Before I get too far, I just wanted to thank Linda for now 32 years of wedded bliss – well, except for the infinitesimally small fraction of time she scolds me because of a “perceived” bad choice on the trail – then she relents, puts me back together again and hops back on the “happy path” hehehe. I did admit she should get an extra year of service for what she has had to put up with these last few weeks. Restricted runners are a notoriously hard lot to deal with. The good news is the stitches are out of the elbow and everything looks really good. A ways to go before it is back to where I need it to be, but optimistic now that a lot of the swelling has dissipated and therapy has started loosening everything up. Unfortunately, photography is out of the question. Decided to take The Beast in and have it refurbished so it is ready when I’m able to lift it gain. In the meantime, we can live vicariously through another of Brad’s Huntington Beach State Park adventures. Take care everyone and thanks for all the well wishing and healing thoughts!
Take it away Brad…
This may have been obvious to many of you long-time readers of Intrigued, but Jan and I just started seeking out and photographing birds while we visit state and national parks on vacations. While we don’t necessarily chase them down, we will certainly take some time to look for what’s available wherever we are.
This is a sort of “greatest hits” post about many of the species we were able to see and photograph on a bird walk at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, not far from Myrtle Beach. Now, having said that, please don’t all flock there (pun intended) all at once.
We were visiting the boardwalk overlook for the seaside habitats, when we bumped into a couple that had been birding for decades. He was wearing a Boston Marathon jacket, and since Jan had run the Boston marathon a few times in the past, I went up to him and said, “Hi.” We started talking and I could tell he was a bit anxious to be moving along. He introduced himself as Jack and his wife Janet, and explained they were about to be late for the bird walk that morning. During the off-season, there is one bird walk per week at 10am on Wednesdays. It was 9:58am. Off they went with Jan and I in pursuit. When we arrived, the bird walk had already started. The guide was introducing himself and telling us about the walk for the newbies (us included).
Most people at the walk had binoculars, spotting scopes, checklists or all three. Jan and I had our cameras with intermediate and long-reach zoom lenses. As the guide is talking, there are a dozen types of birds moving about. Some are flying, some are floating, others are wading, and one keeps smacking into the surface of the water, at high speed, hoping for a snack.
Hit the jump to read more about Brad and Jan’s finds at Huntington Beach State Park
Continue reading Bird Walk +1s…by Brad Marks
Wildlife Intrigued 