Shelter from the storm

It was a nasty day, raining and cold as it has been for far too long.  But it felt like a day to see what birds have been moving in, via migration, and what birds may have been blown in, due to bad weather.  We're lucky to have 3 large bays near us.  There is Willapa Bay, of course, and Baker Bay and Young's Bay.  Baker Bay is just out from Chinook, Young's Bay is near Astoria.  You cross Young's Bay on the way to Warrenton.   Bays are where seabirds will seek shelter from heavy weather, and where many other water birds just spend winter, away from the weather.  The brilliant white and black ducks that have been wintering in Young's Bay, that you can see pretty well from the car, are called Buffleheads.   I understand that the name comes from someone deciding that they have big heads for a duck, sort of like a buffalo.  Whatever.   The white glows in the mist and rain, until the male arches his lovely neck and dives, searching for food.  The female, harder to see, is black and has a white spot on her face, just behind the eye.  Most female birds are 'drab' compared to the males, as they're the ones who have to sit on the nest and try to be invisible.  Bright white doesn't work in that situation, unless you live in the Arctic.   
Birds that live far at sea are sometimes blown into the bays during strong winds.  They can be seen in the bays and just offshore in the ocean.  A good place to look is the viewing platform at Parking Lot C at Fort Stevens State Park.
There is a beautiful small bird called a Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, who live almost  entirely at sea.  Pearl grey and about as big as a robin.  These birds feed by hovering just above the water, with feet extended, delicately touching the water, so that it appears that they're dancing on the waves.  A few years ago I was lucky enough to see one of these birds just off Parking Lot C, doing his dream-like dance above the very rough water.  Not dream-like to the bird of course, who was fishing for lunch.  But for a human, maybe a metaphor for a tough day.
I didn't see any Storm-Petrels today, but birding is kind of a zen thing.  If you just focus on having to see something, you'll often be frustrated.  I try to just go with the journey.