Braving the elements

On 5 March 2013, I went for a quick walk at Doran Beach after work.  This was just before the storm blew in.  The wind was howling from the south and the sand was streaming across the beach from Bodega Bay towards Bodega Harbor.

I was getting a bit of exercise and fresh air (I'll say!) before heading home, so I was walking pretty fast and mostly looking down at the beach.  But at one point I looked to the northwest (away from the wind) and saw this bird hunkered down behind a hummock.

 

This Snowy Plover had found some shelter in the lee of a clump of dried eelgrass.  Note how the wind had carved out pedestals in the sand (there's a good example along the left edge of the image).

Here's a close-up of the plover, eyes closed against the wind and sand.

 

After my walk, I went home to some hot soup.  Later as I was lying in bed under warm blankets, I thought about the plovers on the beach in the rain and wind that night and how brave and amazing they are.