The Point - A free-for-all in the dawn light

It's a spit of land between two bays. A causeway leads to a high bridge. Drivers often speed by ignoring the pier and fishermen, the tidal pools and wildlife. It's called "Indian Point," perhaps because Native Americans once camped here, hunting and fishing, and gathering oysters, crabs, and other sea creatures.

Often my brother invites me for a walk at dawn in this place. He has memories of fishing trips, of our other brother, of our father and of friends. Whenever he suggests a walk at the point I am ready. He knows the birds and shares that knowledge.

It is always a little different out here - different wildflowers blooming, different types of shells washing up, and different birds feeding.

This morning we arrived at the point as the sun began to reflect off the clouds. We had not traveled far before realizing it would be a special morning. We stopped and began to identify an incredible variety of shorebirds showing their stuff. The skimmers were skimming the surface of the tidal pools. Great numbers of brown pelicans and roseate spoonbills were feeding. Herons of many types were there as were the stilts and gulls.

There were hundreds of birds.

As we walked the shoreline, careful to stay clear of any sensitive areas, we spied three raccoons along the edge of a pool. They fished beside the birds. We have seen the foot prints of raccoons at the water's edge, but ever the makers of the prints.

The birds fed and flew - all around us. I don't have the words - it was like nothing I had ever seen. It was glorious.

My pictures will not do it justice, but I will share what I have. You may just have to trust me.

A group of gulls were chilling near shore.

Suddenly the sun was up. The waves were small and gentle.

The tide brought in a fibrous mass of seaweed.

As RF and DH head down the beach a pelican flew over. They gathered floating just off shore and in a group along a sandbar.

Suddenly a mass of birds took  flight.

Yes, that is a gull close up.

Pelicans on the sandbar.

Brown pelicans floating around.

Many things wash-up on this beach. We found some driftwood.

In the tidal pools(tidal flats?), herons and spoonbills and others.

He is hard to see, but a raccoon is just right of center. You can just see his legs against the lighter sandy shore. The pink bird to the left is a roseate spoonbill there is a great blue heron just to the left of center, but it looks grey/brown in this light.

Another photo, slightly worse for birds and better for raccoon. His head is down.

We did not want to disturb the birds so we watched from a distance.

Periodically some would fly up and soar around us.

In the center here the roseate spoonbill is sieving up breakfast.

Pelicans.

Is this a sea bean vine?

Oysters and barnacles - I understand there are oyster beds just off-shore.

A number of jellyfish had washed ashore.

Lightning whelk (state shell?) It probably contains a hermit crab.

Lightning whelk egg casing.

Blooming shore plant.

Tattered beach evening primrose