Disappointed at first, Will told me that the Piping Plovers flew south, but we should try High's Beach to see if they landed. There we found an odd scene- a Piping Plover and fresh snow from yesterday. The only thing keeping it from actually being in the snow was the high tide line that melted the snow! [photo by Sam Galick]
Further down the beach we came upon an even weirder scene, a Piping Plover among dock posts and weathered wooden bulkheads! Both plovers ended up down here and it took them a couple of minutes of confusion running back and forth sizing up the wall in front of them before jumping it and moving further north [photo by Sam Galick].
What a gorgeous bird: Will and I were standing at the high tide line when this bird decided to turn around and slide past us, coming so close that I had to put my camera down and watch the bird zip past like a glorified wind-up toy. It paused a couple times right in front of us and foraged along a weak wrack line, seemingly oblivious to our presence and gaping mouths. It was certainly a very memorable experience! [Photo by Sam Galick]
