Sketches from the beach

Block House Beach

The last time I was at a beach actually prepared to swim was nearly 50 years prior to this.  But there we were on the beach on a blistering day trying to hide under the sun screen and umbrellas.  THAT did not work very well!  Well, so we got a bit brown (burned some might say) we also got some good time birding with the kids and sketching the scene there in east central Florida.  It was straight up noon, and a pretty active place. The brown pelicans were flying overhead and feeding just past the little surf. This was in June, so quite some time before the hurricane went past. They did avoid any serious damage in the immediate area of Melbourne I do believe.
                                                                           Pelicans & Grackles

 Pretty slick shelter the MGH's brought from GA.  Anchors in the sand quickly over a couple poles and it is ready to go, and windproof. The grackles were often very close. RuRu and I saw our first Black Skimmer, watching it feed is something you don't see in KS.

                                                            More from Block House Beach

Fun trying to catch a sketch of the Pelicans diving.  

It is only the last split second- a few feet above the water- that they pull their wings in tight.

To the beach...

Packing the cooler, crossing the river, and skirting the Air Force Base...Hence the name: Block House Beach.

I know, not much for sketches, huh, but you gotta figure that each sketch is merely preparation for the next one, right?