Birds

I take two walks each day. Up one way on the beach in the morning, and down the other in the evening. In my ramblings I’ve noticed four types of beach birds here. I’m used to seagulls. I’ve seen so many; they even hang out in the parking lot of Shop Rite in Monroe. But these other three are new to me. I don’t know their proper names, so I’ve made some up.
Sandpipers with long beaks – These birds are loners. About every twenty feet or so I come across one, hunting in the tides. I have no idea what they’re hunting for since there doesn’t appear to be anything in the tide. They are medium, smaller than a seagull and entirely grey with a really long, narrow beak. Very nervous creatures as well. They eye you when you get near and dash off if you invade their personal space.
Tiny sandpiper-like birds – These guys are funny. They hang out in pairs, darting around the tide. Unlike the sandpiper with long beak, the tiny sandpiper-like birds are seldom stationary. Once you’re approaching, they are headed off in the opposite direction but not quite in a straight line. They are very tiny and almost like look gulls in coloring.
Cranes? – These birds are huge and I never see them too close to the shore. They hang out off shore, sometimes in pairs, sometimes alone. They swoop in to land on the waves and I’ve seen a few dive right into the water. I can’t help but stare at them. Although I like the other birds, these are by far my favorite. They are larger than the seagulls and all grey. Their beaks are long with a pouch hanging along the bottom.
Tomorrow I will take some pictures and post them. I keep forgetting to bring my camera and there wasn’t much to see today.