Catch and Release

This Great Blue was following a fisherman up and down the beach. At first I thought he was hoping to steal a catch from the guy when he had a fish, but then I saw his plan. He had the catch and release thing down pat. The fisherman finally caught a small fish and the heron just stood there and watched. When the fisherman threw it back into the surf, the Great Blue took off and almost caught the stunned fish before he realized he was back in the water. This time the fish survived, but I'll bet they all don't.

Ghostly

A ghost crab on the beach at St. George Island.

Flippin' Flipper

Dolphins routinely swim from one end of St. George Island to the other, depending on what the tide is doing and where the food is, but I never thought I'd be able to time a shot of one doing this.

Dragonfly

Nature center in East Point, Florida, across the bay from St. George Island.

St. George Island Crowds

There was one small stretch of the beach that was crowded, down where the houses were crammed together only a few feet apart, but mostly it was empty (see here).

If you crop way in close and throw in a filter, it starts to get a little pixilated and the crowded section of the beach looks sort of like a water color.

Pardon Me!

Did I use my deodorant this morning?

Back to St. George Island for a few photos

The Gulf seems so awesomely BIG from the shore.

St. George Island Lizard

About the only wildlife we saw on the island were birds, crabs, and this guy. He lived in a palm tree outside our door. I believe he's a Carolina Anole, just like the ones we have around here, or very similar anyway.

There were a number of firsts for me on this trip, though. I saw my first Osprey and it was diving in the Gulf for fish (camera battery had just died). I saw my first pair of bald eagles in the wild (too far away to photograph them). I saw my first sea turtle nest, no turtle, just a nest (picture later). I saw my first momma and baby dolphin, just a glimpse on our boat ride and no good picture. I saw my first funnel cloud, two of them from the same storm, but they never touched the water or land and I only had a point and shoot. Maybe I'll put that up.

Brown Pelican 1 and 2

There were plenty of these guys just enjoying the breezy weather on St. George Island. The wind (15-20 mph) was such that they and the gulls could hover effortlessly, or soar for miles without a wing flap.

St. George Island, Memorial Day Weekend

Love the Crowds