A Weathery Day

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) (www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html) is a yearly event sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.   It happens in February every year and runs for four days. The Lab asks that folks count birds for as little or as long as they want during the four days, then report the highest number of birds of each species seen.   You can do it in your backyard, that's the beauty of it.
 The Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge held their GBBC on Saturday, February 18, in our wonderful big backyard, the Refuge.

That day was what my grandmother would have called a 'weathery' day.  And then some!
If you remember, it didn't just rain.  It came down thick and sideways in a strong, gusty wind, sometimes accompanied by hail. Sort of like being in a car wash without the car.
That didn't stop the intrepid Refuge folks, nor the Shoalwater Birder group.  We were colorfully arrayed in all manner of waterproof gear, from camo to pink nylon - as long as it kept out the water.
The group met at the Tarlett Slough unit, off 95th by the PUD.  Introductions made, we started on our way to the bay.
We followed a beautiful hidden track at the end of the road that meanders out to the foot of the bay.   The track is a lovely, unhurried way to get to the water, over small hills, around quiet bends, making us always wonder what we might surprise just around the next corner.  We passed a steep muddy grade where the elk herd half walks, half slides, to get down to  the track and on to the water.
A red-tailed hawk flushed from an overhanging alder when we rounded a bend. We heard  his keening call as he was caught and carried by the gusting wind.
Further out, an immature bald eagle was chattering as he played in the wind, tilting like a kite, too heavy to be really bothered by the gusts.
The small birds, however, were staying down.  They were likely hunkered up in the firs and alders on the lee side of the hill, staying as dry and warm as possible.
A western grebe dove and surfaced in the shallows, staying out of the current of the strong incoming tide.

The rain and wind were pushing us, the feathery mist was almost down to the water's surface.  It was weathery.  I looked around at the group, and there were rosy cheeks and smiles all around.
There is something wonderful about being out like that.  As long as you're dry, it's quite special.  We were participating in a valued activity, having a good time with like souls, and getting hosed.
I guess you had to be there. I felt embraced by the wind, the trees whistling in the gusts, the mist swirling on the water, the spirit of the place.

And afterward, the cup of hot coffee in the warm car was the best treat imaginable. 

Julie Tennis and  Nancy Holman, the Refuge angels, will summarize and submit our findings to Cornell Lab.  I know that I will return to that track again and walk the trail to the bay, savoring the wildness that is so close to home.