My Kingdom for a Camera!

[kdmac]

I had made a commitment to never leave my camera behind. I have been faithful to that commitment, camera and binoculars around my neck. Hiking down cliffs with camera in from and my binoculars swung around to my back so they don't collide. When the relentless squalls of rain hit I would neatly pack my camera inside my coat and zip it up to protect it and then appear to be a very old pregnant woman out for a bit of excercise. Regardless of the hassle these two implements created for me, I was faithful to never leave my camera behind.

The day dawned beautiful; a sunny windless morning. I was overtaken with excitement to get outside. I spared no time getting my shoes and coat on, it had been several days since I had been able to get a walk in due to torrential rain and wind. I decided I would just take my binoculars to watch the harbor seals on the sand bar, with their cute little puppy faces and a peculiar position of arched backs with their little hind feet in the air as they lay on the sand. I wouldn't need the camera since I had taken enough photos of their cute antics.

I walked 100 yards through my RV park down to the bay to walk the road that follows the edge of the bay. Typical huge black erosion prevention rocks are placed all along the roads edge so the tide won't take the road out. Just 100 yards down the road I look down and see a seagull standing on one of the black rocks, staring up at me with his mouth stretched open and three starfish legs hanging out his mouth, the other two legs and main body were down into his gullet, he looks at me mournfully, not so much for help but more embarrassed than anything. He was waiting for the starfish to get digested enough in his throat so the rest of it could do down. I've seen it before and it takes them about 15 minutes to get it all down.... and me with no camera. I've fed heads of 40 pound salmon, large chicken ribs, turkey wings to seagulls and down the gullet they go with no problem....starfish are the only things that won't just slide right down....and me with no camera. It is the funniest looking situation.

Then no more than another 100 yards and a glorious "great egret" is standing on the black rocks not 6 ft from me....I am sure you all know that egrets and herons suffer no one to get near them. They will fly long before you get close...but here I was side-by-side with this magnificent creature and it just looked at me. I could have taken its photo a dozen times as I stood right next to him. His glorious long neck feather rustling in the gentle breeze. Just me, the egret, the gentle breeze and no camera.

I then walked to the outlet of the bay where the ocean surf meets the outlet and watched the antics of the harbor seals and on the sand bars. Many dozens of seals are resting on several different sandbars while still many are choosing to swim. As I sat watching, right out in front of me the seals came shooting straight up out of the water and straight down in over and over again, not unlike a breech, not common to see that from the seals...and me with no camera.

BTW, I googled "seagulls eating starfish" to see if anyone had caught that on film and there were quite a few shots of it....they just look so silly while they wait for it to finally go down. Do google it you'll enhoy it.

[Liz]

Well, even without a camera, you painted the pictures beautifully, and probably enjoyed the moment more because you weren't busy trying to get a perfect focused shot. Thanks.

[Bethers]

I can't tell you the # of times I think I'm "just walking Peaches" or some such, then berate myself for leaving the camera behind. Know that feeling well. But you will never lose that image in your head - and described it so well, I can see that egret and that sea gull - I love the sea birds. I love all the birds - lol - but particularly the sea birds.

[mitch5252]

..

Like Liz said, we didn't need any pictures, your words did a great job of painting the picture.
Here's one I Googled:




..

[AlmostThere]

Lesson learned. You did paint a great picture of what you missed on film (?). Nice post!

[sharon]

Been there, done that, worn that T-shirt! Guess we all have, and probably will continue to do so at times. Great narrative, tho, thanks!

[newtreker]

What a neat post...I've never seen a seagull attempt that feat! Now I know if I ever do, it doesn't need any help
Wish I was in a warm place. Early this morning, since I'm snowbound & my school is closed, I was out trying to get a photo through the snow-covered trees behind my house of the full moon setting while the sky was first lighting with the sunrise. Unfortunately, I stopped to feed the dogs before going out & missed the contrast I needed to get the best shot. Ain't it often the way?

-6 degrees wc here in central KY...brrrrrrrrrr

Saretta

[kdmac]

Glad you all enjoyed the tale of the missed photo ops. Thanks Mitch for attaching the photo you googled, that's just what he looked like; the starfish was placed with it's remaining three legs situated perfectly out the gulls mouth.... isn't it just the silliest looking perdicament; what a hoot!

I wanted to insert the googled photos I found but I didn't know how to do that in my post....how is it done?

[Bethers]

First, make sure it's a picture you're allowed to use. (Don't take any copyrighted pics!) If you can, save the picture to your computer - different ways to do that, but most of the time you can right click on the picture to do that. Then handle it like any other pic you take ot photobucket.

[kdmac]

First, make sure it's a picture you're allowed to use. (Don't take any copyrighted pics!) If you can, save the picture to your computer - different ways to do that, but most of the time you can right click on the picture to do that. Then handle it like any other pic you take ot photobucket.

Ahhh, as I suspected. I was hoping beyond all hope that there was an easier way...I guess I am just a whimp, but I hate photobucket...seems so cumbersome...I think it's the juggling of the "post" field in the forum, highlighting the photobucket URL and then "photobucket to forum post" at the same time. I am probably doing it more difficultly than the more intelligent user.

I love the birds so much. I am in total nirvana when kayaking silently, alone, in the wee morning or early dusk and hear the cacophany of sounds, it is so glorious to me. Without fail there will be the beavers, muskrats, turtles and/or deer at that time as well. In eastern Washington there are countless lakes filled with these critters.

Right now I have my larger windows open and can hear the red-winged blackbirds...they are a favorite sound of mine. I was so delighted when I pulled in here and heard them..not usually an oceanside bird sound. But there is a little creek runs through behind me that gives them habitat they like. My all time most favorite of all sounds is the magificent mating repetoire of the "meadowlark". When dozens of males are vying for the females it's unlike anything else on earth. But, even just an individual meadowlark is, to me, unexplainable.

[AlmostThere]

I, too, love the mail red-winged blackbird song.

http://naturebits.org/NoAmBirds/icteridae.htm

[VickieP]

I, too, love the mail red-winged blackbird song.

http://naturebits.org/NoAmBirds/icteridae.htm

Lenora, I'm confused, do you love the male red-winged blackbird song or the Mail Man's song??? Just picking at ya, keep taking those meds!

[flick4411]

You did a wonderful job of painting a lovely picture of what you were seeing. We had a large blue heron that came to our apartment complex when I lived in Torrance CA. He came into our common area and ate three LARGE carp over a couple of weeks. He would stand there looking us for a long time, but the second anyone had a camera, he would leave. He knew what a camera was, I swear!

[Bethers]

I just came back from walking Peaches - nearly walked into a red-shouldered hawk - probably were within 5 feet before he decided we were too close. So neat. Did I have the camera? Nope.

[Ljpeterlin]

wow, did I just learn a lot from reading these posts...I did not know they could not swallow a starfish, nor did I even think about them wanting to...I am such a city girl sometimes, there is so much about nature I need to discover!

thanks for the picture, it was something to see alright!