Mississippi Gulf Coast: Brown Pelicans, Terns & Plovers

These are my last few photos of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, for now.  There's a few more areas I want to visit along the coast, but I'll wait until the weather warms a little.  Picking up from where I left off with the last post, my hubby and I passed through Gulfport on our way home.  As usual, my eyes scanned the beach and shoreline for anything with wings interesting.  Soon, I spotted several Brown Pelicans gathered along the wood pilings of an old pier and decided to join them for a short visit.  

The pelicans appeared quite comfortable where they were- some preened and stretched while others napped.  

A few Royal Terns claimed their spots on the old wood pilings...

Sanderlings searched the shore for tidbits of food...

And a Black-bellied Plover stood silently still for several moments...

With Spring just around the corner, my mind has been busy with thoughts of how I want to landscape my shady back yard.  I see a lot of land clearing and hard work in my near future.  Out with the old piles of dead limbs, pine straw and a couple Mimosa trees I want to get rid of.  In with new plants like Oyster ferns, Hosta varieties, Bleeding hearts and Ornamental grasses.  Spring fever grabs a hold of me in late February and I can barely wait to get my hands in the dirt.  

I hope your week is going well.  I've worked the past two nights so I'm ready for some good, deep sleep.  Have a good evening Peeps :)   

Mississippi Gulf Coast: Jones Park-Gulfport Marina

I wrapped up my trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a visit to the impressionable Jones Park-Gulfport Marina.  Although Jones Park re-opened in May 2012, this was my first visit. This facility is located on 60 acres at the very south end of Highway 49, the center of the City of Gulfport adjacent to the Mississippi State Port. Not only is this park/harbor facility a signature facility for the City of Gulfport but it is the “Front Yard for the State of Mississippi”.  Amenities include a 319 slip harbor and promenade walk, splash pad/playground area, replica lighthouse, large pavilion, amphitheater stage, educational plaza, fuel dock and bait shop.

A Great Blue Heron stood attentively near a fisherman who was casting his line.  Was he waiting to receive a "treat", or was he planning to snatch and run?  I had never been so close to a heron, so I took advantage of it.  He tolerated my staring and shooting briefly then tried to get away from this crazy woman with a camera.  

But he would have to travel further to escape my obsession with him...

just a few close ups is all I wanted.

Moments later, he flew across the parking lot to the shore.  Yes, I stalked him.  I had to have a few shots of him with the beach background...

"Come on, lady...don't you have better things to do?  

I'm not the only bird around here!"

Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone.  Thank you for your time, and great photos ;) 

A while later, I captured a shot of this beautiful Great Blue Heron in a grassy area.

Other birds I observed at the marina-

Willet

Black-bellied Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls

It was a great day and I was pooped by the time I returned home that evening.  I took over 500 photos- thank heaven for digital photography!  Otherwise, I couldn't afford to take so many!  And I wouldn't want to "waste" so many photos if they were developed on photo paper.  While going through those 500 photos, I deleted all but 132. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast as much as I enjoyed writing about it.  Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.  Have a wonderful week!  

Linked with our good host, Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday