A bald eagle just flew by and scattered the one hundred or so gulls that were loafing on the beach.

Mornings on the beach as the tide rolls out are glorious. There are so many morning glories out and about foraging and or resting.

Morning glories are the wildlife of our ocean beaches, and for me they seem to glow in the sunshine and even as the soft white fog on some mornings lifts it way out to sea. They are both spring and fall migrants with their peak numbers occurring from July through October. Hundreds have been gathering recently. Large numbers have been foraging at the water’s edge, while hundreds have been hunkered down in the soft warm sand near the dunes.

It pays to look closely at these large flocks. Among them I have seen black turnstones, ruddy turnstones, and what I consider to be large numbers of short-billed dowitchers. Short-billed dowitchers prefer saline coastal waters, while the long-billed dowitcher prefers inland fresh water.

For many of these migrants the Pacific Northwest coastal area provides a prime wintering ground, so they will stay, while others will move further on down the coast. Sanderlings are abundant and resplendent in their coats of many colors as they change from their breeding apparel to their winter garb. Western and least sandpipers have also been making appearances.

Morning glories include some of our raptors and other scavengers such as the common raven, American crow, and the gulls. Turkey vultures, bald eagles, and an osprey have been present whenever I have been on the beach of late. Carrion in the form of fish heads and parts and crab shells abound. They make perfect snacks for western gulls, glaucous winged gulls, ring-billed and California gulls, for example. Many of the gulls are also just loafing along with the Caspian terns. Turkey vultures are part of the cleanup crew that also feasts on carrion.

Fall migration is in full swing. Now is a good time to grab your binoculars, head out to the beach and enjoy the morning glories! They are beautiful.

Happy birding!