Watch Hill Lighthouse seal

Thanks to our wonderful local bank, my wife and I received a two-for-one special that covered lunch at a four—or was it five?—star inn. The food was sublime, the service and ambiance just perfect, and we almost felt like we belonged there. In the afterglow, we headed for some shore birding, and in the chill of the coast, with a biting wind in our faces, well, I for one certainly did belong there. In my element, I was hoping to spot one of the Snowy Owls that have moved down from the Far North and taken up residence along the shore. The owl wasn't home at the Watch Hill Lighthouse, which, we've heard, is one of the bird's favorite haunts. But as I scanned the rocks and searched for signs of the big white bird, I noticed something else hugging the coast. It was a Harbor Seal, a mammal that has become increasingly common here. For a few moments, it eyed me, seemingly as curious about the guy with the camera as I was about that whiskered swimmer. Then, abruptly, we both went our separate ways.