As I was walking along Coast Guard Beach the other day, I saw something black swimming on the water, diving in amongst the waves. I thought maybe it was a Black Duck. I got my camera out and clicked away and only got a couple of photos as this bird was floating through the tall waves and diving into the ocean and very hard to see.
When I got home and looked on my computer, I noticed the white “comma” under his eye and knew it was not a Black Duck. To my surprise, it was a White-Winged Scoter which I had never seen before. What a treat!
The White-Winged Scoter is a medium sized duck that is mostly black except for a white eye patch shaped like a comma. It has an orange bill with a black knob and red-orange legs and feet. It dives up to 40 down and feeds primarily on shellfish.
There is nothing like the sounds of waves on the beach, especially at Coast Guard Beach, part of the National Seashore on Cape Cod. It is one of my favorite beaches on the Cape. This time of the year, you might be the only one walking on the beach. Listening to the waves is both cathartic and medicinal, interspersed with the sound of gulls and other birds.
This day was a beautiful day with sunny skies and beautiful waves… perfect for that walk on the beach.
It was a perfect day for a drive to Pleasant Bay in Orleans, after a couple of good hikes out there, to see if there were any good photo-ops. There were plenty!
I loved the grass in the foreground with the boat on the water and the blue, blue sky. Aren’t the clouds spectacular?
This was the cutest thing I had seen in a long time… the little Sanderling trying to sneak some of the Seagull’s freshly caught clam. This little Sanderling would scurry about in the sand on Coast Guard Beach, but as soon as the seagull turned away, he would run in for a bite.
How cute is this?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
