Yesterday afternoon, I hopped into my dinghy looking for something interesting to go out and photograph. It was a bit windy and choppy on the water, so I found this little mangrove key in the middle of Boca Chica Channel that gave me a photo opportunity that I have rarely ever come across. I was as usual photographing some of the birds that were headed back to their "base" on little island when an eagle (F-16 fighter jet) came over my head and made a tight high banked turn to final and landed on it's "base".
This gave me an idea for a pictorial and story of how this little channel in home to all types of birds and their "bases". I find the resemblance of the birds to the planes in the way they arrive and approach their "bases". They arrive in packs and split off making a high bank turn to get lined up for the landing in a very similar manner. The interesting part was how they seemed to be doing this right around where I was sitting in the dinghy at anchor. Sometimes you just get lucky and drop your anchoring the correct place.
As the afternoon went on, I found myself amazed by the number of birds that had made this little mangrove key their home and how it was just off of the end of the runway for Key West NAS. The two "bases" provided me with a great afternoon of "bird" watching. Three pelicans approached their "base"in the mangroves split apart from the flock, made some steep turns, and perched on the mangrove branches. Right behind came a pair of "raptors" (F22's) approaching Key West NAS in the same manner. It is always interesting to me how man mimics nature in so many things that he does.
All in all, this was a great way to spend an afternoon. The little flask of rum, and bird watching took on a whole new meaning as I sat in Boca Chica Channel in the fabulous Florida Keys. I have to keep pinching myself to see if what I am doing is real or "just Memorex". I did enjoy the day and it was time to cruise back to the marina, hope the waters have calmed down for the return trip. ;o)
