Biloxi, MS

Dennis wrote me a message in the sand. When I was a kid I went to Biloxi a couple of times with my grandparents for vacation. It was nice to visit again and things look waaaaay different than they did way back then, lol.

Snow & Sand ~ Macro Monday #121

When you think of a sandy beach you probably don't think of snow too.

But it's a common occurrence on Wisconsin beaches!

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. :) MM started on Sept 29, 2008 - Thanx to all of you for helping make it such a fun start to the week!

Pinchy Macro Monday

I like crabs as long as I know where they are, not so sure of them when I stumble upon them though.

This one didn't bother me at all, but this isn't exactly how I found it though.

Yep, this is how I found it. Haden turned it over for me. lol

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky.  Don't forget to visit each other.  :)

Beach Bums

I think I need to spend more time on the beach. ;0) I love how his eye is closed here. It seems dreamy.

So, I think he's too big to be a Spotted Sandpiper but I'm not really sure what he is. Any ideas?

Have a closer look.

Slightly smaller than a gull, but not as small as a sandpiper.

I think he's cute no matter what he is.

Tiny Sandpiper.

Remarkable how similar their colors are and structure, almost look like a mom and a babe but I don't think they are.

Some sort of Tern?

Feathered Treasures

You know I love birds, right? I hope you do too, because I have tons of bird photos from our Florida trip! This Ring-billed Gull looks just like the gulls I see up in Wisconsin. But I couldn't resist him anyway.

Some sort of sandpiper - the pipers totally intrigued me. They are so small and active!

See, tiny! The gull looks like a giant compared to him! The Ring-billed stands 19" tall with a 4' wingspan.

La-ti-da-ti-da, I'm just walking along. . .

Looks like Mr Gull found a snail for a snack.

Laughing Gull was laughing, lol.

The pipers run toward the water, eating something deep in the sand and then run away from the incoming waves.  They were very fun to watch!

While I was caught up in birds, the guys were seeking treasures of a different kind.

I got temporarily distracted by things washed ashore.

But it wasn't long until the birds stole my attention once more.

Dead or alive?

Not sure if these urchin are dead or alive. But my son is good at finding them.

The Laughing Gull and Me

I was happy to find some Laughing Gulls at the beach, their sound always cracks me up (we had them in Corpus Christi when we lived there), such funny birds!

But I didn't know what this little guy was. I had to buy a Florida Birds book so I could figure some of my mysteries out. I think this is a Spotted Sandpiper.

He searched the beach for food. The sun kept going behind clouds, shadows, sun, ugh!

He amazed me that he just strutted right by, allowing me to snap some photos. I think he looks like a great crane, like a huge regal bird, but check this out. . .

I snapped this just to remember his size. He's not huge at all, he's smaller than the laughing gull! According to my book the gull is 16-17" tall with up to a 3.5' wingspan! Impressive!

Macro Monday Whatnots

Just a few odds and ends found on a beach near Jacksonville. The morning lighting seemed to be perfect to bring out the colors. Ahhhh.

I found these in a couple of spots but have no clue what made the little sand balls.

I think the sand in the shell looks like snow, but it wasn't, lol.

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky.  Don't forget to visit each other.  :)