taking a bubble bath

I'm sitting here at midnight, preparing my post after a kinda rough couple of days (although things are looking up now), so I hope you don't mind that I am just going to share my photos today without a lot of elaboration.

Run Sanderling Run!

By now you've probably concluded that I am enamored with the Sanderling. We saw them at each beach we went to and I could not resist watching their antics.

They stay at the edge of the water, going towards the ocean as the water goes out . . .

. . .and, running like crazy towards shore when the water came in. Isn't he darling?!

No matter how many times I watched him do this I never tired of it. And he never got swept away by a wave, believe me, I held my breath with anticipation each time.

Btw, this beach was more broken shell (is that called shale?) than it was sand. It sure made for a beautiful color!

I guess he got full. Doesn't he look coy?

Royal Terns

I think these fellows are adorable! The little feathers tufting up on the backs of their heads makes me think of little old balding men. They just need tweed jackets. :)

Ruffled Feathers

Sanderling, at least I think that's what he is. I love his reflection in the water too.

A Laughing Gull laughing at me. lol

Yellowlegs or Willet?  I'm really bad at identifying these birds.

I loved chasing bigger birds with my lens while in Florida.  The challenge of Wisconsin bird is that most of the ones I see are small and they're very flighty.

Hosted by Cecily

But, as you can see, this gull seemed as intrigued with me as I was with him.  Now I suppose he could be a juvenile Herring Gull, but due to the time of year, I'm assuming this is a Ring-Billed Gull in his winter plumage.

Tern Around

I think this is a Tern, in my little book I thought it looked like the Least Tern, but the book shows it being in Florida in the summer (not winter) and that it's endangered - so I really am not sure.  I love its little scissortail, lol.

It's a petite little thing, whatever it is.

Seems I keep using the gulls for a size comparison, but there were a lot of gulls everywhere so they make convenient rulers.  I love shorebirds!