After yesterday's long day, I skipped the sunrise in favor of sleeping in. We took today a bit slower with some time on the beach and in the Gulfport Marina, a late lunch at Shaggy's, and sunset near the marina.
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| Laughing Gulls (in flight), Forster's Terns (orange legs), Royal Tern (far right), Sanderling (front) |
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| Royal Tern (larger) with a Forster's Tern |
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| Royal Tern with Laughing Gulls |
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| Marbled Godwit |
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| Black Skimmer (front left), Royal Terns (front), Laughing Gulls |
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| Mostly Black Skimmers |
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| Black Skimmers, Laughing Gulls, Royal Tern, Forster's Tern |
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| Ruddy Turnstone with a Laughing Gull in the background |
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| Forster's Terns in front of Laughing Gulls and Black Skimmers |
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| Marbled Godwit |
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| Black Skimmers |
On the way to the marina, we encountered this Great Blue Heron that initially was hiding from the wind in this protected area on the beach and then made it's way to the Bait Shop where clearly it felt at home and wasn't too worried about the comings and goings of humans.
We then continued on to the marina.
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| Female Mallard Duck |
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| Brown Pelican |
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| Common Loon in non-breeding plumage |
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| Great Blue Heron wading in the shallow water |
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| Osprey |
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| Female Red-breasted Merganser |
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| Common Loon |
We had a late lunch on the patio of Shaggy's, our favorite restaurant in Gulfport.
We ended the day by watching the sunset over the marina.
