
So I turned around and stopped at the "secret" beach access which is just a short way from Ft. Fisher and ventured out onto the beach at low tide so that I could see the tidal pools and maybe glance the black "ducks" again. We have now positively identified them as juvenile Common Eider Ducks, a sea duck which is seen in this area although the pretty adults are generally further north.
I just love all the seaweed and moss covered sandstone rocks that are there. It is so different from the rest of the beach area down here. I walked a bit of the way down the beach and spotted quite a few different birds getting a bite of food from the exposed rocks. I tried to focus on all the different ones and get pictures of them.


There are several birds feasting here. They are all in the sandpiper family though. The large one is the common Willet, the one with the dark neckring is a Ruddy Turnstone and the others are Semi-Palmated Sandpipers. There were also a bunch of sanderlings here as well as Red Knots.

This was just one of the willets, I believe.

No Common Eiders today -- maybe just too many people down the beach!!
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