amber@scott.stat.washington.edu (Amber Tatnall) (12/02/89)
Bird-Watching Mishaps I'm sure that every bird-watcher has had some interesting mishaps while on birding trips. Like the time when I forgot my lunch and my birding buddy had to split a peanut butter sandwich with me. And this after a LONG, HARD day of birding! Then there was the time I forgot my binoculars. Nothing more need be said about that one. On one trip, the mishap was pretty serious, but of course afterwards made a good story. We were on the jetty at Ocean Shores, WA where we had been watching scoters, cormorants, and turnstones. It was the time of year, we had convinced ourselves, that we could possibly see some puffins. Puffins were my birding buddy's favorite bird and would be a life bird for both of us. We really WANTED to see puffins. So when we spotted a some smaller- seeming birds with lots of color about the head, we were sure. "Puffins! They must be puffins! I'm sure they're puffins", as we started bounding back down the jetty to get a closer look. We hadn't been bounding long before my friend slipped. Of course, whaddya expect, on a jetty? She twisted her ankles pretty bad. We called it quits for the day, just in time to identify our "puffins" as surf scoters! Pretty demoralizing. Now when anyone mentions puffins, we both assume a dignified demeanor. WE would never go running or leaping or screaming after a puffin. No, not us. Maybe a whooping crane, but never a puffin. Oh no. amber@scott.biostat.washington.edu