I thought it might be both amusing and helpful to relate what happened today on my visit to Timber Point to see the Dovekie. I went to Timber Point about 3PM to the boat basin to see the bird, but when I got there at the boat Basin there was no Dovkie to be seen, but I met a birder with binocs there, who told me he couldn't find it but he did not have a scope to look back in the bay and water ways. So I took out my scope and mounted it on the dock to take a look. First I took my binocs and walked down to the left and right to see if I could spot any thing. I heard the other birders leave, and when I came back to the spot I left my Scope it was gone. disappeared completely!! I could not believe it.. could these birders have taken my Scope? Birders just don't do things like that!! But they and the Scope was gone!! I went to the Park Headquarters building to report my loss and they told me to call the Police! So I did and they told me they would send over a trouper to the Boat Basin at once, and to meet them there. So I did, and as I waited I, who should show but the birders who were there before, and who I thought might have taken my Scope. Then we looked over side of the Dock, and down in the water was my Scope!! It had fallen over into the water,but it was still floating about a foot or so out, but too far for me to reach it and the tide was down so far I could not reach that far! Fortunately the cops came and with their help and the other birder we got a pole and I was able to retrieve it! The birders came back to tell me that the Dovekie was present at the other Marina..the WEST marina, rather than the main marina (the East Marina) where my Scope went swimming. Then I went to the West Marina, and could find nothing, no birders and no Dovekie. Then, discouraged as I decided to leave,some more birders showed up and found about six feet in from the dock was the Dovekie!! He was too close to the Dock for me to see it from the car. I got lots of close-up pictures, and urge any one who would like to go and look at the Dovekie, he just paddles around and poses a few feet from the dock. at the WEST Marina. As far as the Tundra Swans, the Duck hunters scattered all the Ducks and the geese and they took off with them. Sorry for the length of my story. Andy Murphy
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