Thursday, June 24: More plovers!

This morning as soon as I got to work, Jessie grabbed me and told me that she was herding plover chicks and parents away from oncoming tractors which were placing lifeguard houses.

BEST. SHOOT EVER.

I've finally learned how to shoot plovers. Don't try to follow them; they're spastic and they follow bugs that you can't see. Instead, go to where they might go, and be patient. You'll get your best shots that way. Don't move until they leave the shot. I got a remarkable shots of the birds brooding. It was terribly shaky due to wind, but I'll take it.

After Cavendish, I went with Jessie to the Sandspit to look for scrapings and plovers. She had seen a few mating there the day before, so chances were good that we would find more. It's so incredibly beautiful there. She showed me what they called the bowl, which may be my new favorite place on earth.


When I walked into the bowl, it felt like no other human had ever stepped there before; it felt like I was discovering a new land. I haven't felt that way since I was about 12 years old, and my dad took me to the dunes below the Whelan house. I still forget what it's called; something about monsters? Am I remembering something so vague that I'm making stuff up?