I starred up at the stars till my neck began to feel stiff and then I tried to pull up anything to entertain me on my phone, nothing doing!! One bar of service.
Anyways I wanted to watch Chrome of Vancity Vanlife, but nope it would not load. So I tucked myself under my quilt, sleeping bag, and wool blanket...since I brought no heat source with me. I was plenty warm overnight. And in the morning, I watched the sun rise with a hot cup of coffee.
I had packed up camp the night before so I only had to restash my cooking gear, I had some oatmeal with banana and toast for breakfast. Just had to boil water!
After a quick clean up I drove the long road out of the Preserve and headed North up highway 17 for Huntington Beach State Park, about 30 miles up the road.
I arrived at 9 am...paid my $5 day use fee and parked in the visitors parking and headed for the Mullet Ponds to check for whatever birds were out and about.
The expected waders, were out but not in huge numbers, and some fishing birds like the Anhinga
Caught one,
Get it in position...
GULP....
the Gr blue Heron
The great Egret
The Snowy Egret
On the other side of the road is the pond and a flock of Lesser Scaup about half way out
50-ish
50-ish
And farther out by the bank is a flock of Gadwall.
And a small count of 8 or so Green winged Teal too far out for a decent photo...meanwhile this Gr Blue Heron nearly landed on top of me...
Not long after that a flock of Hooded Merganser sailed out of the reeds...
Im totally digging the hair...
The Heron moved back to a safer place...I didn't see any shorebirds and that was my hope so I moved the van to the North Beach parking lot and headed up the beach toward the North Jetty normally a good spot for shorebirds, but I got here a little early a front had just passed and birds had not moved to the beach... Even the Sanderlings were holding still...
My legs were tired from all the walking I did the day before at Santee Coastal, but I had about a two mile hike in the sand to get to that Jetty..so no use whinning just go!! Next time I go I want to take my bike, to make this walk a quick ride instead...especially on the two mile walk back after walking all day on and around the jetty.
It was still to early and chilly for sunbathers but there was plenty of action in the water...
and above the Beach...
and on the sand...
Horned Grebes were fishing in the surf...
When I finally got on the Jetty there was a lot of people and boat action in the cove and no shorebirds..
These people had fun on their own island for a few minutes...
Common Loon was out in force...
And a few Red Throated Loons as well...
And I found one Long Tailed Duck diving out in the cove...So I reported the rare bird!! YEAH.
I didn't see everything I had hoped for but there is no such thing as a bad day at the beach...
Ringed Bill Gull
It was a fun trip and I look forward to the next visit.
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
