The last 10 months have been a challenging being so isolated to stay safe from COVID-19 but we keep trying to find ways to get out and immerse ourselves in nature where we can easily social distance. It has been our way of keeping sane in such an insane world. So late this week, frustrated by the pressures of work, we booked a trip to Orange Beach, AL. The weather is cold and college kids are heading into their spring semester and so we figured the beach would be pretty isolated. We booked the Fairfield Inn which is right next door to a couple of restaurants and a Walmart Neighborhood Market so it would be easy to eat in our room.
So yesterday, we left Birmingham after work, grabbed some quick supper on the road and checked in to the hotel. It is an older hotel and clearly showing it's age but the staff has been so incredibly nice. And it is clear the hotel is focused on COVID precautions to keep customers and staff safe (one way markings around the lobby, plexiglass dividers, everyone in face masks, pre-packaged breakfast to-go bags, etc.). We were also amazed at the experience at the Walmart Neighborhood Market where everyone was wearing masks, sanitizing wipes were actually available, and staff stood at the entrance and exit to count people and enforce protocols.
So this morning we set the alarm early. I love sunrises and to truly experience a sunrise, you need to be up and out there by the time the first glimpse of light starts appearing over the horizon which is typically an hour or more before the actual sunrise. This morning we made it out there in time to still see stars!
Shortly after we settled in, a Great Blue Heron flew towards us and landed about 30 feet from us. He stuck around until after the sun had risen when he moved on down the beach.
(video credit goes to my husband)
In these next few photos, I played with my new neutral density filter for my lens to create a milky look to the water.
By this point my husband was frozen down to the bone and so he headed back to the hotel. I stayed behind to chase a few more birds.
Great Blue Heron
Laughing Gull
Royal Tern
Great Blue Heron
Ring-billed Gull
I then headed back to the hotel to find some breakfast and relax in the room for a while.
I headed back out to the beach in the afternoon, without my husband at first. (He wasn't quite ready to tackle hours of the wind on the beach and was really enjoying the quiet of the hotel room.). He met me after I had been out a while on my own. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and the temperatures were in the low 50s. I started towards the pier a little over a mile down the beach. There weren't many people out giving the birds room to roam.
Sanderling
Laughing Gull
Ruddy Turnstone - a new bird for me!
Brown Pelicans
Willet
Ring-billed Gull
I also played with my new neutral density filter to smooth the waves around the pier.
With no sign of any clouds today, I decided not to stay out for the sunset. There will be more chances for sunrises and another sunset Sunday and Monday morning. We ordered Chinese to eat in the room and enjoyed a quiet evening.
