Today actually started out in a normal fashion. Made the coffee, checked email while it brewed, poured the first cup, let the dog out. Soldiering through the next two cups I worked at completing the design for the sign that Halifax River Audubon is going to be putting up at the Dunlawton Bridge for the Port Orange Wildlife Sanctuary. Took Roxie to the park for her morning walk after the coffee was gone then went to buy a couple of tires. (Can't stop looking at/for birds: while waiting for them to install the tires I was sitting outside reading when I noticed the Ring-billed Gulls flush from the Wal-Mart parking lot. Sure 'nuff, overhead was an eastbound 2nd year Bald Eagle).After they finished I was barely more than 2 miles from the tire store when the (brand new) left rear tire went flat. What are the chances of that? While waiting for someone to come pop the spare on so I could make my way back to rectify the tire situation an adult Bald soared by. Two eagles in less than an hour. They tried to stick me with just a repair on the tire but I didn't even have to get belligerent and they accomodated me with a new replacement (it was actually a puncture!). But for being a little inconvenienced it wasn't too terrible. Take it all in stride, right?

The afternoon was pretty normal after what had turned out to be an interesting morning. HRA Board meeting, take Roxie for a swim, come home and work a bit. No problem. Seeing a Least Tern (my first of the season) while out with Swimming Dog, I decided to go to the beach to see what sort of birds I might find decked out in their nice Sping apparel.

I had to drive a little way before I found a large group of Laughing Gulls and, as expected, a few Royal terns were mixed in with them. I'm barely out the car - this is when the complaining begins - when I couple on bicycles come riding along and the male, an adult (I use the term very loosely), most likely in his early 30's, proceeds to blast right into the flock. In my stupidity I yell out that there is a county ordinace against such behavior - which was, of course, probably not a good move on my part. He rode back asking what I was talking about and repeated that there was an ordinance about harassing birds on the beach, he came back with some smart retort which I don't remember then let him know that I could always call Beach Patrol. He said go ahead and rode away as I reached for my cell phone (a bluff since I don't even have the number).

You would think I would learn.

I've actually thought many times about making up some cards with the ordinance printed on them but every time I do I realize that adults who chase birds probably aren't literate enough and it would ultimately be a waste of time and effort. His kind probably voted for Bush because Kerry had too many letters.

My other rant for the day also involves adults on the beach where there are birds. Now, maybe I'm from another planet or grew up in a different time, but are there many people left that know what common courtesy is? I have no recollection of any interplanetary voyages and the individuals who are the objects of my ire were at least my age or older. I'm not an imposing figure by any means but I would think that a 5'11" male on his knees in the sand with a giant telephoto lens surrounded by birds would be farely obvious on a stretch of beach that was all but empty of upright bipedal hominids. Yet on at least three different ocassions people out for their afternoon stroll on the beach walked right through the birds I was trying to photograph. I don't own that freakin' beach but is it so difficult to walk 20 or 30 feet around a guy making images rather than chase away his subjects? Is it just me that thinks if you see someone with a camera you don''t walk in front of them? And apologize if you don't realize it and accidently walk in front of them?

In between all the inconsiderate people I did manage to make a few exposures. I'll do something with a few in a "happier post" tomorrow.