More Beach Birding Thoughts

My latest voyage to the coast got me thinking about my overall approach to birding and leisure. To be sure I was aware of birds out there, but in a variety of ways I managed to be rather too passive. That's vacationing, I expect. One needs to mind one's family, after all, and I paid attention to mine rather than rambling all over everywhere in search of feathered attractions. But it's a struggle in any case: I manage to shut down activity in "nonbirdy" environments. Our spot of the coast is really urban when you get down to it. What birds were found---like the Willet in the photo---did just enough to catch my attention (not that very many can be found in a beach town in July.) So I need to do a little more active watching in future. Work the binoculars a little more?--easy. Play a game, counting how many species I can score?--easy. Block a little time to pop in on a local hotspot?--sure, if I can take the heat. So we shall see what comes of the next excursion. Shall I be a birder? or blob?