At first, it was almost impossible to see the Snowy Plovers as they ran along the waves ahead of me. I was walking along the surf on Okaloosa Island, part of the Emerald Coast on Florida’s Panhandle. With their pale tan and white plumage, the birds seemed to melt into the sugar-white sand beach.

The landscape around the birds was breathtaking. The water glowed a mesmerizing green, deepening to a cobalt blue as the depth increased. Sea oats waved in the breeze from atop the dunes that bordered the beach, creating an undulating view as far as I could see. Florida may be flat, but the clouds that periodically built up and then dissipated created a constantly shifting horizon. This seascape was rapidly becoming my favorite place to bird.

See the rest on National Geographic!