A “Love” Story

Saturday, July 20, and I went in search of Least Tern activity at Opal Beach. It was apparent that the recent over-washing along Fort Pickens Road (again!) had seriously disturbed the chick population there. So I was hopeful that the area around Opal Beach (being a bit higher) might have fared better. I only spotted one fur-ball chick, and a couple that had already fledged. But what was most interesting was their apparent intention to start all over again, even this late in the season.

Nowhere was this more apparent than this dramatic series:

(I’m imagining the dialogue. And somehow it works better if you affect a French accent.)

Hello, my beauty. May I offer you this nice fresh fishy I just caught?

It’s really quite a nice one. See how fat it is? Now if you’ll just …

Yes, that’s right. A little lower perhaps, and turn …

Perfect! Now just hold steady there. And this little fishy will soon be yours.

Damn! I let it go too soon. No! No! Not yet …

But, Darling. I wasn’t … 

And, so it goes. Another day at the beach.