I’m a bird-watcher…..

…..here comes one now…..

So…..I know a lot of people do not like seagulls.  They are scavengers, opportunists and all of those other negative words you can conjure up, but they are my favorite bird.  They belong to the natural environment that I love most….the beach, the ocean….and they always make me smile.

This particular gull was a very sneaky guy
(insert Pink Panther music here)

…he flew in and landed in between our set up and our close neighbors.  He seemed to be a younger bird with his fluffy feathers, but he was a patient soul.  He looked at us, and them….at us and them…and then….they got up for a swim. Eureka! It was his lucky day!  He strolled right over to their bag and scooped out a bag of goldfish.  Such a bold little scoundrel!

Here he is running away with his prize.  I SO wish I could have captured a picture of Ken chasing after him…LOL. 

I am going to share a little secret with you, now that you know that these little scoundrels are my favorite birds.  Years ago when my days included daily trips to the beach, I had 3 kids who HATED the crust on their sandwiches.  I bet some of you had those very same kids (I think I was one of them too…shhh)….well….I used to let them toss their crust to the gulls.  Now, I know that there are some who would severely reprimand me, but why toss that crust in the trash when these birds would happily enjoy it…right? 

Of course the seagulls were not the only birds that we enjoyed.  There were these absolutely adorable Sandpipers.  Having grown up very close to Plum Island, I know just how special these little birds are.  Parts of South Cape Beach are protected in the same way that Plum Island is so that these little birds can raise their babies safely.  I loved watching them run back and forth in between the waves…so.darn.cute!

…and the Osprey….
Almost every day, Ken and I went on a 2-3 mile walk discovering the neighborhood around us.  On one of those walks we saw this huge nest.

Such a magnificent bird the Osprey is!  We were fortunate enough to see both parents in the nest feeding their young…and their call is the sound we heard as the sun went down each night….amazing experience!

Of all the birds we saw over the week these 2 were my favorite.  I wish I could have videotaped their interaction…it was hilarious.  The smaller one kept trying to interact with the larger gull….kind of like a fruit fly diving for your wine (yep….an example I am relating to).  The larger gull would fly off a little bit and the smaller one would follow and yap at him…over and over. 
Whether I am in my yard at home or at the ocean, my little bird friends always offer me endless, free entertainment. 
I just love our little friends. 🙂