it seems to me.

This photograph is my entry photo

They were swimming parallel to the shore, but when I got closer to get a better look, they gently (and rudely) turned around and swam away from the shore. Talk to the tails! When I moved away from the edge, they turned around again and swam back along the shore.