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.

Sand in my shoes...

May 2nd  I took off and went to the beach! I didn't sit out in the sun or anything like that I was looking for birds as usual...and this was the very first day our State Parks were open again...it was rather crowded but I did manage to steer around most of the other people. 

             

Spotted some dolphin just off shore...was only able to get the fin...

I did a little shell looking it's hard to ignore the bits of stuff washed in by the tide,...I brought this coral one home...

                          

these cute little Sanderling were getting down out of the wind,  And you can see how they look in breeding plumage too..

NOTE: If you very carefully click the Play Arrow and dont hit any of the text around it, the video plays in this window...

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Lots of Semipalmated Plovers were there that day...

I took some walks on  boardwalks too...

I always like to see Red Winged Blackbirds...

Egrets had standing room only! Great and Snowy Egrets. 

Not as many gators were there as normal...I wonder what  happened to them? 

                                      

Saw Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs..

Lots of these jelly fish  on the shore...some birds pecked at them...they were not alive. 

Here is  a live one in action in the water...a Cannonball Jellyfish!  

Just to show you how small these Least Terns are! 

Had some Wilson's Plover in the shorebird nesting area...

I have a one mile hike in the sand to get to the jetty and the shorebird breeding area.  It's fenced for off limits but you can see a lot on the verges of it,   I sat down in the sand and had my lunch and watched the Black Skimmers fly by...

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Only one American Oystercatcher was around. 

That's about the time a Whimbrel decided to walk right into my picnic...LIFE BIRD as somehow they have always eluded me, even a non birder has seen a Whimbrel...now finally, so have I! 

Finally!  And he hung out with me all afternoon.

Plenty of Royal Tern

and Sandwich Tern 

more beach drift, Spider Crabs shells...

This Willet gives himself a good belly wash..

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A few Short Billed Dowitcher showed up 

along with some Black Bellied Plover in their breeding outfits!

Brown Pelican fly all around but I didn't see the huge flocks I normally see I figure they have an island offshore where they breed and that's probably where they were...

A female Painted Bunting was on the Feeder outside one of the Education Buildings that was not open, but I was happy to see they were refilling the feeders.




I enjoyed being at the beach,,,,I did not see many people taking the social distancing seriously.  I don't know how they think they are exempt?  I believe the Trump administration in the end will take up the "every man for himself" stand.  Since he hates all of the Democrats and encourages his base to be violent and to bully their way around...I imagine as the election gets closer he will do everything he can to stop a fair election, like he is already doing that by trying to stop the mail in voting.

I really hope people will realize how the crooked Republicans will try to  use the no shows at the voting booth in their favor, so put on your mask, your gloves, put a plastic trash bag over you cut a hole in for breathing just SHOW UP, if  you can't vote by mail.

They won't fight fair so let us all SHOW up to fight the right way, place your vote! We have a chance to get Lindsey Graham out of office here in SC...can you imagine how wonderful that would be!! OMG Jamie Harrison is running against him and he has MY VOTE.  He seems to be a decent man who has worked hard to help people of SC get a fair shot.
What a difference that would make, but let me tell you now it will take EVERY person who does NOT want Graham in office any long to show up to help, as I see Trump signs all over the place here..so don't take it lightly that he will he voted out...he will only be voted out if Everyone SHOWS up to do it.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.