spotted included these and we crossed them off -
golden eagles and white tailed eagles
oyster catchers and sandpipers
cormorants and herons
plus a probable rail
and a possible crake
not crossed off
In the evening the short eared owl
spotted
crossed off
At sunset's last blink we sat on the grass
under the landmark lighthouse and prayed
and craned for a magical moment
perhaps the flash of a dolphin
airborne through the silver sea
A troop landed -
cheerful in olive green waterproofs
with flashlights and headlamps
high-tech field glasses
and night-vision sights
badly packed rucksacks
and reams of flapping paper
fishy silhouettes
they were loud and proud
about the day's conquests
so many dolphins
so many humpback whales
so many basking sharks
all spotted
So now we're rugged up
in the car
with our boiled egg sandwiches
- the crake firmly crossed off
As for the rail -
we've gone off it
