On this chilly morning in South Florida, a strong northwest wind is raking Longboat Key, augmenting the low tide on this arm of Sarasota Bay. The expanding mudflats and shallows offer a smorgasbord of small fish, crustaceans and marine invertebrates for a host of waders and seabirds.
Ring-billed gulls are the most abundant guests, joined by large numbers of double-crested cormorants, brown and American white pelicans, great egrets and a variety of herons. A wood stork has also stopped by, the first I have seen on this visit; once endangered, these large waders are making a gradual comeback thanks to habitat protection and restoration.
The feast will likely continue for several hours before a rising tide reclaims the inlet. But the show will go on as other bay residents, including dolphins, ospreys, bald eagles and manatees, grace the scene.
