Ahoy, Peewit!

I'm dawdling at the edge of the surf at Haulover Beach in Ft. Lauderdale; squinting at the purity of a teal and aqua horizon; poking at the sand with my toes and looking for valuable flotsam (well, okay, seashells); turning this way and that so the sun and ocean breeze could caress both my southern and northern exposure and, looking inward, contemplating my place in the world.  I’m venturing back and forth into the water, not flinching at its temperature or caring that a purple flag was flying which, I’m told, is the signal that there is some sort of sea life in the area that can wreak havoc on one’s flesh.  In this case, man-of-war jellyfish.  But I cared not.

I have it on good authority that my friend Dan (safely ensconced under a canopy up the beach) said “look at John, he looks like he is going to start sprouting feathers any minute.”  I guess it did look like I had adopted an avian strut at the water’s edge, maybe even preening as I sought solace from the warm sun which had been in very short supply for the last couple of months in NYC.  I acknowledge Dan’s homage to my evident display and have decided this bird is the one I will heretofore emulate.  It is a Northern Lapwing, otherwise known as a Peewit.  Not as showy as a peacock but still handsome enough to turn heads on the beach but still looking like I would be capable of some strategic mayhem if challenged by the common gull, tern or pelican that frequent Florida’s beaches.  Yes, you should know or might suspect:  Haulover is a feather-optional beach.  And preen I will.