More from Huntington Beach...

I decided to do a mid week post I had some time in the evenings to put it together so I wanted to  share some more of the awesome birds we spotted on our camp trip as I type this my fam is on the way back to their western CO home, Sis thank you so much for arranging this trip!!  I sort of highlighted the wading birds and shore birds we spotted in the Mullet Pond and Boardwalk marsh  area of the park, so next is the beach.  This park has 3.6 miles of shoreline, so there is plenty of beach for walking, shelling, birding,
 and fishing if you're into it, 

This man is originally from DC, but now he is a local he gave us a good tip about Cherry Grove, next time I intended to check out his tips...

and in the summer lots of sunbathing, and for some  hardy snowbirds, swimming in November!

This park lays south of the more famous Myrtle Beach and in winter its more of a retired crowd you see here.   Normally we go up to the jetty but I could not leave the dogs alone for that length of time so we skipped that the only birds we missed out on was a White Winged Scoter I saw reported. 

Eastern Willet 

The ocean was being pushed pretty good we had some very high tide that night...

Sis bundled up on this one day it was cold and blustery.  But we still went out and we saw plenty and she got a lifer of the Piping Plover!

Ca-Ching 

 Ruddy Turnstone for our viewing pleasure...

A large flock of Black Skimmers flew over 

 Breakers!

Southwest flies to the Southeast!

We saw a lot of Laughing gull in various stages of maturity...

Winter Plumage

We took another walk later on another stretch of the beach  right by the campground accessible via some boardwalks...

The Fam, photographing birds on the shore 

Ring-Billed Gull 

Laughing Gull 

The Sanderlings were playing keep away with the tide, they would come right up to us, I think they are used to the fishermen feeding them bait fish pieces...

I wanted this to be a ground dove  but the tail is too long, and no scaling on the chest, an immature, the consensus was it's Mourning Dove, sure was a cute one. 

Lots of Brown Pelican 

Walking back we thought we saw a Kestrel, but it moved pretty fast and we lost it, then on the walk back we spotted this Merlin, he had others appreciating the good look he gave us too.  We met a really nice couple from MA, who ended up being one site away from us back in the campground...

Really nice Bird of Prey....and so speaking of that let me share some of the birds of prey we saw over the stay...

Bald Eagle, 

Lots of Osprey hunt in the Mullet Ponds and in the Ocean.   

A real treat was on day one when we came back for our lunch break and I heard the little forest birds making a ruckus...and then spotted this guy...right in my Site 128

Then he flew into heavier cover and turned to hiss at us, 

They don't have yellow eyes, like some owls do....

Lots of claws and beaks.....just waiting....

WE sure enjoyed the Shoreline although  one day it was pretty Brisk!  I had forgotten just how cold it can be here in the South when a stiff north wind comes along....

each evening we got together for some good food, a campfire and a review of the day...

And Friday  I will wrap up with some forest birds, and other fun things. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

An April Fools Surprise...

Lately I'm lacking motivation.  Don't ask me why because I'm not sure.  I have the desire but the follow through is just blah.  Im still trying tho, not throwing in the towel just yet.  

Brown Headed Nuthatch check out a possible nest hole 

Some weather issues, wind, rain, hot, cold, storms, humid can't even breath humid, pollen 2 inches thick...just to name a few...and every now n then the SUN shines...but the wind still blows...Today was one of those sun shine windy days.. 

Male 

 I had not been to Sandhills in a while  it's kinda my local but a little far it's in the 20 mile radius.  Today the wind was on and off, ...my coat kept going on and off  and eventually  I even had to add a warm hat to the mix...

and his mate the female Eastern Bluebird 

I got very few photos this week ...the wind was a huge factor.  I wanted to share some of the AMATUER video I was able to get of some unique natural behaviors...

Like this Loggerhead Shrike, he has impaled a grub on a twig of a sapling...he tugs and it comes loose so he reattaches it, I tried to slow it down to help with wind movement  so you can see how he works to get the grub attached again so he can rip pieces off..

 sorry for the movement and sound real life is kinda like that...

When  he saw me, he flew to a tree to wait till I left so I snapped this photo before moving on...Big Juicy Grub. 

This was up on Mary's Hill...they recently burned the area 

I found an old antler, the tips had burned off...

...the birds are  pairing up and getting on with life they are motivated.  Had two Osprey pairs, and they were doing the same thing.  I suspect the female was stationed at a tree while the Male was out hunting, making circles diving and such...was it a show? I can't tell if he got a fish or not but he flew off, didn't take anything to the female,  Normally they lay eggs in April I must check the 3 ponds that I know Osprey nest in...maybe on my next trip over. OH yeah it's April already.

Play

Here is the waiting female...I saw the exact same behavior in a second pair later on.  I think I was more impressed than she was...

Then I stopped to have a spot of lunch at the boat ramp of this pond. 

After eating I put on my coat, and hat and took a walk around the lake, on this fisherman's path...It does not go all the way around the pond as it gets very dense and soggy but it goes about 1/2 of a mile or more round trip. 

This is where I watched the Osprey show from....so once he left I kept walking and then I saw some movement in a back cove of the pond.  At first I didn't know what I was looking at them BAM it hit me, A BEAVER a real live BEAVER was sitting on a sandbar grooming,  

I don't know if it's a she or a he

Then it went  swimming and eating some snacks out of the water, looked like the root ends of lily pads...

This sighting really made my day worthwhile...and was a good shot in the arm. 

This old lodge has been in this pond forever, but I thought it was not being used...

But the Beaver swam over this way and I lost track of it as I walked back so I think he went to take a snooze in the lodge...!!

time to walk back

Finally got my first shot appointment, on the 28th of April.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.