Beachside Birds

Hello dear readers! We are back from a too brief excursion to the North Carolina coast. I indulged my Jennifer's love of the beach, and she put up with my constant birdwatching. And yes, I watched birds. Mostly I enjoyed the Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans which were continuously on patrol. I also spotted a single Black Skimmer, many Sanderlings (beach mice, I call 'em), a Ring Billed Gull, some Willets, and an odd assortment of Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves, American Crows, and "Rock Doves." Most interesting to me were a suprising number of Green Backed Herons in a thickly "populated" part of Wrightsville Beach. (for the curious, at 34.20614 N and 77.79629 W). Never before have I seen even one Green Backed Heron in a fairly urban setting, and I came across over five. And this lot seemed unconcerned with the human activity below them. Given the great mass of humanity at this location, and the heat (low 90s) I wasn't expecting much birdlife, and yet there were wonderful surprises. I'll need to be more attentive next time we pay that beach a visit.