Key West

I was sitting on a beach in Key West, mesmerized by a gull I had never seen before. A striking black head had captured my attention, and I forgot to notice other telling details such as size and beak color. A single aspect distracted me so that I didn’t absorb the entire picture. I’m pretty sure I was watching a Bonaparte’s Gull, though. Pelicans dove into the ocean in numbers so great, it’s hard to believe they were almost extinct in the 1960s and 70s. They stun fish with their bodies before scooping them up into their pouches. They also turn their heads to the left to protect their trachea and esophagus, located on the right side of their bodies. Kingfishers perched on wires along the highway between Miami and Key West. Osprey cruised over our car and platform nests appeared along the length of the road. I was disappointed I didn’t see any shorebirds or tropical birds, but it wasn’t that kind of vacation.