Wave catchers

Last week, I was walking along the shoreline at Boundary Bay, head bent, concentrating, hands full of bags for eelgrass and barnacled rocks, collecting goodies for my critters. Something made me look up, maybe a small sound, maybe a hint of movement, and there, on a rock barely three or four feet ahead, a half-dozen sandpipers were standing still, just, watching me.

I reached for the camera, and they all flew away, and kept on flying until they were almost out of sight.

I kept a lookout for them the rest of the afternoon, but never got so close again.

These were watching the waves near the boat launch, later, but kept moving north as I walked closer to them.

They seem so fragile, but the waves rolling in don't even make them wobble.

All facing the incoming water, except for the one watching me. Lookout duty, maybe?

And then I got too close.

Flying from sunlight into shade.

There don't seem to be as many birds on the water and beach as there have been in previous years. Mid-afternoon isn't the best time to see them, but even then, there should be hundreds, not dozens.