No Fish For You! A Day On The Island...

ROM took off work yesterday and we ran away to the beach. It had been weeks since we had gone to the beach , much too long. The nice thing about summer weekdays on Anna Maria Island is the lack of people... 

It was just us and the birds. Like this little fledgling tern waiting on the beach for mama to return.

She was so happy to see mama return with a fish hanging from her beak...

But mama said no way kid, time to get out there and catch your own fish. 

And away mama flew, taking her fish with her...

This played out several times as I watched. Mama never did give the kid a fish and the kid never did fly out over the water to find her own fish...



Maybe tomorrow...

I love watching the skimmers fish. Their bottom beaks are longer than the top to help them scoop up a fish as they fly low over the water.

I wondered what this lone dunlin dreamed of as she gazed out on the Gulf of Mexico? Maybe she was just glad breeding season was over and her nest was empty...  just enjoying some quiet time.