Unexpected Playmates

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Rain has been threatening all morning, but I’m anxious to get outside, so the compromise is to drive to the end of the street and see if anything is happening.

An osprey is on the ground in the middle of the parking lot. Rolling down the window, I snap some photos. The bird doesn’t budge, which surprises me, but he does give me some fierce looks. He must be guarding a prized find, maybe lunch.

Do you mind; I’m eating here!

I also catch this snowy egret, perched on a post and huddled against the wind. He too, ignores my lens, and as he turns his head, I get a good closeup of that feathery mane.

Across the canal there are four pelicans, resting. Their heads have taken on a shade of red, which I can only assume is breeding plumage, as I’ve noticed a few birds are sporting new colours. As I raise my lens, a dolphin swims by. I decide to get out of the car for a closer look.

Groups of dolphins are swimming all along the canal. I walk out onto the boardwalk and note that there are more across from me. They seem to be hunting in the area, so determining where they’ll surface next isn’t easy, but I do manage to capture a few. Some boats go by, and the dolphins pop up to greet them to the delight of all of us.

At one point, seven dolphins are gathered in the waterway just in front of me. A boat arrives and after it passes, I wonder where the dolphins have gone, and then the emerge – two swim upstream, two go in the other direction and three pop up out of the water in front of me, curiosity getting the better of them.

I squeal with delight, but of course, don’t get any pictures. I wait a bit and then thinking I can’t top that experience, I head back along the boardwalk toward the car.

And then I change my mind. One more look, I think. I walk out onto the dock, beside the boat launch. A slap against the canal wall catches my attention. A pelican rights itself after being temporarily stunned.

Just as I wonder if he’d hit the wall, he rises up out of the water, and looses his bearings again. I hear a squeaky noise, like a….dolphin playing!

The dolphin is teasing the pelican, who instead of flying away, stays for the fun. Dolphin and pelican repeat the performance a few more times, until another dolphin appears and the two swim off, the pelican hurrying after them. What fun!

The rain starts, and it is cold, so I give in and leave the entertainment for now. Wonderful to have such sights in the neighbourhood.


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Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

33 thoughts on “Unexpected Playmates”

  4. Pingback: Solitude and Engagement – Exploring Colour

  5. I so much enjoyed your telling of this event. I have no access to anything like you describe, but you did place a thought in my head. I know our town has a nature park and I have never been there. Might make arrangement to take g-children soon. A spring adventure. I still not very good with the walking but I’m getting better. Thanks.

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  6. Would you permit me to use the snowy egret and dolphin-pelican photos to introduce your post to my followers? I’d quote your explanation of the egret and refer readers to your post to read the full dolphin story. I’d fully credit you and your blog and link to your post. Please let me know and thanks for the great story, Liz from New Zealand

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      1. Are you living there now–or was it part of the traveling you did when I was last following you from a different blog? Just curious 🙂

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      3. Okay…I do remember that you were traveling for your health. Love the term “snow birds”–I hope you are feeling well. One more question (“Columbo”)–Ontario, Canada?

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      7. Hilarious, and brilliant–now that his show The Mercer Report ended, I’m grateful for reruns early Sunday mornings (12:30 am to 2:30am, usually)…have to get my fix each weekend, and I laugh out loud…great medicine!!

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