Dead Horse Bay Introduction

     Dead Horse Bay was my destination after work today, planned in accordance with low tide, so that the shoreline would be accessible. I was playing host to my coworker, who takes awesome photos and is always looking for fun places to visit and snap some awesome pictures. After spraying ourselves with a high concentration of deet, we soon ran into Eastern Cottontails as we traveled down the trail that leads out to the beach.
     I got some birds to add to my personal big year, plus I also get to add periwinkle snails and hermit crabs, as I am counting all species!
     Thankfully the bug spray worked, or there were actually no biting insects. We were able to explore and take in the uniqueness of this site, and got a couple of cool wildlife sightings! Enjoy the sights...

In total, we ran into 5+ Eastern Cottontails between our walk in and our walk to exit. We had adults like this, but also half size bunnies who are offspring from this year.

Very happy to add this guy to my personal list, a black bellied plover, there were two of these on the beach, near the Gil Hodges Bridge side.

A handsome, boldly marked bird. Striding across one of the many tires that are from a time long past, the entire beach is littered with trash, in a post about my very first visit to DHB, I explain why.

A juvenile common tern still begging and interacting with one of its parents. One would fly over and interact closely with this little dude.

These two semipalmated sandpipers were very comical, chasing each other around this tidal puddle. It was cute to me, but they may have had more serious matters between each other.

These plovers were much smaller than their larger cousin, the black bellied plover. They blend in very well with their surroundings, and sometimes you don't know they are there until they move or vocalize. Oh yeah, and all those little snails, surrounding this plover, those are periwinkles!

plover reflections

Some dramatic lighting over the Verrazano Bridge and Southern Brooklyn.

A 3rd winter herring gull attempting to smash a clam to get to the delicious insides. Gulls cycle through plumages, next molt will result in its adult plumage.

That is the face of satisfaction, this dude got to consume his prize soon after this!